Today we’d like to introduce you to Law Ream.
Law, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My fascination with photography began when I was in a special warfare program in the U.S. Navy called Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (S.W.C.C.). As part of our tasking we had to perform extensive reconnaissance work for mission planning. With that we were given a Canon 1D mk II and a 70-200mm lens as well as some other fun toys. I became infatuated with the camera and how it worked and before I knew it I was a photographer.
Fast forward 10 years later and I own that very same lens paid for in cash. The camera body not so much, my pockets aren’t as deep as the governments, ha ha!
Great, 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?
The world of photography looks glamorous form the outside, but in reality, it is a pit of stress and insecurity. There is no rhyme or reason to any of it, you never know when or where your next job is going to come from. Even if I have a whole month with no planned photoshoots, I still don’t take a day off because I am out there looking for the next paying job to fill the gap. This year alone I have had a $12,000 month and two $0 months. It’s very hit and miss and difficult to plan for.
The hardest thing for me right now is giving up the security of my most stable income.
Even though I am a photographer with my own studio, I still assist other photographers on higher paying jobs. One of these jobs is shooting patio furniture for Home Depot. The work is back breaking, the days are long, and the pay is low. But I know they’re good for at least 2 months a year and I have been able to purchase all the equipment and advertising I need to get to where I am at today.
After 4 years of working with these good people, I had to say goodbye. They don’t take kindly to anyone on set that is on their phone. For a freelance photographer like me, that can be detrimental. In previous years I haven’t had to worry about this too much. However, I have grown to a point that this affects my brand and my ability to get back to clients immediately. I pride myself on being available all times of day and this anchor of security that is the Home Depot job has been getting in the way of that. I said my goodbyes and now I am 100% on my own relying on my own business and the clients I have fought so hard to get.
Please tell us about Images By Law.
I own a photography business. I say business with emphasis because there are plenty of people out there with a camera willing to work for free just to gain access to places and people most would never achieve.
Cameras are powerful tools and wielded properly can gain you access to very exclusive environments.
I run a photography business. I specialize in food and beverage photography. I have had dinners with the most exclusive chefs for free just because of the nature of my business. Some of their clients fly in from around the world on private jets and throw down five figure sums just to have one meal with these chefs. It’s definitely a fun place to be.
What sets me apart is the fact that I am a business major. I have been a photographer for over a decade but I received my degree (with honors) in International Business and Marketing from F.I.U. I have friends that are more talented than I am but don’t know how to find clients to pay them. On the flip side, I have friends who I kill when it comes to photography, yet they a much more impressive clientele list because they are far more business savvy. I lie right on the cusp of both where I provide some incredible images but also know how to schmooze the head of marketing or an F&B director.
Like the old proverb goes, it’s not all about what you know.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from my childhood was the night before my father killed himself. That might sound really morbid, but it was. I guess my father had come to terms with what he was about to do and just let loose. We had a grand dinner that night and we all were laughing so hard that we couldn’t breathe or speak. In hindsight, it may have been the greatest night of his life as well. We we’re passing around a whoopee cushion and having a grand time. It seemed like no one was immune to the silly sounds of that $2 toy. I was only eleven years old but I could feel my abs burning form laughing so hard.
I count my blessings that I had that night with my brother, my sister, my step-mom, and my dad that night. I know many endure losing a loved to suicide and it’s never painless, but the way my father did it had to be the easiest way to endure it of all the ways to go. When I think of my father, I don’t think of a man in so much pain he wanted to end his life, I think of that night and I picture him laughing until he was red in the face. It’s the best way to remember someone.
Pricing:
- When it comes to pricing, there is no set format. Every single one of my clients needs something completely different. A few nights ago I did a 10 hour photoshoot for Toro Toro of Chef Richard Sandoval. They needed the best of the best. We ended up shooting 6 dishes in those 10 hours. The very next day I met with the marketing director for The Cheese Course, a fast casual franchise. She is hoping to get 10 menu item shot in 4 hours. Of course it’s possible, but it also depends on what those images are being used for and what the clients vision is. In short, my photoshoots are billed out anywhere between $500 and $10,000 for a single day.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1415 NE 129 Street
- Website: www.ImagesbyLaw.com
- Phone: 3053012182
- Email: law@imagesbylaw.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/imagesbylaw
- Facebook: facebook.com/imagesbylaw
- Twitter: twitter.com/imagesbylaw
Image Credit:
Spencer Taliaferro
Blue Fish Thai Sush
FUEL
Lilt Lounge
Area 31
Epic Hotel
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