Meet Karl Rothenberger

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karl Rothenberger.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
It all started when with an ad in the ASU newspaper that called for students to participate in an on-campus fashion show where the compensation was a free pair of jeans. Who couldn’t use a free pair of jeans? Am I right? So, I auditioned, participated in the fashion show, got my jeans, and was scouted by Ford models who had an agent at the show. From there, I modeled for a few years while attending school, but what I was mostly doing was spending time with the photographers on set, picking their brains as to how and why they did what they did while the girls were getting hair/makeup done, etc. Eventually, I made my way from Arizona to LA to try my hand at acting. As an unemployed actor with no table waiting experience, I was able to get a part-time job assisting a photographer in LA, and I loved it! Realizing acting wasn’t my calling, I decided to go back to AZ with the connections I had made and assist full-time. I saved money, bought a camera, borrowed lenses from the photographers I worked with, and began shooting for the agency that used to represent me. People liked my work, but the rub on it was it was “Too New York.” Taking this as a compliment and not a criticism, I decided if I was going to do this as a career, I was going to have to move to NYC. Through a friend of a friend, and after months of trying, I somehow found an apt in New York, sold my jeep, and moved there with my portfolio, a few changes of clothes, and an air mattress. I shopped my limited portfolio around and began shooting for Next, then Ford, then eventually IMG, all while assisting various photographers. I caught a break early on and was able to shoot New York Fashion Week both front of house and backstage for 6 seasons, which allowed me to meet hair/makeup artists who I would collaborate with on model tests, magazine editorials, and designer lookbooks. I wound up staying in NYC for 10 years, spending summers working back home in Chicago and breaking up the winters with trips back out to LA and Miami to shoot for agencies there. A family medical situation brought me back to Chicago, but to be honest, I was done with the grind of NY, especially with my 5-floor walkup, 10 yrs. times 5 floor walkup, do the math. I’ve been in Chicago ever since, still occasional trips to LA and Miami, but I’ve loved visiting local Midwest markets like Kansas City, Minneapolis, etc. My plan is to visit Ohio this spring/summer and shoot there, Cincinnati, Columbus, who’ll ever have me. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
All in all, pretty smooth, I must say. I mean, sure, the move to NYC was daunting, not knowing anyone and having no prospects, but the city was so vibrant, so much energy, it just kinda sweeps you up, and the next thing you know, you’ve been there for 10 years. The people in this industry I must say have been the best part of it. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but there was only one model in the last 20 years that even had a hint of an attitude, and who knows what she had gone thru prior, maybe her cat was sick, or her boyfriend broke up with her. But 1 in a ~thousand??? That’s some good odds. Generally, people are really happy to be there and be involved. We are creating art and at the end of the day, it should be fun, we’re not saving babies as an old photographer friend used to say. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I mainly describe myself as a fashion and portrait photographer, but my focus is on the person, not necessarily the clothes as I primarily shoot for model agencies. My client is the girl, my job is to make them look like they look on their best day. I want the focus to be on them, not the clothes or accessories, not really even hair or makeup. Hair/makeup artists usually hate me as I always ask them to keep it clean and minimal. I need the girl to shine thru, she’s my focus, she’s my client. My images are clean, and simple, my goal is to have images that look like you, but also cool and will cause someone to stop and take notice and hopefully ask who shot this or even better say “Karl shot this didn’t he.” Then I know I’ve done my job. I think I’m most proud of the feedback I get from parents. Oftentimes I’m shooting someones first ever shoot and they might be on the younger side, and when I get an email or text the next day from a parent saying what a great experience their daughter had or how I made them feel so comfortable, or how they learned so much that’s the most rewarding. I credit my time spent on the other side of the camera as a model, knowing how nervous I was for my first shoot, and I really try to be a cheerleader for the girl, give them encouragement, and make them feel like they are doing great and most likely that relaxes them and they are great. That’s why I mentioned the modeling backstory; it has served me well as a photographer. Not everyone has the patience that I have, especially with new faces, or so I’ve been told. If you haven’t been on the other side, you might not know how terrifying it could be, not for everyone, but for some. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think my experience on the other side of the camera has served me well in understanding what the person being photographed is going thru. Having the patience to walk them thru the process, teach them a little bit of movement, and encouraging them throughout the shoot results is successful images and success for them going forward in the industry. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.karlrothenberger.com
• Instagram: karl_rothenberger