#640: How to Build an Adventure Photo Business - Roo Smith

·58 min·5 clips

Roo Smith explains why you can't build an adventure photography business by waiting for motivation to strike.

The episode begins with host Nathan Holritz introducing Roo Smith, a photographer and filmmaker specializing in adventure and outdoor content. Holritz frames the conversation around building a sustainable photography business with freedom and flexibility. Smith immediately addresses the challenge of balancing motivation and creativity, advocating for treating photography like any other job with set hours. He discusses the importance of showing up consistently, drawing a parallel to John Mayer's long-term career strategy. Smith reveals he has worked with major brands including Netflix, HBO, Patagonia, La Sportiva, The North Face, and Outside Magazine. He explains his attraction to adventure photography stems from his passion for outdoor sports and the interesting people in the industry. A significant portion of the conversation focuses on debunking misconceptions; Smith states he spends about 90% of his time on business development, not taking photos, and has never been hired through social media. He emphasizes providing value to companies rather than expecting them to serve the photographer. Smith outlines five principles for building an adventure photography business: always be working on a project, show the work you want to get hired for, lean into the business side, know how to do the sports you photograph, and take it one step at a time over years. He advises treating the business side as a game to make it more engaging. The episode concludes with Holritz summarizing the key lesson of showing up consistently based on values rather than fleeting emotions.

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