When Ian chooses anything that he’s going to do, he leans in; committing to his craft and being relentless when chasing his vision. But this level of confidence was something he had to foster in order to outgrow childhood insecurities.
“It’s important to realize that if you are not good at something, it doesn’t mean that you’re not good at everything.”
Ian believes that when others grow up being consistently told that they aren’t good at something, this mentality can expand to other aspects of their lives, limiting their potential. Everyone is unique and should focus on their thing.
After a career-shaking injury, Ian realized that commercial photography wasn’t going to cut it if he wanted to use and maintain his true potential. He sat down and focused on a new unique idea.
“I remember seeing a photobooth for the first time. This thing looks authentic, it looks original. The moment you hear it start operating, you can hear it whirling, and I remember getting my strip and being like ‘this is incredible.'”
With a passion and talent for tintype photography, an older, analog craft that involves manually taking and developing pictures, Ian promised himself that he would figure out a way to acquire an analog photo booth and make it a consistent stream of income.
Before he knew it, his first booth was placed in a bar for those to enjoy analog photography. But this win came after multiple losses. Some places didn’t see the value of turning back the clock—embracing a time when society wasn’t dominated by digital technology and admiring the unique process of physically capturing a moment. Ian wasn’t phased one bit, as he knew that with resilience, he would find someone who would see his vision—see the booth how he sees others, for their strengths and uniqueness, not their weaknesses.
Ian continues practicing photography, but is now committed to renting and maintaining his photobooths to those interested in filling their location with a unique experience.
“This year I made a way for people to have physical lasting photographs for generations to come.”
What did you make this year?
This story is a part of a series highlighting building a life that you’re proud of—honouring the lives that people make for themselves outside of their finances.
To follow this series, click here to watch the rest of the collection.
This year I made a way for people to have physical lasting photographs for generations to come.
