Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Tischer.
Hi Ryan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I first became interested in landscape photography my senior year of high school and then minored in photography at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. While in college in 2006, I decided to try selling my photography at some art festivals. I was delighted to find that people would purchase my work and after I graduated in 2007 I decided to go full-time with my photography, primarily selling at art shows and festivals. 2008 was a challenging year to be selling luxury items due to the economic crisis and recession, but I kept at it. Over the following years I continued doing shows and growing my business.
Then in 2017 I decided to take a leap and opened a brick and mortar art gallery in downtown Duluth, MN that exclusively featured my photography. It was successful downtown, but after 3 years when my lease was up I signed a new lease and moved the gallery to Canal Park, Duluth’s main tourist area. Sales took off and after a few months I needed to hire a manager to help with the work load. I also hired salespeople and a couple of framers. Now the gallery mostly runs itself and I have more time to go out making images, which was my goal all along.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building my photography business has been an immense amount of work. The road hasn’t always been smooth. Doing art shows and festivals is more work and far more stressful than most people realize. Artists are at the mercy of the weather and the general public’s buying energy, which makes show income unpredictable. However, I found that if I did enough shows the numbers averaged out and I was able to make a living at it. There were times when I became burned out from doing shows and my mental health sometimes suffered. Fortunately, as my business grew I was able to cut back on shows and eventually open an art gallery, which allowed a more sensible work and personal life balance.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I make images of incredible moments in nature, primarily focusing on the Lake Superior region, though I’ve been all across the US and even to Iceland making images. I’ve become regionally well-known for selling photographic artwork for homes and businesses. My work stands out from others because the images have emotion in them. It’s not enough to just make a pretty image for me, it also has to create an emotional reaction.
I’m most proud of growing my business into a successful art gallery and in doing so I’ve surrounded myself with good people. Being a small business, my employees are as much like family as they are people that work for me.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Duluth is an incredibly beautiful city, with a plethora of outdoor activities and a bustling arts and music scene. The surrounded area provides world-class landscape photography without the crowds of national parks.
Though the winter is in my opinion the most beautiful season, it also gets too long for me. By the time February rolls around I’m ready for spring, but unfortunately there’s still a lot of winter left in Duluth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ryantischerphoto.com
- Instagram: @tischergallery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tischergallery
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tischer-gallery-duluth-3?dd_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
