Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Knappenberger.
Ryan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It has always been a priority for me to maintain a healthy lifestyle and I have forever been drawn to activities and experiences that allow me to get out and move around. Growing up, no one in my family was a great photographer but that didn’t stop them from constantly snapping pictures of me and all of my activities. I am now able to go back, look at photos, and watch myself grow up over and over again. I am very blessed to have been exposed to such wonderful people and amazing experiences that contribute to who I am now!
A little over a year ago, my daughter was born and you better believe I’ve been taking a few more pictures lately! The feedback from family and friends has always been positive, and now I am getting consistently positive feedback from people I’ve never even met. Wonderful opportunities, like photographing and families and children, inspired me and filled me with joy. This encouragement ultimately gave me the confidence to take the leap into self-employment and I couldn’t be happier.
I consider the majority of my skill to be self-taught although I do have mentors and people I look up to. 🙂 Through my previous work experiences, I have learned a lot about running a successful business. Now I am able to meet new people, learn their story, and capture new memories.
Great, 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?
We all have goals and dreams for ourselves and we would love to invest every minute of our time doing what we love. In reality, that isn’t always an immediate option when we finish school.
Instead, we get a job and survive as an adult by working towards someone else’s dreams. I have always been interested in working for myself (who hasn’t?!)… I was quickly enlightened to how much work it would actually be. 🙂 When you meet someone who is in running their own company they seem to have it all together! They get to take time off whenever they want, they make their own hours, they pay themselves a salary, it seems so glamorous.
Real life as a photographer means you are not just a photographer. You hold many positions; marketer, graphic designer, accountant, web designer, secretary, market analyst, policy/contract writer, etc. So the short answer to your question is “yes” there were some struggles along the way, probably too many to mention right now. I wouldn’t have changed a thing as every struggle was conquered and was totally worth it!
Ryan Owen Photography LLC – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I say that I specialize in lifestyle family photography, which simply means that I will come spend time with you in your home or a nearby location to document who you are as a person or as a family. I want to capture you and the most treasured things in your life. My portfolio would tell you that I do much more, sometimes lightly posing individuals to more accurately tell their story. I have done Maternity, Newborn, Family Portraits, Headshots, all of which are within my comfort zone.
My competitive advantage comes in with Videography, I am able to tell stories through videos as well as photos. If you are looking for someone to come over and capture the love of a grandparent for their precious grandchild, tell the story of how you first met the love of your life, or simply getting your 2 year old chowing down on her birthday cake or riding his brand new bike, I am your guy! Sometimes these moments are more fun when they are revisited in motion and become priceless additions to your collection.
Once your children grew up, they don’t grow back down again. 🙂 When you watch these memories, you can almost smell the smells and feel their touch all over again!
Pricing:
- Photography Mini Sessions can start at $100
- Videography Sessions can start at $200
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ryanowenphoto.com
- Phone: 262.951.8885
- Email: ryan@ryanowenphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanowenphotollc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryanowenphotollc
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ryan-owen-photography-evanston
- Other: https://vimeo.com/user79984647
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
