Meet Robyn White | Pet Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robyn White and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robyn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started learning photography as part of a PhD in sociology that I was working on around 2013. I found the concept of visual sociology really interesting and was working on a project about clowns and thought adding a visual component would be an interesting way to explore the topic. Because I was teaching at a community college, I was able to take photography classes for a significantly reduced rate and ended up falling in love with the art. I kept taking classes and had people ask me to do photos for them and eventually I decided to start charging for my services. I officially became a business in 2016 and the business has grown from doing family and senior photos into primarily pet photography these days. I got started in pet photography from volunteering at a local animal shelter. I started getting recognition through my work at that shelter and started having people asking me to take photos of their personal pets as well. At this stage, I have a studio where I do most of my photography, though I also love taking images in nature.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I pride myself on doing what it takes to get great images of pets for the guardians who love them. Because of my extensive volunteering, work, and training experience in shelter environments and the number of training classes I’ve participated in with my own challenging dogs, I feel like I’m especially well equipped to be able to understand animals who may need a little extra time getting comfortable in front of my lens. Because I typically do studio portraits, there’s a lot of potentially scary things going on for animals who haven’t had that experience before. I make sure to take plenty of time to get them comfortable and if the studio just isn’t working for them, I happily pivot for what will make them more comfortable.

I’m also purposely part time with my photography business and I think one of the main challenges I’ve faced is making time to really grow the business. Last year was the first year I actually made a profit and I think what really got me there was investing in business education and mentoring. By doing those two things, I was able to make significant changes on the business end to not only promote the business better but also to me more thoughtful about the client experience. I’ve also taken a lot of chances in the past year, most of which has paid off. There were definitely a few things that I did that didn’t work, but everything at least gave me learning experiences, which I feel is one of the most important things to keep in mind when running your own business. This is even more important when your business is a creative endeavor which can really be an outpouring of yourself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First, I would hope they are visiting in the spring or summer, as I feel that’s when Cleveland is in its prime. I’d definitely take them to the flats for walking, people watching, and dining. We’d maybe rent a kayak and go out on a tour of Lake Erie and downtown Cleveland from the water. I also love taking people to the Cleveland Museum of Art, taking in a play at Playhouse Square, or heading out to one of the amazing Metroparks. And if it’s my best friend visiting, we’d definitely take in some drag bingo with one of the many amazing performers in the area.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I definitely have to give a shout out to City Dogs Cleveland. They have fully supported and promoted my business from day one and I still frequently partner with them on images for the organization and fund raisers. Because of them, I’ve been featured on local news channels, on billboards, and even in People.com.

Website: https://robynwhitephoto.com/

Instagram: @robynwhitephotography

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robynwhitephoto216