Building Your Business with Gareth Rockliffe

12/21/2015

I've written this many times over the years: "The best thing about the photographic industry has very little to do with photography, but the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft." Well, meet Gareth Rockliffe. I don't want to make it sound like we're about to buy a boat together, but since winning the Photodex/SCU "Search for the Ultimate Story Video" last year we've had a couple of great conversations, including this month's Building Your Business podcast. Gareth is based in Naples, Florida just two hours south of me and I'm determined to get out to dinner with him and his wife, Jan, some time in 2016 and actually meet face to face. (Note - there's a lot of talent under this same roof - Gareth is married to Jan Soderquist, an incredibly talented artist as well. Her website tagline says it all, "Images that illuminate the soul!")

I'm not sure what's more impressive, his images or his passion for the craft. All you need is five minutes talking with Gareth and you know there's nothing else he'd rather be doing than traveling with a camera in his hand. His images are remarkable, capturing not only the beauty of the landscape as your eyes see it, but as your heart does as well.

In this new podcast Gareth and I talk about special projects including his own, The Great American Coastline. He shares some wonderful insight and advice. I picked a few images at random below and it was anything but easy to decide which ones I loved the most. And, if you think I'm kidding, then wander over to the galleries and check it out for yourself.

Technology is constantly changing and giving us new tools to work with. Here's a great example of technology and just how strong your network can be. Gareth mentioned to me that he's going to be working with 3DR, one of the leaders in drone technology. He also asked if I knew Dave Surber, who does a lot with 3DR. Well, Dave is a good buddy and a Panasonic Luminary who I've worked with for the last three years! He's a regular contributor here on the SCU site.

Each artist featured in the Building Your Business spotlight posts/podcasts all share a few common denominators. They're using Photodex software to build slide shows of still images and videos to create exciting products for their clients; their passion for imaging is nonstop, and they never stop learning.

A big thanks to Gareth for taking the time for a podcast. He's definitely somebody who needs to be on your radar. Check out the Great American Coastline site, along withGareth's own site. Stunning images and great content! And, as always, a thanks to the Photodex team. They're dedicated to helping artists raise the bar on their presentations and business and are always dedicated to education!