Check Out Ryan Heffron’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Heffron.

Hi Ryan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My passion for photography began on a student ambassador trip to Australia, where I first saw images by renowned landscape photographer Peter Lik. Seeing the vibrant images in his book “Australia: Images of a Timeless Land” inspired me to pick up a camera and begin capturing the world around me as well. Though my degree is in Management and Technology, I pursued a minor in photography while in college as well to improve my hobby and thought it could be a useful skill no matter what career path I chose… after graduating, and spending a few short years in an unfulfilling business related field, my passion for photography grew and, despite a slow start, eventually became my primary focus.

In 2013 I became director of photography for a small marketing agency in Kansas City that worked with international clients such as Zeiss, GoreTex, Yeti, and more, allowing me the opportunity to travel around the world working with some great people and photographing some amazing places. Once my son was born, however, I decided I needed to stay closer to home and began photographing weddings, families, real estate, and more.. though of course my passion for travel and landscape photography still continued, albeit in a much more limited capacity. After moving here to Michigan last year, I still continue to photograph a wide variety of subject matter and enjoy sharing photos of our beautiful city and state online with local communities.

Alright, 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?
My career in photography has been full of ups and downs and twists and turns… both in terms of experiences; everything from thousands of unruly kids while shooting school photos, running through icy bogs in the Arctic Circle filming a moose hunt, to shooting weddings needing police intervention! In terms of income; everything from low-wage portrait studios to well-paying salaried positions to the complete uncertainty of freelance work. Working for myself as a freelancer, while rewarding, has definitely been the most challenging part of my career. There are just so many different aspects of the business beyond photography (that I am definitely not passionate about ha) that it’s hard to keep up with it all.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I consider myself a “jack of all trades” when it comes to photography. I have no one particular specialty, and I like to shoot a wide variety of subject matter such as weddings, family portraits, commercial product, real estate, landscapes, and more. I search for unique but timeless perspectives and angles, rich tones, and vibrant colors while trying to capture fleeting moments in the best light possible.

I’ve always been most passionate about and proud of my landscape work.. trying to photograph the beauty of our world in the places, times, or conditions most people avoid. The world and our environment changes fast, I have several photos of places that don’t exist anymore, and I hope to capture at least some small part of it for my son and other future generations to appreciate what once was. And while I mainly shoot landscapes now for my personal enjoyment, it is certainly helpful that viral images like my “Sunflower Galaxy” series also end up attracting clients for the other more commercial types of photography I do.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I would say quality of work, and relationships, has been the most important aspect to my business. When people know and trust that you will consistently produce high-quality results, they are more likely to share that news with others.. and in building those personal relationships, you gain reputation and valuable word-of-mouth advertising.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heffronphotography.com / www.ryanheffron.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ryanheffron , www.instagram.com/heffronphoto
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/heffronphotography 

Image Credits
Ryan Heffron