We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rob DeVenuto. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rob below.
Hi Rob, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
I really love this question for so many reasons. Back when I started my career, we didn’t have the term “imposter syndrome”. It was simply a lack of experience. When I first heard this term, it resonated with me very deeply. I think whenever one sets out in a new direction and they view the stakes as being high, then there is a high probability of experiencing imposter syndrome. So the question becomes why do you feel like an imposter? Is it due to lack of training? Lack of knowing a certain lingo? Lack of experience? This is always the first step for me… try to identify where the insecurity is coming from. Once I know what is triggering the feeling, then I can start taking steps to overcome. The most important thing for me is a feedback loop… as you begin to build the confidence, stay humble and ask for feedback or critiques. Be open to the feedback and see how you might incorporate the suggestions the next time around. The feelings of imposter syndrome and confidence are at opposing ends… the more you can see multiple POVs and understand the differing perspectives, the more you will build your confidence and the less you feel imposter syndrome.
The other aspect is continued learning. Since the skill, job, hobby, career is important to you in some way (otherwise you wouldn’t care if you felt like an imposter), then keep a beginner’s mindset and always keep learning. We have no shortage of learning assets these days from websites, videos, how to guides, interest groups,… Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed and that is OK. Just dig in somewhere and keep moving. The more you continue, the more things will start to piece together… anything new is going to feel like a jigsaw puzzle and over time those pieces will start to all fit together.
The third piece for me is ignoring that little voice in my head that is telling me I’m going to fail. I may fail at times, but that is OK too. Failure provides an option for learning and growing. If everything came easy, we wouldn’t learn as much as we do in our lives. I try to go back to staying humble and reframing the experience where I look to see what I could have done better and thank myself for putting myself out there and trying.
I have learned that my thoughts are linked to my beliefs and actions. If I change my actions, I can change how I think and as such limit my unrationalized fears. Still a work in progress for sure but I’m getting better at it 🙂
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Photography is a passion for me. As soon as I’m out exploring or on a shoot, I lose myself behind the camera. It is like I go into a meditative state as I begin to view life in a still format. There are certain activities that we each love where once engaged, time slows down and you can fully disconnect from whatever is going on in the day. That is how I feel when I have my camera with me. And the most amazing gifts are the comments and feedback I receive my work and clients. But I didn’t always put myself out there…I have had a love for photography since I was a teenager and picked up my first camera. But it wasn’t until my kids were off in college before I could really feel like I could devote the time and turn my passion and hobby into a serious business. I’ve had a very successful career in tech and most of it has been working directly with customers. During my tech career, I’ve worked for some very visionary leaders who built their businesses on values of trust and customer success. Those aren’t just words, those are the foundational values of building strong relationships. Watching early on how these values governed decisions made an impact on me. My goal is to stop time for my clients and provide a moment that evokes some emotion when they see my work.
One of the first things that they tell you when first creating a photography business is to find a genre. That can be easier said than done when you enjoy shooting a lot of different styles. I love nature and landscape photography. This style obviously forces you to get outside and I love to go get lost on a hike in a park. I also enjoy portrait and doing head shots. There is something special when one sees a picture of themselves and smiles. We are our own worst critics and nailing that shot is very gratifying for me. I also have a love for sports photography. This is where I really got started in photography and understanding all the controls of the camera. The thrill of the action and capturing that shot of the athlete can be incredible. In addition, I dabble in astrophotography and urban/street photography. I enjoy them, just not enough time to perform on a regular basis.
I think one of the things that really sets me apart from other photographers is how I approach the business. I am not the most expensive photographer and appreciate that. I’m not doing this for the money, I’m doing this because I love it and want others to have the option of professional photography. Times are tough right now for many, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t moments in time they would love to hold onto. While photography time and equipment aren’t cheap, I do make sure my clients receive great value in their project. I also donate a lot of time and images to my local park system. There is so much beauty in our parks and it has been proven that mental health is improved simply by being out in nature. If I can capture that one shot that influences someone to go visit a park, go for a stroll and breathe in that fresh air… well that is a win in my book.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
In anything I do that I love, it is important for me to not get complacent. Complacency leads to overconfidence and overconfidence can lead to arrogance, which is not a good ingredient within life. Sorry for the Yoda moment there 😉 Three qualities or skills that I feel have greatly helped me are possessing people skills, confidence and persistence. In photography, people skills are vitally important. In addition to all the people skills you need for running a business, you are often directing people into poses they typically may not be comfortable with. And you need them to be comfortable in the shot otherwise the shot won’t look authentic. There really is only so much one can do with Photoshop 😉 People skills increase with practice and being genuine and authentic yourself. When the client begins to trust you and they begin to have fun, you are going to get some amazing shots!
I’ll bring confidence and persistence together. In order to build genuine confidence, you need persistence. Most of us are not 100% naturals in our passions right out of the gate. It’s that passion you feel that drives you to pursue the activity. There are some days where I’m so excited to go out on an adventure to shoot only to be disappointed when I come back to review the shots. And that’s ok. I get back out there the next time and try to correct my mistakes. That’s persistence which helps build one’s confidence. Once you have confidence, you can then begin to think on the fly and really escape into the moment. Confidence in understanding the environment, confidence in understanding your gear and how it works in different situations. Confidence in knowing where your limits are and where you need improvement so you don’t beat yourself up with that voice in your head.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Partnerships and collaboration are keys to building your brand and business. I’m always looking to connect and explore collaboration and partner opportunities. Photography needs for books, blogs, or articles… especially tourism or travel photography are of great interest. Collaboration for a cause or positive change in society is also of strong interest. I’m open and available to discuss collaboration opportunities. The best way would be to visit my website at https://www.robdevenutophotography.com/. See if my style is what you are looking for and then touch base and tell me a little about what you are looking for either through email or message me through my website or on one of my social pages at https://www.facebook.com/RobDeVenutoPhotography/ or https://www.instagram.com/robdevenutophotography/. If you stop by one of my social pages, don’t forget to follow me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.robdevenutophotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robdevenutophotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobDeVenutoPhotography/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rob-devenuto-photography/
Image Credits
Rob DeVenuto Photography
