Meet Keith Roberts

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Keith Roberts. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Keith, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

For me, in some ways, creativity is like a muscle. You know: Use it or lose it; stretch it to keep it limber.

One of the ways I exercise it is by constantly challenging it. I have had many hobbies in my life that revolve around crafting and creating. Among the many crafts I’ve dabbled in, I currently enjoy weaving, jewelry making, and candle making the most – other than photography of course. Every time I explore a different craft, I feel that it helps feed my creativity in different ways.

Another way I exercise my creativity is through collaboration. I am a huge believer in collaboration because it is amazing for creative synergy. When I work with someone else on a project, with each of us adding their own ideas and building off of one another, several wonderful things happen. First, the project becomes more than any of us could have done on our own. Second, each of us gets a chance to see someone else’s creative energies at work, giving us insight into them, adding to and strengthening our own.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I specialize in two kinds of portrait photography: traditional and cosplay (costume photography). I approach both similarly.

I communicate with my subject(s) – I discuss what they want, what they like. I banter with them. I make little jokes to put them at their ease and encourage them to smile naturally, laugh, and generally enjoy the experience. I want them to be comfortable so that I can see their best selves in their photos.

For cosplay photos, I don’t talk about them so much as about their character – who they are dressed as: what their personality is like, what they would do and how they would look when angry or happy, or what their signature pose is. I try to bring the character alive in the cosplayer.

I alter most images digitally, but whether I’m just improving the color tones or adding special effects for laser blasters, I want the images to look believable – I like to make it easy for the viewer to suspend their disbelief.

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?

Be Confident

You have a dream, and you have skills. Whatever it is that you do, somebody wants you – not somebody else – to do it for them. Remember this if you ever have to deal with imposter syndrome. Even if there is someone who does what you do a little better, there are still people out there who only want you to do it.

However, you do have to find them. And for that you need the confidence to talk to strangers. Invite them to take part in what you do. Ask them for things. If you are turned down, don’t take it personally, because it’s not personal. Just move on to someone else. But remember that the only way to get something is to ask for it.

Be Involved

Whatever it is that you do, there is a community out there that has gathered together to celebrate it. Find them. Join them. Be involved in their discussions. Go to their events. Volunteer. Take a leadership role. These are your people. Make yourself seen.

Be Resilient

Things don’t always go as planned, and this is particularly true in the early stages of your journey. For myself, I always try to make sure there is more than one path to reach a goal. If Plan A doesn’t work, I switch to Plan B, or even Plan C. However, it’s also very important to be able to recognize when I just can’t get there from here. If my efforts to reach a goal begins costing too many resources, I have to be able to cast it off to keep it from costing even more. You have to be able to to go with the flow. Things change – change with them. Plans fail, but if you learn to accept that, you can move on to try again, or to try something else.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I love to collaborate! As I mentioned, it’s a great way for me to exercise my creativity. Models and modeling agencies make for great collaborations. I also like to collaborate with anyone with an online presence who wants their website photos to shine with spontaneity and personality. Anyone interested in collaborating can reach me through Instagram, Kavyar, or by just sending me an email.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.krobertsphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.robertsphotos
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krobertsphoto