Edwin Remsberg: Chronicling Agriculture’s Heart Through Global Adventures, Creative Vision, and Entrepreneurial Passion
Can you please share a brief history about your photography business? What motivated you to start this venture?
I started out in the journalism world as a daily newspaper photographer, first with the college newspaper and then the Baltimore Sun. At the time, it was my dream to be a globe-trotting war correspondent, living a life of danger and adventure. I ended up doing some of that work in El Salvador and Haiti during the ’80s, but I burned out on it rather quickly.
My family background is in farming; I grew up in agriculture. Farmers are independent, self-made people who work for themselves, and I have those genes and role models. The concept of being someone else’s employee does not fit me. In my estimation, the poorest business owner stands taller in dignity than the most well-paid wage slave. It is what I grew up seeing all around me.
It actually took me a while to realize that what I know best is also what I grew up with: agriculture. That background knowledge is super important when you’re trying to photograph things or make connections in the industry. Go with what you know. Your knowledge is a strength. I know the subject and the people, and that is my superpower advantage over just some guy with a nice camera.
And it turns out that working with agriculture has led to a globe-trotting life of adventure after all. I’ve worked in over 40 countries and all 50 states, and hanging out with farmers is a lot more fun than getting shot at the end of the day.
What kind of challenges did you face when building up your portfolio or setting up your studio? How did you overcome these challenges?
I was shooting professional sports for the AP after I left the newspaper, and that was generally an evening and weekend thing, so I had my days free to work on personal projects and with corporate clients. The business grew organically because I had a safety net with the sports work.
Eventually, the business grew to the point where it no longer made economic sense to shoot for the wire. Working in newspapers, I was shooting all the time, every day, so I had a huge portfolio of work, but I really don’t think it matters as much as the contacts I made. Working for the paper introduced me to a lot of key people who needed photography, so I started with a good local network of clients.
Could you describe the early days of your business? What were the initial reactions and feedback you received?
I was lucky enough to see other photographers fail early on during the recession of the ’90s. Guys with hip studios and fancy gear got crushed by fixed overhead. I’ve always been very strict about avoiding overhead and debt. I’ve watched a lot of people get into the business, have a hot second, and flame out gloriously. I survived by taking the slow and steady route, and I’ve never had to separate making my living from living my life.
How did you manage to grow and expand your business? What strategies did you use to attract more clients?
It’s all about who you know. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is a great thing because meeting people is in your hands. I almost never work with strangers. I have built big networks of contacts, friends, and peers over the years, and they become partners, references, and clients.
I serve on a lot of boards, speak at conferences, and volunteer often. You have to give back to get ahead. Stay engaged with your client community and be a leader in it. My primary industry niche is agriculture, and most folks in the local industry know who I am because I show up everywhere. It matters. Spending money on mailers and ads has never paid off for me, but spending time with people has been invaluable.
In recent years, I have been doing more teaching and workshops, and that has been a lot more fun than I expected. We run travel photo workshops in Africa every winter and in the UK each summer. It is really rewarding to share what you know and see other people get excited about something I care about so much.
How has your business performed financially over the years? Can you share some milestones or achievements in terms of revenue?
I’ve never been driven by money; I need to pay the bills, but if I really wanted to be rich, I would probably do other kinds of photography (weddings might pay more). The things I care about most and that give me the most fulfillment are non-profits, rural communities, and the arts.
None of those spaces generally have deep pockets. The books I have done are probably the things that will live on the longest, but most of them barely broke even. That said, overall, I suppose I’ve done well enough. I have my own airplane (an old biplane) and a nice farm in the country, and I raised three kids, travel around the world constantly, and have never really had to work for a living, so I’m happy with that.
What are some key lessons you've learned along your entrepreneurial journey? Is there anything you would do differently if given a chance?
If you are not taking risks and making mistakes, you are not learning anything. I have never been accused of suffering from the banality of perfection.
