Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Pearl.
Robert, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My mom was a clothing designer during my childhood. She had a darkroom in our house so she could take pictures of inspirational fashion that she would develop in her darkroom. I became fascinated by the process of finding an interesting image, capturing it, and making it “come to life” once developed.
I was basically self-taught. I captured my own images and then messed around in the darkroom to figure out how to develop them.
In college, I became the photo editor of the Daily Cardinal at Madison. I was initially interested in photojournalism, but during my summer breaks from college, I would work at various photo studios in Mpls and I realized commercial photography was my calling. It was then that I transferred to Brooke’s Institute in Santa Barbara, CA where I learned how to control my medium.
Upon graduation from Brooke’s, I began assisting at the studios in town until I had enough of my own clients to venture off on my own. In my career, I’ve been fortunate to have a diverse portfolio ranging from product, food, and lifestyle. Not only do I love capturing these images, but it’s also about the stories and relationships cultivated behind the photography.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Making a living! When you are in business for yourself, you are always looking for the next job. So, not only do you have to be incredibly creative with a command of your medium, but you also have to be a good business person. That means that I’d need to use the left side of my brain, which wasn’t always easy!
Technology! Over the course of my career, I’ve seen such an extreme change in technology so you have to be willing to accept, learn and evolve.
Cancer. In 2013 I was hit with bladder cancer. Chemotherapy and surgeries were not a great match for such a physically demanding job. I was fortunate to have the most wonderful clients that supported me and rode through this journey with me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Commercial Photography.
My specialty and passion are lifestyle photography. I’m good at it and I absolutely love it. There is nothing more gratifying than capturing the true essence of a moment. I work in tandem with a lot of video teams (multi-framers).
The running joke is that they get 24 frames to capture the story whereas single-framers (me) only get 1 frame. It’s a challenge I welcome and love. I am also known for my food photography and work with some extremely talented food stylists who make my job easy.
I truly believe what sets me apart from others is:
1. My ability to shoot, and shoot well a diverse portfolio. This is an advantage for my clients who sometimes have a variety of photography needs on a project to tell their story, thus they don’t need to hire multiple photographers.
2. One of my favorite things about being in this business is the relationships I’ve built. I’ve met so many amazing, smart, creative people that have become lifelong friends. It makes being on set so much fun. We are laser-focused, but also have such a good time spending production days together.
In recent years, I’ve gotten more involved producing and directing motion projects. It takes me away from being behind the camera but allows me to explore other areas of this industry.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
Being a self-employed photographer in MPLS is a risk. There are so many people in the industry here. There have been ups and downs in the economy, you never really know what will have longevity. And, photography is so subjective, so you hope the end product is viewed as you intended.
I’m so fortunate that my phone keeps ringing.
Contact Info:
- Website: pearlphotography.com
- Instagram: @pearlphoto1
Image Credits
Robert Pearl Photography
