Meet Richard Hume | Fashion, Lifestyle, Beauty, Swimwear Photographer

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

Hi Richard, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
I’ve tried to show my girls that you can get whatever you want in life if you work hard, have a vision, make goals, persevere when doors don’t open right away, stay patient and positive. I’ve also taught them that life is not what always what you see, especially in this age of Photoshop, and AI, and especially in my business as a fashion photographer.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a fashion beauty photographer I have always had an eye for great composition and learned early on that it’s also about the light. Manipulating light in a way that enhances an image that under normal conditions would be boring and nothing special. I am the most proud of my ability to problem solve. Not all conditions are optimum in creating beautiful photography and I have always been able to find a way to make almost every situation work, even when the there seemed like no way to get it done. I once had a shoot with a first time client where it was raining torrents out. We sat in the location motorhome (which is used for makeup/hair, and staging), for a while hoping it would clear up and when it didn’t I sent my assistants to the hardware store to pick up a large 10 x 12 clear plastic tarp that we put up on a 12×12 frame overhead to shield the model from the rain. We brought out a portable battery powered strobe light and set the power to mix perfectly with the ambient light where the images looked perfectly natural. We were able to complete all the tight sweater and jackets shots that way before the sun came out in the afternoon and allowed us to finish the rest of the shots in better weather conditions. The client was extremely happy and amazed at how we were able to figure out a way to get all the day’s shot list done and not loose valuable hours.

Starting out in a very competitive field was not easy, I had to constantly keep creating new images in a way that got the attention of potential clients, and even then, I basically had to sell myself to new clients and convince them to trust that I would be able to bring something fresh and different to their brand. What I have learned over the years is to keep any ego out of my business, listen to my clients needs, and help bring their vision to fruition.

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.
If a best friend from out of town were to come for a visit, I would take them some of the beautiful beaches north of Malibu, El Matador beach is one of my favorites, and on the way home I would stop at one of my favorite restaurants when I’m out that way, Cafe Habana, in Malibu. Cindy Crawford owns the restaurant, and it’s great place to hang out, have a drink, and a bite to eat. Cafe Habana is also dog friendly so it’s fun to bring my dog in with me. I also think a quick trip over to Catalina Island would be great, and then even some of the touristy type spots like the Griffith Park Observatory which is a wonderful place to get a feel for LA. On a clear day, you can see from downtown to your left all the way to the ocean, looking toward the southwest. From there, a short drive over to the Grove and Farmers Market, next to CBS Studios in West Hollywood is a great place to walk around and get something to eat. If given enough time, would love to take the friend out to Palm Desert and Joshua Tree. LA is such a central location to see beautiful beaches, deserts, mountains. The city itself is so multicultural, and offers so many different restaurant genre’s and different types of food there is never a shortage of finding something cool and different to do, and amazing places to eat, have a drink, eat, and spend some time. Not to mention, all the great boutique coffee shops in LA.

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?
I am self taught so I don’t have a lot of mentors but I thank the early clients for taking a chance on me and seeing that I had a vision of how to bring beautiful, creative images to their brand. Images that would advance their product no matter how successful they had been in the past.

Website: https://www.humephoto.com

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