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Meet Wyatt Rutt

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Wyatt Rutt.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Ever since I was a young kid, I have always been fascinated with photography. I was always stealing the family point-and-shoot camera just capturing every moment I could. Once I got to High School, I was inspired by two amazing teachers, Ms. DiMaio, and Ms. Dukarm, who encouraged me to go after my passion for photography. I then set off for college at Glendale Community College and then up north to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ to continue my education. There at NAU, I met some of the greatest people I have ever met. From faculty to friends, I found an amazing group of individuals who were always so encouraging and full of knowledge. While I studied there for two years, I got to work on the school newspaper, The Lumberjack, and I learned a whole new side to photography and multimedia. I also worked for the University Marketing and got a sneak peek at the world of commercial photography. I was able to learn hands-on by assisting and even photographing projects for the University. There I also met a strong community of fantastic individuals who I will always keep close to my heart. Now I am back in the hot Phoenix desert and loving every minute of it. When I graduated from NAU, I had the opportunity to intern and then assist for a world-renowned commercial photographer, Joel Grimes, for most of 2018. Joel showed me that the “best” photographers in the world are the hardest working ones. They love what they do every day, and they never stop moving forward. You don’t have to know every lighting technique in the world or have the latest gear to be great. It is all about your passion for art and your willingness to keep creating. I am now a full-time freelance photographer/videographer, and I recently joined the Blok Photo Studio team. They are an amazing group of freelancers who are creating a welcoming environment for all photographers and videographers to come and create their art. Now I get to see where the rest of this story goes.

Please tell us about your art.
I create my art with photography, specifically shooting portraiture. I love people, and I love to create stunning portraits with my clients one-on-one. There has been nothing more fun than shooting with a client and seeing their face light up when they see the images. I love that energy that we both create when both parties are having fun during the shoot. We can both feed off each other’s energy and excitement to create genuine art together. My goal when I create my art is for the client to have fun and enjoy the moment. I want people to experience the joy of photography when we work together and for them to pass that on to others. Photography is a great way to express one’s self, and I just want to share that feeling of creativity with others.

Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
There are a lot of financial challenges you face when freelancing! I always suggest people start creating their freelance career as a side gig and continue working wherever they may be working now. This will allow you to not fall behind on finances and save up for when you make that jump to full-time freelance. Not all situations are the same of course, and you may end up in a situation like mine where the world started moving faster than you, so you dive head first into freelance. It can be tough to not just focus solely on your income rather than the art you are creating. I went through the exact same thing where I fell into a trap of only thinking about when my next check will come rather than looking for those clients to create with. My biggest suggestion is to never stop reaching out to others. Ask your best friend’s sibling if they need graduation photos. Ask your cousin to take some of your business cards to their work and pass them out. Make cold calls to businesses you think are cool. Just keep focusing on finding more people to work with and to have fun with, and the finances will follow. Keep creating!

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can see my work on my website wyattruttphoto.com or on my social media (@wyattruttphoto). I am working on creating new prints that will be for sale soon. Check out my work and let’s create some art together.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Jeremy Verinsky
Thomas Ingersoll

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