Meet Ryan Dearth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Dearth.

Ryan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve had a zig-zagging path to get to where I am today – I’ve dabbled in the outdoor industry, hard science, oil and gas…but at the root of things I always had a passion for photography and creative storytelling. My degree is actually in Physics and Geology from the University of Colorado and while I was there I worked for a Nobel-laureate in physics. It turned out to be some of the best work experience I’ve ever had, not just because of the intellectual-climate and hard-work ethic they expected, but because it saved me from getting my Ph.D. in physics and working in a lab for the rest of my life. I loved learning about physics but the practicality of doing it wasn’t for me.

The next year I set out to find out more about professional photography and lucked into an internship with a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer in New York City. He worked mainly for the Times and it was the first time I was able to see the inner workings of how a photographer does business. Before that, I felt photography wasn’t a “real profession,” and was more of a pipe dream, but it taught me that photographers can be professionals and positively-contributing members of society. It was a turning point for me and it helped guide a lot of decisions thereafter.

When I graduated I had no portfolio, no equipment, and no clients, so starting a business wasn’t exactly an option right out of school. I decided to put my degree to work and kick the photo idea down the road for a while. I tried my hand at geophysics, it offered a high paycheck and a lot of travel opportunities, but again my heart wasn’t in it. During that period I had been shooting as much as possible and was assisting photographers in New York and Denver to learn the skill. In 2010 I quit my high-paying geophysics gig, took a part-time job at REI, and launched my business officially. Nine years later I look back on the decision as one of the craziest things I’ve ever done, and the best risk I’ve ever taken.

Has it been a smooth road?
Oh no! It hasn’t been smooth in the slightest. I said I worked at REI when I first started my business because I had a penchant for outdoor adventures, but I’m pretty sure I spent more money there than I made. It wasn’t long before I had to quit and focus full-time on photography. The first year of business I drained my savings account, the second year I dug myself into credit card debt, and the third I paid off my debt and broke even. I was living like a college student, working out of my bedroom in a house with 4 roommates and a dog, eating ramen and PB&J’s. I was 25 and luckily I had set my lifestyle expectations low but it was tough for a long time. It wasn’t until my 4th year in business that I felt like I could go out to dinner once in a while…

Even now, freelance life isn’t without its struggles. So much of my work is seasonal with the summer and fall being the busiest and spring almost always the hardest. It takes a lot of discipline not to spend all your money when you’re making it, but that would be business suicide – there is no telling when the phone might stop ringing.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with your work – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’m a portrait and lifestyle photographer with a documentary tilt. Most of my business comes from magazines, but I also do a fair amount of corporate and commercial advertising work. I think I continue to get jobs because my style is relatable and authentic, and it ideally connects to people not just on a visual level, but emotionally as well. The goal when I shoot pictures of people is always to tell an underlying story about some aspect of that person; their personality, the space they’re in, the activity they’re doing, etc. Portraits are all about who that person is, while lifestyle photography plays more on their environment and what they’re doing or feeling.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Denver so much, it’s a tough question! I came from the Seattle area and I’ve been in Denver for 11 years now, and Boulder before that. I still catch myself saying that “every day I spend here I like it a little more,” which is definitely a good thing after so long. I love the laid-back culture of Denver and the active lifestyle that goes along with so many of the people here. I’m not always the biggest fan of the gym, and living here really makes it easy to be physically active in an enjoyable way. I also love that through my time here, the city has grown along with me and continues to be a better and better place to do business. The growth is good, but all of the traffic does get to me from time to time…

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ryandearth.com
• Phone: 720.239.2489
• Email: ryan@ryandearth.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dearth/
• Other: https://www.ryandearth.com/NEWS

Image Credit:
Personal photo by Josh Vertucci

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