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

Hi Ryan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It happened pretty organically, actually. I had been freelancing for many years, but after receiving the opportunity to shoot a product photography contract for a large brand, it made sense to turn this into a proper business. My friend (now business partner, Zach Thistle) and I then started Flavor House LA to handle these types of contracts, and have been growing ever since, creating photo and video content for brands.

This interview was set up regarding my photo club, Flavor House Photo Club, which is less of a business and more of a creative network of photographers.

I noticed myself loosing my desire to go out and shoot for pleasure, something I used to do often before it became my full-time job. My girlfriend had recently taken up an interest in photography — seeing her curiosity and passion for this new hobby reignited my own. We started going on photowalks with a couple friends, just talking, shooting, and exploring new areas of LA. Friends invited other friends to join, and after a couple months I decided to run a small promotion on Instagram to connect with even more local photographers. Eight months later we have well over 100 members, and just last week I had the pleasure of traveling to China where we just started a Shanghai FHPC chapter. All of our members are connected on Discord— it’s been incredibly fulfilling to see everyone’s creativity and unique styles of photography, and has become a great place to ask questions and share inspiration with other members. It’s pushed me to try new ideas and see things from different perspectives, and I hope I’ve done the same for others.

If you’re interested in joining please send me a message on Instagram at @fhphotoclub, it’s free and will always be free to join!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m still developing my personal style in photography, but I’ve learned to trust the process and trust my creative instincts. The times where I noticed the most growth we’re times in which I was unsure about the outcome, and had to figure it out as I went along. I feel stagnant if I’m not trying new things.

The photo club has been a huge source of inspiration for me. I’ve also discovered one of my passions is getting other people excited about the things that excite me. I’m sure it’s annoying sometimes to my friends but I think it’s helped me build this network.

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 would have an idea of places I’d want to visit, foods I want to try with them, etc… But I’m not an itinerary person. I like to be spontaneous and maybe even discover something with them that I haven’t on my own. I’ve travelled with people who like to plan everything ahead and it stresses me out sometimes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My business partner Zach Thistle, and girlfriend Yingge Ma. Both push me creatively.

Website: flavorhousela.com

Instagram: @fhphotoclub @flavorhousela @rpburnett

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/flavor-house-la

Image Credits
Ryan Burnett, Rosney Angelo, Yingge Ma, Zach Thistle, Eduardo Rodriguez, Jorge Castillo, Rich Antous, Billy Baque

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.