Rob Smith shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Rob, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Would YOU hire you? Why or why not?
My ability to link into my customers emotions is what drives my passion around photography. Knowing what I know helps me form a photo shoot to hit the expectations of who hires me makes me think I would hire me every single time.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My journey into photography began with a spark of curiosity that grew into a lifelong pursuit of visual storytelling. What started as a personal interest evolved through years of experimentation, hands-on learning, and countless seminars. Over time, my dedication transformed into a professional career.
My recent photography has been featured in a northland publication, Tiffany Living Magazine, where I am the photographer that captures feature families each month.
I also blend my passion around photography with philanthropy where I donate my time at pro-bono to heavily discounted rates for non profits in the greater Kansas City area.
One of my stretch goals over the past couple of years is the introduction of videography into the offerings I have for my customers. Whether its a sizzle reel to showcase an event to a short reel showcasing a customers personality – I am having a great time learning the process and end results.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I would have to say my mother. As a young boy, I didnt do very well in school. Summed up, I could do well, I just didnt want to. My mom was there to make sure I did as good as possible and I dredged through elementry and high school classes. It wasnt until after I graduated high school, went into an entry level roll and wandered around for a few years before I signed up for college classes, where C’s were no longer cool… I wanted the A’s, which I got a lot of throughout my undergrad and graduate degrees. Looking back, it was my mom that encouraged me more than anyone. Always believing, always mentoring, always there. The college degrees were more to show her she was right than me getting a piece of paper.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Ask the question to find out what you need to know to excel.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I would say that the public version of me is the real me. I was a shy kid growing up, but came out of my shell in high school. I consider myself an extrovert for the most part and love being part of the party, however I do have introvert tendencies where I do like to go home and just chill, nobody around, and catch a show on TV.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
I think they would miss the way I see them through the lens. So many times I will get a customer for a headshot that is apprehensive. Post photo shoot they see theirself differently, I think, and its a good feeling. I also think the non profit community would miss the bright cheery face that I bring to their events to get the vibe and product to showcase why they do what they do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.robsmithphotos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RobSmithPhotos
- Twitter: @robsmithphotos
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobSmithPhotos
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@robsmithphotos
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/RobSmithFaces for my headshots
Image Credits
All Rob Smith Photography photos
