Today we’d like to introduce you to Corbin Pearce.
Hi Corbin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My entire photography journey started just over a year ago, and a lot happened then. I went from learning how my camera worked, to doing freelance work, taking a gamble and starting a small studio, and getting multiple contracts to do some projects for Penn State. A lot of luck was involved, and a ton of support from family and friends. I’m very fortunate that I didn’t have anyone trying to bring me down as I progressively got into deeper water. I met a few mentors who were generous with their time and resources, giving me the tools and opportunities to grow and push forward at what has felt like breakneck speed. The studio I have now was always going to be a trial run. The total lease is only for about 8 months; from the end of summer 2022 to the beginning of summer 2023, then the whole building will get knocked down. But that minimal commitment let me take a risk to make that major step without totally breaking myself if I failed. That said, I’ve been paying my monthly bills so far, and I count it a great success!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been smooth at all. It’s easy to look at the overall progress and be wowed by how much has happened in so little time, but the reality is the entire thing has felt super sketchy and rocky. This is the first month since I started that I feel secure. For every opportunity that worked out, there were 5-10 that fell through. The hardest part about that wasn’t necessarily the failure itself, but that the only way I got anything to work out was to treat any opportunity that came my way like it was the big breakthrough that would make me stable. It just takes enormous amounts of willpower and energy to do that. Money has also been challenging sometimes. In the fall, I took a part-time job to help pay all my bills because I wasn’t getting as much work as needed. That was tough because to get more work, of course, I needed to spend time on my business, but working another job eats away at all that time. There were a million small things that also got to me, and quite a few nights where I knew I didn’t want to give up, but I really had no idea how to keep going, and once again, it was just having the guts and willpower to try again the next day that was, and is, the most challenging part of it all.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently, my specialization is in professional headshots. It’s got to be the most boring kind of photography for many people, but I really enjoy it. While I love doing portraits as well, I’ve been intentional about focusing my marketing around headshots, and it’s helped me stand out from other photographers in the area who do a lot of different work.
There’s only a little room to differentiate within the niche of headshots, but overall, my goal has been to push out a much more modern-looking photo. They old look is starting to phase out, but many people are still stuck to a very formulaic idea of what my headshot should look like, and that look happens to be out of 2000. I shoot closer up, I avoid that strange mottled colored background, and I’m more interested in getting an authentic emotion in the subject’s face rather than a perfect smile. A good headshot should connect you to the viewer, not just be an ID photo.
The headshot I’m the proudest of is still one of the first I’ve done, and it’s probably the one I have the least right to be proud of. Getting ready for my first paid headshot ever, I got a friend to stand in to get the lighting right. In the middle of all the test shots, there was a point where she looked straight at the camera with this perfectly neutral expression that somehow simultaneously made you feel like she was staring right into you. It was the perfect split-second shot, and I think it’s still the best headshot I’ve ever taken to date. It lives on the front page of my website, and I’m curious if I’ll ever develop the skill to compete with that chance photo.
What matters most to you? Why?
Freedom and flexibility. What I mean by that is I want to be able to try things, or not, as I want to. I want to travel and explore, but also have a home base where I can always return to. If I have food to eat, clothes to wear, and somewhere reliable to stay, I can do anything else I want. I can make goals and pursue them, and become whoever I want when I want. I’m unironically inspired by movies like Catch Me if You Can and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I love the flexibility to develop whatever skills I want and to live life in the context of what that work might look like. The belief that I can do just about anything I want and become whoever I want with a bit of preparation and diligence is really empowering, and being able to make those pivots keeps me feeling free. Right now, I’m a photographer, and in 5 years, I may still be, but I also might be a chef, a pilot, or something else instead. It’s hard to quantify how much those open opportunities are worth to me.
Pricing:
- Headshot Sessions $250
- Graduation Photos $500
- Portrait Sessions $500
Contact Info:
- Website: corbinpearce.com
- Instagram: @corbin.pearce
