Today we’d like to introduce you to Ron Schmidt.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I discovered photography at a very young age. When I was nine years old, my Uncle Russ gave me with an old, used camera for Christmas and I took pictures of all everything, including my dog Niki. I remained interested in photography throughout my teens and attended Brooks Institute in California, where I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art/Photography. After college, I worked as a Photo Assistant in New York City for well-known celebrity photographers. While working around models and actors was exciting, it really wasn’t a fit with the style of photography I wanted to shoot. With that, I started my own commercial studio and haven’t looked back since.
A few years into having my own studio, I decided to create a holiday card to send to my commercial clients. The image was of my yellow lab, Indy, in the woods, with an ax in her mouth and a small pine tree on her back. I received phenomenal feedback from everyone that got the card and thought I may be onto something. I started creating more and more images with dogs and now, 20+ years later, focus most of my time in this niche of photography.
Has it been a smooth road?
Back when I started out on my own, it was hard to stand out. I was shooting people and products but so was everyone else. The photographers that were successful had a niche – something they were great at, that was hard to duplicate, and although I wasn’t searching for it, I feel fortunate to have found my niche.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Ron Schmidt story. Tell us more about the business.
I am not a typical portrait dog photographer. Every dog image that I create starts with a sketch. I get my inspiration from things around me – from a unique prop to something more ethereal – like a human moment that I want to reflect through a dog’s point of view. I aim for realistic images that have a timeless, vintage quality so not every sketch I come up with becomes an image. For every 10 sketches, there may be only one that will become a photo.
My business is multi-pronged. As a dog photographer, I shoot commercially but also have Loose Leashes, my dog photography art brand that I own with my wife, and business partner, Amy. My images are licensed for products, publishing, and commercial use worldwide in addition to being sold as prints directly (looseleashes.com). We are fortunate to be connected to clients and retailers that include Hallmark, Random House, The US Post Office, Scholastic Books, and LL Bean.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The photography industry is changing by the minute. Technology is making it easier for everyone to take amazing photos these days. If you are a photographer, it’s important to have a vision and voice that is unique and stands apart.
Contact Info:
- Address: Newburyport, MA
- Website: www.looseleashes.com
- Phone: 800-773-2974
- Email: info@looseleashes.com
- Instagram: @ron.schmidt.photo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LooseLeashes?ref=hl
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/looseleashes/
Image Credit:
Ron Schmidt
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