Meet Ryan Cook | Photographer & Videographer

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

Hi Ryan, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think risk is necessary for any type of significant growth. It separates the ones who wish versus the ones who are achieving. It needs to be calculated though. No random amount of risk is ever a smart move especially involving business. I think the best thing you can do is forecast the worst case scenario and move from there. Get to know yourself in such a way, you can predict how you will react to the worst case. Theoretically if you know that, I would assume anything in between can be handled. Taking risks has been a pivotal part of my growth not only as an entrepreneur, but as a person as well. I have gotten to know myself better allowing me to make better decisions for my overall happiness.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a portrait photographer specializing in editorials and fashion. I love creating sets that mimic high fashion and all the elements involved. I love high contrast and true, vibrant colors. I feel like there is a mix of clarity, saturation, shadows, and highlights that have to be just right. I would have to say after 7 years of learning photography, I finally have a consistent style that is my own that I am very excited about. When you first start, you have inspiration you imitate so you learn the concepts used to create certain pieces. After you understand, you want to create your own. Even though my style and education continue to evolve, I finally have “go-to” style I use and I’m being recognized for it.

Where I am professionally has not been an easy road by any means. Outside of the learning curve, it was the first time I realized nothing else would satisfy me professionally. Going to my day job right now increasingly becomes a chore each day the longer I stay; but I have a family I need to support and my business cannot sustain my lifestyle as of yet. If living off of my art is the biggest goal, I would say creating smaller goals and achieving those goals help me to overcome the daily challenges.

I have learned to above all, trust yourself. Trying to make others see the vision before it is created is pointless. They are not you. Make your vision tangible and nobody will ever doubt you. What I want the world to know is TooDopeShots Media was never about the money. I just needed money because life requires it, not me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a week long trip, it wouldn’t be spent in Colorado lol. I lived in Italy for 4 years prior to moving to Colorado. Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually cheaper to live in Europe depending on the country. If we had a week long trip, we would go to London, UK, Paris, France, Barcelona, Spain, and Koln, Germany. I’ve been to all of these places and they have some of the best architecture, food, and sights worth seeing. You can get to all of these places for the price it would cost you to spend the weekend in New York or LA.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to shoutout my wife for sure! She was the one who helped me to trust in myself and the decisions I make in regards to life. Much love to a bunch of YouTube inspirations such as Peter McKinnon, Manny Ortiz, YCImaging, and Creative Ryan. These guys have contributed a lot to shaping my creative mind. Shoutout to all of the photography studios and owners who took the time to help me learn different concepts to expanding my knowledge. And last but not least, thank you to all the models who worked with me to helping me bring my visions to life.

Website: Toodopeshots.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/toodopeshots

Linkedin: Linkedin.com/toodopeshots

Twitter: Twitter.com/toodopeshots

Facebook: Facebook.com/TooDopeShots

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC7ff8ESdvGcHivBYX4KDGSA

Image Credits
All images were taken by TooDopeShots Media, LLC.