Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Rubin.
Hi Steve, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My photography journey has been one of continuous evolution. While I spent my professional career in the technology industry, photography was always more than just a hobby. In 2010, I founded Steve Rubin Photography, LLC and built a successful side business specializing in weddings and portrait photography. It allowed me to combine my technical background with my creative side while capturing some of the most meaningful moments in people’s lives.
Like many photographers, COVID became a turning point. As weddings and events slowed, I found myself reflecting on what excited me most about picking up a camera. I realized my greatest passion had always been wildlife and nature photography.
When I retired from my technology career, I made the decision not to retire from photography. Instead, I chose to evolve my business. Rather than focusing on weddings and portraits, Steve Rubin Photography shifted its mission to creating and selling fine art wildlife and nature photography.
Since then, I’ve immersed myself in developing both my technical skills and my artistic vision through workshops, mentoring, and travel to remarkable wild places around the world.. My goal isn’t simply to photograph wildlife or landscapes. It’s to create images that help people experience a deeper connection with the natural world.
Today, Steve Rubin Photography continues to grow as a fine art photography business. Whether I’m photographing bald eagles in Alaska, a misty mountain waterfall, or a great blue heron along the North Carolina coast, every image is created with the hope that it helps someone experience a deeper connection with the natural world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I think that’s true for most entrepreneurs and artists. Every stage of my journey has come with a new set of challenges.
When I started Steve Rubin Photography, I was balancing a demanding full-time career in technology while building a photography business on evenings and weekends. That required a lot of discipline, long hours, and the support of my family.
Later, as I transitioned from weddings and portraits to fine art wildlife and nature photography, I essentially had to reinvent my business. It’s one thing to create photographs you’re proud of—it’s another to build a business around fine art, understand your audience, develop a distinctive artistic voice, and learn how to market your work. That has been an ongoing learning process.
Nature photography also teaches humility. You can spend days planning a shoot, travel thousands of miles, and still come home without the image you envisioned. Wildlife doesn’t perform on cue, weather doesn’t always cooperate, and sometimes the best lesson is learning to adapt and appreciate the experience itself.
Looking back, I wouldn’t change any of it. The challenges have made me a better photographer, a better business owner, and, perhaps most importantly, a more patient person. Every obstacle has been an opportunity to learn something new, and that mindset continues to shape both my photography and my business today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I believe what sets my work apart is that I’m always looking for the story within the moment. Whether it’s a father protecting his young, an otter caring for her pup, or an impala nursing her young, I’m looking for moments that invite viewers to pause, look more closely, and connect with the natural world in a more meaningful way.
If someone spends time with one of my photographs and walks away feeling a little more connected to nature than they did before, then I’ve accomplished exactly what I set out to do.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
No one builds a successful business or grows as an artist alone, and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have people who have encouraged and challenged me throughout my journey.
First and foremost is my wife, Melba. She’s been my biggest supporter from the very beginning, encouraging me through every stage of my photography journey—from building Steve Rubin Photography while I was still working full-time in technology to traveling in pursuit of wildlife and landscapes after retirement. Her unwavering support, patience, and encouragement have made all of it possible.
Professionally, one of the biggest influences on my artistic growth has been photographer and educator Blake Rudis. His mentorship challenged me to think beyond creating technically strong photographs and instead focus on creating images that tell stories and foster emotional connections. That shift in perspective has had a profound impact on my work and continues to shape how I approach every photograph.
I’m equally grateful for the community that has grown around Blake’s F64 Academy, particularly the photographers I’ve come to know through the Vision program. While we all have different styles and backgrounds, we’ve become a group that encourages one another, offers honest critiques, celebrates each other’s successes, and continually pushes each other to grow as artists. That kind of creative community is rare, and I’m thankful to be part of it.
I’ve also been fortunate to be part of organizations like the Capital City Camera Club and the Carolinas’ Nature Photographers Association. Along with the many photographers I’ve met on workshops and in the field, they’ve created opportunities to learn, share ideas, and continually grow as both an artist and a person.
Finally, I’m grateful to the clients, collectors, and everyone who has connected with my work over the years. Every time someone tells me that one of my photographs reminded them of a special place, sparked a meaningful memory, or helped them feel more connected to the natural world, it reminds me why I picked up a camera in the first place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.steverubinphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SteveRubinPhoto/
