Photographer Bio: Rip Williams
What has two thums and wants to build your brand?
Me. I'm a coorporate refugee-cum-artist. Of course, everyone says that they're "uniquely qualified." As it happens, I've actually spent most of my professional carreer on my client's side of the fence. These days, I get the opportunity to bring a dynamic mix of business acumen, artistic insight and technical skill to bear on your imagery. See, before I was a photographer, I spent years as a marketing manger for Bacardi Brands. Before that, I rocked Robert Mondavi Winery, Jagermeister, Samuel Adams and Brown Foreman (Jack Daniels, Herradura, etc.)... and more others than I can count. I've done multi-channel brand development, budgeting, media campaigns, buying, collateral inventory, and personnel management - all from my clients' side ofthe fence. Branding? Roger. I get it. Non-Profit sector? Yep. That too... running a well-respected, nationaly-syndicated not-for-profit. Having fudged the line of being a creative for a decade before, I finally left the suit-and-tie grind behind in 2004 to become full-time. Since then, my passion has been all about imagery... YOUR imagery.
I endeavor to provide you and your clients with ultra high-quality results: on time, every time, and on budget...since 1993.
Studio and Clients
Though my production studio is based in the heart of the historic Barelas District (downtown Albuquerque, NM,) I often run in the Las Vegas, Salt Lake, Phoenix, Denver and Dallas, markets. Add an hour of two of flight tme and I'm anywhere you need me: LA, San Diego, San Fran, Ney York, or Miami... even internationally (did I mention that I've got a special affinity for Central America and the Carribean, where I've gladly shot for several clients.)
Yes. The studio has won some awards, yada, yada. Yes. I have successful relationships with an extremely diverse and widely published client base... fashion designers, retail brands, sports teams, actors, musicians and political candidates. Find 'em in the portfolio or I can give you their cell phone numbers for references (with their explicit permission, well qualified clients only.)
Beneficence
Just in case you're visiting from a non-profit: one of my goals is to support you via services, event sponsorship, and consultation. I've had the pleasure of making meningful funding contributions to the Haiti Relief Fund, Children's Hospitals, serving as a mentor for Film Apprenticeship Programs, as well as fundraising for smaller grass-roots organizations like Warehouse 508, Albq Press Club, and numerous others. If you need photographic services for your non-profit, please don't hesitate to send a proposal via the contact page. (PS: Yes. You should be a 501-cX. No, the fact that you have an awesome idea, from which you don't hope to draw a salary, dosn't count.) That's not to say that I'm not up for discussion... only that I specifically budget pro-bono services to benefit non-profits each year.
Educator
In conjunction with fashion and commercial photography, I'm deeply commited to the education of emerging photographers, models, makeup artist and stylists. Since 2006 I have produced just shy of 800 free community-oriented educational events, along with 31 group gallery exhibitions via my program, Guerrilla Photo Group (GPG). I continue to champion (along with a dedicated group of other professionals) the ongoing colaboration, with the hope that it fosters emerging creatives and their ideas. Yes, you can read that as "training my own competition." No, Im not concerned. Delightfully, our program has been credited with launching numerous careers, stoking many-a-passion, and earned the title the "Best Weekly Arts Event" from the readers of the Alibi Magazine for the last five years running (2010-2014!)
Touch base. I'm into consultation, collaboration and synergy!
