Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Mosher.
Hi Patrick, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I first got interested in photography in high school when I took a photography course as an elective on a whim. This was in 2001, when film cameras were still ubiquitous. I fell in love with the darkroom process, the creativity, and the way it allowed me to express myself.
Many years later after retiring from the military, I picked up a camera again for the first time in over a decade and I instantly fell in love all over again. Photography had changed more than I could’ve imagined in the intervening years, but my love of the art picked up right where it left off.
I started my business a few years ago as a way to justify buying new camera gear. I never expected it to grow as fast as it did or to receive so much overwhelmingly positive feedback from my clients. I also never expected to love doing portrait photography as much as I do. I have the best job in the world. I get to help people capture priceless memories with those who mean the most to them. It truly doesn’t get better than that. I feel incredibly blessed to do what I do and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My photography business is the second business I started after retiring from the military and I still own and run both. Starting a business from the ground up is always an insane amount of work, but the satisfaction of seeing something like that come to fruition is second to none.
In the beginning, I struggled with my natural tendency to be introverted. I had a hard time meeting new people and directing strangers to pose for photographs. Helping me come out of my shell has been one of the most unexpected, albeit pleasant, surprises of becoming a professional photographer.
I also struggled at first with a lack of technical and artistic prowess, as well as inferior photography equipment compared to my competition. Those skills and equipment came with time and I’m happy with my decision to just jump in instead of waiting until the circumstances were perfect.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I do mainly portrait photography (family photos, weddings, maternity photos, etc) and I also sell prints of my landscape photography on occasion.
I’m most proud of developing the ability to bring people out of their shells that are otherwise squeamish about being photographed. As someone that doesn’t really enjoy being photographed myself, I feel like I can empathize and relate to them in a way that a more extroverted person might not be able to. And as a father to a young daughter, I have some dad tricks up my sleeve and I have pretty solid instincts when dealing with children, who can be notoriously uncooperative when being photographed.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
The internet is rife with forums filled with people that are just as passionate as you are about whatever it is you’re passionate about. Take advantage of the collective wisdom of those communities. Ask questions and be humble enough to listen to answers you might not want to hear. Always be open to criticism; sometimes, the most difficult clients can be the greatest source of growth. I think if you just take a leap of faith and reach out, you’ll find that people who truly love what they do are usually happy to share their knowledge with you.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canyonviewphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/canyonviewphotography