Learning to be the boss and manage people was (and still is) difficult. I had to let go and delegate to people who might not do things the way I would. That was hard. You have to let people screw up and grow up and know that it won’t be the end of the world.
My biggest mistake has probably been undervaluing my work. I have never charged what I should be charging. There are a lot of reasons for that; some of them probably need to be worked out on the therapist’s couch, but some of it is also that photographers don’t share enough pricing information with each other. ASMP got burned for “price fixing” for suggesting rates back in the 1980s, and to this day, the subject feels verboten. When photographers do share pricing info, it tends to be for unicorn jobs that don’t have much day-to-day reality in my markets. Ignorance hurts everyone.
Are there any tools or software that have been particularly useful in managing and growing your business? Give us a list of what you use in your kit.
Good people working for you are the most valuable tool you can possibly have. I’ll give up any piece of gear for an extra pair of hands any day. Develop really good workflows and DAM protocols early on, or data will bury you. I will never own enough storage. Build your support network: your accountant, your lawyer, your banker, your insurance agent. Build a team and keep them close. Remember what your mom said – don’t talk to strangers!
As far as camera gear goes, this list is long. I am a long-time Nikon shooter, and to me, the D850 is probably the peak DSLR. It is the camera I waited a lifetime for. We have some of the Z gear as well, but it does not sing to me. I also use Hasselblad medium format gear still. The same old cameras I have had for 40 years, but with new digital backs on them, they have a different mission, but I love them to death. On the video and mirrorless side, we use Sony products. The FX6 is a wonderful tool—fast, flexible, and just feels right. We do a lot with the DJI drone and the Insta360 cameras too. I am a big fan of pulling 2D stills from 360 capture. We can stick cameras almost anywhere now.
We do a lot of lighting, and nothing can beat Profoto strobes and huge California Sunbounce reflectors. Those are spendy, but once I got them, it was life-changing. Best money I ever spent. Put your money into lights and lenses and never buy what you can rent.
Could you recommend any books, resources, or mentors that have significantly influenced your business journey?
Start with Homer and keep reading from there. The vivid symbolism and metaphor of the Iliad really showed me how images communicate ideas at an early age, and that has stuck with me. I can’t overstate the importance of being visually literate if you want to be effective. Great writers will show you the way, and you can do with visuals what they do with words. Understand and see icons and meanings in the world around you and know how to use them.
Always be looking. I spend a lot of time in museums and galleries. I own way too many photo books. I’ve learned a lot about color from light artists such as Dan Flavin and James Turrell. I can spend hours at a Turrell installation.
What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who wish to start their own photography business?
Don’t! No one needs a photographer anymore; everyone has a camera in their pocket. What they need are marketers, educators, advocates, and all sorts of ideas communicated. Everyone needs visual content more than ever before. Don’t be a photographer; be a communicator who uses images to communicate, an educator who teaches with photographs, a marketer who uses the camera to sell.
Photography is a very powerful tool, but if you only see it as an end, you are missing the real power. What you can do with photography is where your value to society lies. If you want to start a successful business, start by being an expert in your niche. Knowing what to photograph and knowing why matters more than knowing how to use a camera.
One very important distinction I make is that this is a business, and I have always seen myself as a business owner, not a freelancer or gig worker. It may seem like a small point, but I think it makes a huge difference. It means dealing with clients as a peer-to-peer relationship, not as a servant-master relationship. Don’t expect anyone to respect you more than you respect yourself.
Edwin Remsberg, a former journalist, transitioned to agriculture photography, blending his storytelling skills with a deep-rooted connection to farming. His global adventures and entrepreneurial spirit uniquely capture the meaning of agriculture in Maryland, enriching many communities with his creative vision and inspiring business philosophy.
About Edwin
- Country: United States
Specializes in
- Documentary Photography, Editorial Photography, Historical Photography, Photojournalism
Quote
Don’t be a photographer, be a communicator who uses images to communicate, an educator that teaches with photographs, a marketer who uses the camera to sell.