Meet Ryan Handt | Photographer • Director

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

Hi Ryan, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
From a young age, I was drawn to creative things. Like most kids, my imagination took center stage. As I got older, it didn’t wane. It continued to be the driving force in my studies. I can’t say I was a prototypical good student. I had issues with reading and writing, which later in life I found out I had dyslexia. This led me to excel in learning more visually. by the time I was in high school, I knew a creative career of some sort was in my future. When I was 15, I broke my foot skateboarding, which occupied much of my time. After sitting around on the couch for what felt like forever, my father thrusted a camera into my hands and told me to get out. I turned the camera on my friends and skateboarding and the bond was instant. I new this is something I wanted to do. But I had no idea it could be a career. When I was 17, I enrolled in community college and took a photography class for fun. My teacher saw something in me and told me that I had to follow my passion for photography. She led me down he path and showed me I could have a career doing what I loved. In reality, I don’t think I chose a career in the arts. I had to do it. It was an energy that pulled me along for the ride.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What am I most proud of: My career in the arts has spanned 20-ish years, with my first paying gig back in 2003. That day feels like it’s still just around the corner, like I jut dipped my toe in. I’m proud of my longevity in a career that is not easy to hold on to. It has it’s good times and bad when you work for yourself. You are constantly looking for the next project, even while focusing on the current. without perseverance and a believe in myself, I wouldn’t still be doing this today. It a hard industry to excel at because whatever you put in is what you get out.
Was it easy?
No and it still isn’t. It’s still hard on the ‘work’ side of it. The creative side has never been hard. The creative side is like a river; it’s just flowing and you need to tap into it.
More about my art:
My personal vision and what makes me who I am as a creative, it’s my ability to see from a perspective other than my own. My compassion and empathy allow me to tap into others and what they are looking for. I pride myself in my ability to understand others. That may not seem to relate to commercial work, but being able to understand your client, to know what they are looking for, it’s one of the most important parts of the work. Does my vision and my ability match up to what they need. It’s a question one has to ask every time.
More about me:
Photography has been my career since the beginning. In the past 7-10 years I began playing with the motion. Creating moving images is an extension of photography and when I look back at what got me into photography and what inspired me, it was films more than other photography. Directing has been a challenge that I am thrilled about. I’m now engulfed in brainstorming scripts for film ideas and commercials. I’m excited for that to be a major part of my future.

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.
When someone is visiting LA, it really comes down to where they are from and what the city can offer them. I’m one who likes to offer people what they are already looking for. But if it’s completely on me, one of my favorite things to do is do an early morning motorcycle ride up the PCH through Malibu all the way to Ventura. The air is so fresh and smell of the ocean gets me every time. I’d spend time with them in nature, doing hikes in Red Rock Canyon Park or maybe Angeles National Forest, which also has some amazing roads for motorcycles. I’d probably take them to Dockweiler beach, as it’s a more quiet spot, which I enjoy more. The Palos Verdes Cliffs are rather special too. Food wise, just find the nearest food truck slinging tacos. Hard to go wrong. And it seems no LA trip is complete with In-n-Out these days… My Taco in Garvanza has the best and biggest Horchata, plus it’s close to one of my favorite skateparks in the city.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
In a career, there are so many people that you can look back on as the ones who got you to where you are. I can’t name them all, but I can name a few who stick out in my mind. First would be my community college professor, but in her passing, I will keep her name to private. Alex Slade, who was my first photography teacher at Otis College in LA, opened my mind to the possibilities of photography. The conceptual side became brighter in my mind. He taught me to be an artist. Next was Eric Weeks, at School of Visual Arts in New York. Eric became a very important person in my development as a photographer. He got me out of my shell and transformed me into the photographer I became and who I still am nearly 18 years later. I helped me see and feel as a creative and I still hold that with me in all my work, commercially or personally. Next, Scott Frances. Scott is a photographer who has been at it a long time. He specializes in interiors and architecture, but his mind for photography is unparalleled. I assisted him throughout my career, and in turn, I’ve had the privilege to bend his ear on anything that has come up throughout my years and he’s always pointed me in the right direction. Lastly, my family and friends have been supportive of me since the beginning. It would’ve been a much bumpier road without them.

Website: www.ryanhandt.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhandt

Other: https://vimeo.com/ryanhandt

Image Credits
Ryan Handt Photography