We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rikki Ramsey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rikki, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
This question made me laugh because, to be honest, I haven’t overcome imposter syndrome at all.. I still sometimes feel like a total imposter. It’s wild to me to think that people trust and hire ME to capture their visions and help tell their stories! I’ve spoke to so many other creatives and it seems like imposter syndrome is a common feeling across the board, so maybe it’s something that never completely goes away.. If that’s the case, in a weird way, I’m ok with it. Not only does it make me continuously appreciate, enjoy and truly feel the magic in what I do, I’m always hyper aware of making sure every shoot & every photo I deliver is the best it can possibly be.
I guess I see imposter syndrome as that little voice in my head that just won’t quit. I don’t anticipate it will ever go away fully, but I use it as fuel to keep getting better at what I do. I’m constantly learning and looking back on my work, learning from mistakes and aiming for greatness in every project. Learning is definitely the main thing that HELPS me with imposter syndrome.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Hi! I’m Rikki, and I’m a photographer. My brand tagline is “wild and weird.” I love shooting fun, interesting concepts and using lots of bright colors. I work really hard to source props (sometimes even making them myself) to make my photos really pop with fun elements.
I’m a great example of “its never too late to find your passion” because I was the quintessential “what am I supposed to do in life” gal until I picked up a camera a few years ago and knew immediately.. “THIS. This is what I am supposed to do!” I had been doing social media management for a few local business and thought I should probably learn how to use a camera so that I could at least take some simple product photos for my clients. I got an older, used camera off eBay and spent several months learning how to properly use it.. When I felt like I knew enough basics I had a friend come over and pose for me using this awesome lowrider style trike I have and I IMMEDIATELY fell in love.
I have never thought of myself as an artistic or creative person, and suddenly I realized that maybe I am. It’s been one of the greatest pleasures of my life so far.. learning a craft, connecting with it and feeling like it’s something I’m good at.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
It’s hard to answer this question from a “looking back” standpoint, since I’m still so early into my career and journey. But so far what I’ve learned is:
1. Learn, learn and learn some more. Try things, mess up and learn from those mistakes.
2. There is ALWAYS someone who has done this for longer and knows way more than you do. Always be humble and ask for input, advice, help, mentoring. There is so much to gain if you’re willing to ask, learn and put your ego aside to look at it from a different perspective.
3. Photography is SO subjective. The photo I choose from a shoot and think “WOW, this one is IT, baby.” is rarely the photo my client chooses. LOL. I may send a photo to a friend or family member or husband to look at and they are like “meh” and then go nuts over a photo I think is “meh.” So learning early on not to get too caught up on people opinions on how it relates to art has been a good learning lesson for me.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
An ideal client for me is someone who really embraces that “wild and weird” kind of energy and wants portraits or branding photos that are a little more off the beaten path. I love when a client is willing to be bold & a little provocative/ edgy with the story we’re telling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rikkifilmsthings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rikki_films_things/
Image Credits
Image Credit:
Rikki Ramsey
Rikki Films Things
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