About 18 years ago, while I was working as Creative Director for Rapala USA, the President came to me and said “You’re invited to join us on a fishing trip to Canada…and you’ll be the photographer.” I responded, “but I’m not a photographer!” He said “You are on this trip.”

And that’s when it all started. With a few pointers from photographer friends I boldly headed off on my first behind the camera shoot. It was such a great experience, the second I got home I bought my first camera kit. And the rest as they say is…well maybe not true history but my journey shown in the images collected here.

All the years before that…

Starting out in the BC era of graphics (before computers) I learned the hands on of graphics design, at first production work, over time layout and then design. A few years later, after a frustrating year working under a tyrant creative director, I quit and started my own design studio with $500.00 in the bank and the rent due. I was too young to know what a big risk all this was and hungry enough not to care.

For the next 15 years RJB Studio was my classroom, learning the workings of a business, partnering with clients and doing what was best for them first. Early on the digital age came roaring in and I embraced it. Finally I could have the control of my visions with the power to revise until I was happy and the idea was executed.

Specializing in bringing new product to market I found myself involved in industrial design, product naming, packaging, in-store displays, catalogs, photo art direction, sales support and eventually web assets.

Discovering what I really like…

As the business grew I spent too much time running the business, dealing with employees, clients, bankers, insurance reps and all the “businessy” stuff that you have to do and not doing what I really loved about my job…the blank page challenge. Karma took over and at the height of my frustration, a client came along and offered to buy me out if I would come work for them and build their in-house art department. SOLD!

After three years and thousands of projects later my time to move on had arrived. The plan was to go back, start over and keep it small. Along the way to building my business plan, Tom Mackin, Marketing Director at Rapala, and long time friend/client, said yes to the new RJB, but offered an alternative I wasn’t thinking about. Why don’t you just come work for me. With a little time to mull it over, I accepted a 6 month trial. I retired after 20 great years at Rapala.

With my addiction to photography, and plenty of chances to hone my skills at Rapala over the past 12 years, I added shooting support images for ads, catalogs and whatever else came up as my training ground. A lot of those images can be found in the STUDIO TIME gallery.

Here we are…

As the next chapter unveils itself, I continue building my photography skill sets and look forward to working with and helping reach goals set by customers. Whether it’s feeding the social media beast or creating product images for use across multi-use marketing strategies, I would embrace the chance to talk about them with you.

Miyabi Compound

“Miyabi” one of the traditional Japanese aesthetic ideals that is usually translated as "elegance," "refinement," or "courtliness.”

It was and is our mission to apply these ideals when developing the home and compound gardens. It is here when doing “Studio Time” I can find the undistracted hours to hone my skills and practice new ones.

“Miyabi Kitchen” is the kitchen in the main house where most of the food prep is done. Then with a grocery store basket, it is rushed across the bridge to the set for photography.