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

Hi Rob, why did you pursue a creative career?
My photography is an outlet for what I see in my head and feel within my heart. I believe in balance and have had a successful career in technology using the analytical side of my mind and personality. However, I needed a way to express myself as well. Despite many attempts over the years, I have come to the realization that I can’t draw or paint very well. There are some folks in my family that have that gene, it escaped me. When I picked up my first camera as a teenager, I felt that instant connection. It was a tool that once I became proficient, I knew this was the outlet for what I could see in my head. Photography is one of those genres of art that makes me feel something… whether it be someone’s expression, the way the light caresses a subject, an interesting perspective, a beautiful landscape… it’s a moment in time that has now been captured. What I try to do is take what I see and feel and hopefully invoke some emotion in others. I believe it is very important to have a creative outlet and if you can do what you love, make someone smile and make some money in the process, to me, that is living the dream.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It’s not easy starting out but if it is something that has meaning to you, then you have to persevere, put in the time, keep learning, fall down and scrape your knees, continually pick yourself back up, and have fun along the way. I have always loved photography and initially it was a hobby. As soon as you have that moment where you begin to wonder if you can feasibly turn that hobby into a business, your perspective has to change. I learned early in life that there are no shortcuts and the things you tend to value the most are the things you worked the hardest for. Let’s face it, the more investment (whether time or money) you have in something, the more you tend to care and take pride in that item. And that is how I feel about my photography. This wasn’t an over night type of thing. It has been close to a lifetime of learning, mistakes and successes that build upon one another. I’m my own worst critic and it took me quite awhile to want to share my pictures. My confidence just wasn’t there. But eventually I had to tell myself that I can never get to where I want to be without taking that first step, and part of the first step was being vulnerable. I was honestly surprised when I showed my sister my first photo web site and seeing her reaction. It was one of those pivotal moments where I felt “I could really do this”. Now, once you get past the point of launching a business, you immediately shift to building the business. I think I underestimated this some initially but keep reminding myself not to rush things, stay in the moment, and enjoy the process. This hasn’t always been easy for me… I am results orientated and think of myself more as a project person (e.g. where there is a start and stop) versus being ok with an ongoing process. It’s been a learning moment or should I say moments to better understand myself and staying relaxed. I find I take much better pictures when I’m relaxed and not trying to rush a situation. When I do feel like I’m outside of the moment, I start to take some deep breaths and re-center myself. What I like to think sets me apart or provides that competitive differentiator are my people skills, my ever-growing skill sets, quick turn around time for clients and value I provide my clients. I’m not the most expensive photographer and am proud of that. I want anyone who wishes to have a self or family portrait to be able to afford one. Photography is a passion for me, not a get rich scheme. I want to make sure my clients are proud of our project together.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
San Diego has no shortage of amazing spots and besides the weather and people, it’s why it is one of my favorite areas! Let’s see what we would do during our week together…

Day 1 – Let’s get this party started! – Assuming my best friend is coming from out of state, we would want to start off with a day at the beach. We would begin at Coronado by packing some sandwiches from Ike’s Love and Sandwiches and some IPAs from Stone Brewing and head to the beach with some Tommy Bahama chairs and my dog. After spending the most of the day in the water and getting some sun, we would then head to Hotel del Coronado for a tour before spending the evening along Orange Avenue. Many spots to choose from but I think for the first night we would hit Miguel’s Cocina for some fun atmosphere and yummy quesadillas.

Day 2 – Walk this Way – Day two would be a walking tour of the downtown area, We’d start with some liquid energy from Blue Bottle Coffee and head to Seaport Village. Spend the morning walking along the waterfront and grabbing some souvenirs from the shops and grab an ice cream from The Something Sweet Shop. The afternoon we would take in the sights along E Harbor Drive to see the Star of India, a tour of the USS Midway and walking through Tuna Harbor Park to see The Kiss. Dinner reservations would be secured at Roy’s for some Hawaiian infused treats.

Day 3 – What’s in your picnic basket? – Taking it a little easier on Day three would be a relaxing day at Balboa Park with the pooch, a frisbee and blanket. Need some downtime to catch our breath and people watch. Dinner would be in Little Italy at where we could find a table. No reservations this day as we would be freestyling.

Day 4 – Going Upscale – Nothing beats a day in La Jolla! We’d start with a Better Buzz Coffee to get the engines humming and start exploring the Coast Walk Trail and the shops along Prospect. Taking some time at La Jolla Cove and touring the Cave Store is a must. After taking a rest in Scripps Park, we head over to spend some time with the seals at Seal Rock. As the sun starts to go down, we’d keep it casual and head to Hennessey’s for some burgers, drinks and live music.

Day 5 – Take me out to the Ballgame – Since this would be in either Spring or Summer, we couldn’t miss seeing our Padres at Petco Park! Ideally a game where we’d be schooling the blue team from up north and send them packing out of dodge. From there, we’d keep it low key and grab some pizza to head out to Sunset Cliffs to watch the sunset.

Day 6 – Who Let the Dogs Out? – Visitor choice since we are starting to wind down the visit… either a trip to the San Diego Zoo or SeaWorld. After a whole day affair, we’d head over to the Gaslamp Quarters and see what sounded good for dinner… maybe a steak or mexican?

Day 7 – Trailhead with Ocean Views – the first half of the day would be out exploring along Mission Trails ensuring we got our 10,000 steps in for the day. From there, we would head over to Pacific Beach to watch the sun going down and grab some beers and tacos from City Tacos.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that have made an impact and provided love and encouragement to me. Two of the most important people in my life who provide me the support and encouragement are my mom and my wife. From the very early days, my mom would tell me how much she like certain pictures and why. This had a profound impact early on as it helped build my confidence and made me feel that there was something here and I could offer something to others. My wife is one of my biggest fans. Without her, I would definitely not be where I am at today. She has been a huge supporter and encourages me when I start self-doubting. She’s my best friend and loves to go out on shoots with me. She has a terrific camera eye and will share ideas for potential shots. In addition, she is always there to remind me to keep having fun which is important. There are times where I can start stressing over something and she can always walk me back from the cliff and makes sure I stay in the moment with my photography. There are also so many others who have had a huge impact on me and my continual growth…. so many friends and family, clients, Facebook groups and more that have provided inspiration and critiques that make me grow and see things from a different perspective. And I would be remiss to thank Phil Ebiner, Sam Shimizu-Jones, and William Carnahan from Photography and Friends for their amazing masterclasses they have available. I learned so much from them on photography techniques and post-processing in their classes.

Website: https://www.robdevenutophotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robdevenutophotography/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rob-devenuto-photography/

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

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