Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrian Gooden.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I began my photography career strictly as an automotive photographer! I’ve loved cars since before I could even talk. I used to walk around with Hotwheels all the time and make my mom buy me new ones every trip to the grocery store. I still to this day have them hanging on the wall in my apartment too! I wanted to build a muscle car in college, but I would either not be able to afford it or not be able to catch good deals on project cars in time. Eventually, I started to feel a little defeated, so I began taking my camera to car shows & meets and taking hundreds of photos every weekend, just to be around cars. Eventually, I began going to dealerships and taking pictures of cars that weren’t commonly seen on the roads. One in particular was Bentley of Austin, TX. I visited their showroom once and took some photos for myself. A year later, I went back and did the same thing, posted the photos on Facebook, and the general manager offered me a job as their showroom photographer. I worked there for ten months then went completely freelance again. I basically spent the whole rest of that year (2017-2018) learning how cameras, lenses, and lights work. I started to reshape my style and processes in 2019 and began to see better results seemingly overnight. I worked very closely with people I already knew and went out with them and my camera to build my portfolio, and it led to more actual clients. By April of 2019, I had more people book with me than the entire 2018 year, which absolutely blew my mind! Now I mostly have a lot of portrait work like engagements, graduation photos, and fashion photography, but I still have a few automotive clients as well. I consider myself lucky because I ultimately feel like my growth is completely up to me. It’s such a freeing thing for me to be able to include my personal passions into my work and not feel like it will hinder any of my growth!
Has it been a smooth road?
It has most definitely not been smooth. There were times where I went months without shooting because I didn’t feel like I could create anything as worthy of attention or compensation as much as some of my peers’ work. Not to mention, photography is an expensive hobby and profession and there were many times I had to really show some discipline to save money for the right tools and resources. The biggest struggle, however, was the constant desire to see results on social media. I believe a lot of photographers these days base a lot of their works worth off of the amount of likes and shares they receive on social media platforms. One of my favorite photographers, Sean Tucker, once said that we should all be creating what WE love and what moves us as creatives. I strongly agree with this and these days whether I get 30 likes or 3,000, I continue to post what I like. Clients will usually find you anyway if you’re putting yourself out there consistently, but stressing over social media attention is 100% not worth the stress.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
As of now, I consider myself a portrait photographer, but I will shoot almost anything! Right now, most people know me for my use of off-camera flash to create a more commercial, super realistic style portrait. I would also consider my specialty. I believe what sets me apart from others is actually everything I do outside of using the camera. I strive to provide an amazing experience. I want to make every session feel like my clients are hanging out with a friend who takes photos, rather than “working” with a photographer.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Dallas is an amazing place for photography. With urban settings being one of my favorite environments to take photos in, I definitely love to work here. The amount of people here would also make it great for someone to start out as a photographer because there are so many people that need great photography, whether it be corporate work or wedding photography!
Contact Info:
- Website: inhdphotography.com
- Email: inhdphoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: @adrianinhd
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