Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Altman.
Hi Rachel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
When I was a child Grandfather gave me a camera. It was a small digital camera, nothing impressive. I spent most of my time from that moment taking pictures and making videos with friends and family. Through this process, I developed a special place in my heart for photography. I began taking photos for close family. I took some family and senior pictures for friends. I tried to remain a small business because I was under 18 and didn’t want to get in trouble because I dodged a lot of loopholes. Once I was a little older, I was able to start social media profiles to promote my business. This was very exciting for me and I posted pictures, advertisements, and even began an email list to update friends and family on deals and offers that were “going on” in my very small business.
I was pretty sure that I wanted to continue photography for the rest of my life, but I wouldn’t feel right if I hadn’t explored some other academic options. While looking at colleges, I explored other professions. I could not imagine finding one thing that I loved so much that I would do it for the rest of my life. I always figured that I would get bored or want to switch to something else. I continued to take pictures while I was exploring other careers, but I viewed it more as a hobby. I distinctly remember sitting in an assembly my senior year and looking at senior pictures. A local photography business had partnered with my high school. The deal seemed to be, if you send the kids from your school to our photography studio, we will give you a discount. Actually, it was a pretty smart way to do business. At this point, I had been taking pictures for about 5 years. I had never had professional photography training, but to me, the pictures seemed odd. Every picture seemed to look the same. Sure, the models were different and even the backgrounds were too, but I couldn’t help feeling that they all seemed generic. They would have soccer players posing with soccer balls inside instead of on a field, they would have a girl wearing heels and a nice dress in a rustic-looking location, and some of the models were friends of mine and I couldn’t help but feel that the pictures lacked personality. I figured that the photography company no longer cared about the subject, but more about the check at the end of the day. I may be wrong, I never spoke to them, but they didn’t seem to take the time to get to know their subjects to decide the best style and personality-fitting photos for them. I knew that this was something that I had to change in my business.
It wasn’t until I had to choose a major that I decided what I wanted to do. I decided to major in business so I could learn the ins and outs of running my own. I am a strong believer that small businesses are the backbone of the economy. I knew I wanted to do photography forever, but I did not know how to start my own business where everything would be done legally and at a low cost (so I can pass these savings onto my clients). College students are broke, and I was no exception. I had a lot of help from my parents and other family members who supported me through my early photography years. I worked as a waitress to pay for college and my business expenses. In my sophomore year of college, I finally rebranded my photography company under a new name. I got my LLC and began to expand my online and community presence. Now, I get to do my favorite thing in the whole wide world. I get to take pictures every day.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has come with its fair share of tribulations. Like any growing business, mine required financing. I work as a waitress as well as being a full-time college student, which in turn doesn’t leave much time for my business. Every spare moment I have is dedicated to my business and its expansion. I have a few loyal clients, but I hope to grow exponentially in the coming year to make my business profitable and livable.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
RK Images picks up where many photography companies lack. After noticing the lack of personalization in portrait photography, I made it the goal of my business to capture the personality of each client and in turn make their photos unique and specifically tailored to them. With RK Images, there is no longer a need to search around for a photographer whose photos match your personal aesthetic. I am able to create a personalized and comfortable photoshoot experience where every client can get memorable pictures at a low cost, fast turnover, and completely digital. In efforts to be eco-friendly and practical, my company has eliminated the use of prints directly from us. Everyone is sent their final photographs in a digital album where they can download them directly to a personal device. From there, the client can send them off the be printed in as many sizes and copies as they would like or post the photographs straight to social media. This does away with the 20 wallet-sized photographs that we have no use for. The money that my business saves on printing is passed directly to my clients. This enables me to provide high-quality and low-cost photographs. I also promise fast turnover. Photographs are edited and sent quickly back to the client. The elimination of printing and the dedication to each individual client allows final photographs to be sent back in days to a couple of weeks rather than many months.
I am extremely proud of the new approach that my business has taken in the world of photography. I love getting to know each client personally and giving them a comfortable and fun photoshoot experience.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most likely that I will graduate this Spring with a business degree. In order to properly run my own business and provide the best possible service to my clients, I needed to get a business-specific degree that would serve better than a degree in photography. Therefore, I minored in photography and international business but majored in Entrepreneurship.
Contact Info:
- Email: rachelaltman@rkimagesphotography.com
- Website: www.rkimagesphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rk_images_photography/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photographyrkimages
Image Credits
RK Images Photography
