Today we’d like to introduce you to Priyesh Patel.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The story of how RAO Central Studios started is certainly unique, to say the least. It all started in 1954, by my Grandfather Raojibhai Patel, who opened a photography business in Mombasa, Kenya and named it Central Studio.
Around 1979, my Grandfather was involved in an accident with a motorcycle, he was struck while crossing the road leaving him unable to work. Even though he had been out of work for about 40 years, I wanted to do something special to carry on his legacy, using my somewhat newly inspired creativity I was able to continue what he had started many years ago and thus, RAO Central Studios was born.
I started playing with cameras at an early age, my first camera was an Instamatic 110, it took these film cartridges, and had a disposable flash which had 10 bulbs, (5 on each side) that you had to flip to use up. Through the years I’ve progressed through several different cameras of the digital point and shoot variety, mainly to snap holiday photos, however, I was never satisfied with the photos I was getting, not from lack of trying but from equipment limitations and a little inexperience. Fast forward a few years to when my son was born, who is now 3, I decided to bite the bullet and spend the money to purchase a high-quality camera, one that allowed me to control the settings (ISO, shutter speed, and aperture) on the camera, versus the cameras I had before where I was at the mercy of the camera.
Immediately I saw an improvement in photo quality, after showing a few friends my photos and getting their feedback I decided to start shooting professionally and branding my work, but I had to come up with a name. My grandfather was approaching his 90th birthday, and as a tribute/homage to him I built a website to display my photos and his, I named the site www.raocentralstudios.com and started watermarking my photos with the same name.
On his birthday, I showed him the site and some of my photos, even though he was 90, his humor is still sharp as a tack, as he jokingly said that I couldn’t use his name in case I made him look bad! Since that day I’ve proudly and successfully continued shooting under the RAO Central Studios name, having photographed at balloon festivals, bands, private events, family portraits, landscapes, and architecture to name a few.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Some of my struggles were with learning how to get my equipment to do what I wanted it to do and learning to control people, meaning how to position them/pose them for the shots they wanted. Enlisting the help of local photographers, I learned to use my equipment more efficiently and different poses to use to get the right results.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the RAO Central Studios Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
At RAO Central Studios, what sets us apart from others unlike some, whom only photograph people, or landscapes, is the fact that we are not locked down to just one type of photography.
When dealing with our clients, we don’t specifically ask what they want, we tend to think that “reverse engineering” creates a sense of falseness in photographs, that stiff awkwardness nobody wants to see.
We aim to photograph that moment, person, event or whatever the case maybe, by getting to know our clients or their family, and bringing out that raw personality, learning the message they are trying to convey and capturing that, within a photo.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
If you met my son you’d know the definition of luck! … in all honesty, I think I’ve been blessed, I’ve always had the opportunity to do anything I’ve desired from a young age, with the support of my family and friends. I just wished I had taken this opportunity sooner rather than later.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.raocentralstudios.com
- Phone: 972-591-1114
- Email: info@raocentralstudios.com
Image Credit:
Priyesh Patel / RAO Central Studios
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