Photographer: Fran Reisner
When did you know the photography/video industry was for you?
I took a photography class my senior year of high school and was hooked instantly! It was exciting to see my images magically appear in the developer. What I didn’t understand then, but came to understand in time, is that I am a communicator at heart. Photography became my artistic form of communication. It’s the path I chose professionally, and never wavered from it.
How did you get your current position?
I worked diligently to create my career. First I got my BA degree at Brooks Institute (back when it was THE Brooks Institute), and then I struggled through the “school of hard knocks” to learn the business side of photography. I worked hard to perfect my skills, to develop a style that set me apart, and to find the niche that fit my passion.
How did your training or schooling prepare you for your job?
My schooling did not stop at learning photography. That was the backbone… the technical end of the business. My real teacher was life itself. It was waiting tables through college where good people skills are crucial (Not to mention organizational and multitasking skills. Good to have when you own a business!) It was observing and appreciating my surroundings… and learning to see things more deeply… more clearly… more artistically. It was learning how to visualize what I wanted for my business and my life, and having the tenacity to get there.
What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your career?
I’ve always been a goal setter, and never let much stand in my way in reaching them. I guess that defining my vision/goal/dream took some time. My degree from Brooks was in commercial photography, and it took a few years for me to understand that I needed a more personal connection with my clients than I found in the commercial world. That connection came to me in the portrait world, and it would turn out to be one of the most important factors in my success… the personal connection.
Who would you name as the most influential person in shaping your career?Why?
Although there are many photographers whose work I admire, I did not have any mentors in photography. I had instructors, and several of them inspired me to a certain degree, but none toward my specific career. I shaped my career. I motivated myself every day. I gave myself goals to aspire to. I created the vision and mustered up the drive. That said, there were learning avenues along the way… the local, state, regional and national photography associations have much to offer to aspiring photographers. In my case that was Dallas PPA, Texas PPA, Southwest PPA, and PPA and WPPI (the latter two are national and international organizations)
If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?
Interestingly, that’s pretty much where I’m at now. Technology changed things in my career… most importantly it took personal connection and communication out of the equation, and for me, that connection was what it was all about. My images came from my heart. I was fortunate to be well rewarded for that for many years. I chose to step out of that world (and my business) several years ago, in order to find a way back to my passion for the art of photography. I’m now out in nature shooting nearly every single day. My reward is in the joy it brings to me, and to those who love viewing my art. I don’t work too hard at selling my images, but the option is available to those interested, via my gallery (which is hopelessly out of date) or through me directly.
To see more of Fran’s work, visit:
Gallery site- www.FranReisner.com
The journal of my travels- www.JourneyInFocus.com
