Meet Art Ruffin | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Art Ruffin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Art, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to build my own. I didn’t like working for others while they took the credit. I also wouldn’t make as much money as I would on my own. It just felt like the best option to have everything on my own.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Photography started as just a hobby and then I started to get serious about learning in 2018. When covid hit, so many things happened during the shutdown and I got really depressed and photography was a big thing that helped pull me out of that depression. I was able to see life differently through the lens. Capturing so much life, happiness and love and seeing that really picked me up. From there, I started shooting more for people and getting more requests. I made some really connections and friends that helped boost my business even more and it’s been great!

The road has definitely been tough. There are tons of photographers in this area, so getting work was not easy. It was also tough trying to find connections with other photographers, seeing that I was new on the scene and didn’t have much of a portfolio to show. I had to offer service for free to build my portfolio and that was tough because lots of people and photographers don’t trust people to offer free services. So the struggle was real for a while.

Once I grew my portfolio, it made things easier for me. I was really able find my niche and really produce great work for everyone. My story is still being written and brand is growing. I love where I am and where I’m going!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a very fun and active person, so once we get the touristy things done, I’ll take them to a few beaches and go along the tide pools and caves. It’s hard to name just one place to eat for lunch because there are so many options, which is a good thing. For dinner one night, we would definitely have to go Bonyard Bistro for BBQ and whiskey!

LA is full of many pop up events, so we would definitely find a few of those. If it’s cold, we would go to the mountains for all the snow fun. There would little rest on that vacation!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Fiancé has been biggest supporter and fan. She keeps me encouraged in good and bad times. Without her, not sure how I’d make it mentally.

Website: http://workofartphotos.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/work_of_art_photos/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/art.ruffin?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Yelp: https://yelp.to/hlomiVjNw0

Image Credits
Art Ruffin Work Of Art Photography