Exploring Life & Business with Robert Randall

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Randall.

Robert, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in the SF/Bay Area and picked up the guitar at the age of seven and a camera at the age of 12. As a teenager, I really wanted to be a musician, but around the age of 19, that all changed and I headed down to Santa Barbara to go to Brooks Institute with dreams of becoming a professional photographer and director. I grew up middle class, so I was missing the requisite “Trust Fund” required to afford Brooks. Instead, I took the five year plan and got a degree in Business Economics from the University of California Santa Barbara. Armed with a business degree, I took a job with a major Wall Street firm and headed up north to the Emerald City (Seattle). But after four years of cold-calling Microsoft Millionaires in the land of rain and lattes, I realized that chasing money for money’s sake is a fool’s errand and that life without passion is pointless. I opened my first photography studio in 1992 in Seattle and started my career as a fashion and beauty photographer shooting for local magazines and designers. Eventually, my portfolio expanded into the areas of fitness, sports, lifestyle, and portraiture, so I began to venture out of the studio and proceeded to get rained out approximately 32 times in one year. So I ditched the Pacific Northwest (and the studio) and headed back home to warmer climates in Southern California and have never looked back. I’ve been a “location specialist” now for over 30 years, shooting domestically and internationally. I have a great production team here in Southern California, also one in Denver and one in New York. Currently, I am expanding my business down to Mexico. We’ve produced advertising campaigns for domestic and international brands, editorial for magazines and book publishers, video and film for numerous companies and also personal branding for individuals in multiple industries.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Anyone who has been in this business for any period of time knows that photography is not an easy way to make a living. You have to really want it. There have been numerous times along the way that is just making the rent was a struggle. It’s never one thing. It could be a shift in the economy, trends that change, or just a slow period for no particular reason. The biggest challenge we face as photographers is ourselves. Photographers can be their own worst enemies. Understand that the barrier to entry is almost non-existent now with everyone having a camera, everyone becomes a photographer. That in itself is wonderful. The problem lies in that many photographers don’t understand the value of their work in the marketplace. They haven’t written a business plan or even identified how much they need to make to pay the bills and provide for a future. Combine that with the fact that many photographers view themselves as only “artists” and blister at the idea of learning sales strategy and negotiation. I guess I was lucky in that I put myself through college selling stereo equipment and spent four years as a stockbroker before becoming a photographer. I learned how to sell, and it’s made all the difference in my career.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Robert Randall Productions?
Robert Randall Productions creates stunning visual imagery for brands, large and small, both domestically and internationally. We combine still photography and motion to create “brand-specific imagery” that is both captivating and memorable. Our goal is to make your brand instantly recognizable at a glance. Working with a team of top tier professionals and using the latest technologies in still and video production, we have created winning campaigns for some of the most prestigious names in fitness, sports, lifestyle, beauty, fashion, and entertainment. Additionally, we now offer a “large scale” fine-art portraiture and wall art for select, individual clients through our commissioned master portrait photography program. Our partial corporate client list includes: CNBC, Marriott, CW-X Compression Gear, The Bay Clubs, Speedo, Atkins Nutritionals, Bi-Pro Nutrition, Anheuser Busch, Lancöme, Hewlett Packard, Clairol, Kodak, Tonic Sportswear, Nordstrom, Axis Labs, 4 Dimension Nutrition and Outdoor Research. Some of the magazines we’ve shot for include Glamour, Oxygen, Fit, Divine Living, Seattle Magazine, Gym, The London Times, AFAR and book publishers such as DK, Aegis, Moon. and Quarto. Advertising agencies include Evans, DDB Needham, Creative Engine, B-Group and AMF Media.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
North County has been home since 1999. I absolutely love it here. It’s an easy place to live and work and has a vibe that is both professional and artistic at the same time. From the funkiness of Lucadia to the upscale scene of Encinitas and the corporate culture of Carlsbad, it has everything I need. The beaches and coastline are beautiful and not excessively crowded. I love the fact that this is such an athletic city both from a personal and professional perspective. As a location photographer, San Diego County provides me with an incredible amount of amazing locations for photoshoots. From the beaches to the desert, the city, the small quaint towns and the local mountains, it’s the best studio I could ever ask for. On top of all of that I can be in Mexico in less than an hour, Orange County in less than an hour and Los Angeles…. well, usually in less than two hours. There is really very little that I dislike about San Diego. Of course, the traffic can be pretty bad, and real estate is out of sight but I’m willing to live with that to live in such a wonderful place.

Contact Info:

• Email: rr@robertrandall.com
• Website: www.robertrandall.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertRandallProd