Daily Inspiration: Meet Justin Renfroe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Renfroe.

Hi Justin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
So I started out just doing photography as a hobby in college..I wanted to take pics of everyday life, trips, friends etc and never really thought about doing it full time or anything until after law school when I was working at a law firm where I was completely miserable. some things happened with the firm and I knew my time there was almost up so I decided to give photography a try on a more serious note. I calculated how many checks i’d get from the firm if I quit and took the leap of faith. the day I quit working there, I booked a photoshoot with a friend, went and did that and decided I could actually do this for a living because I loved it. To get things going and get my name out in town, I reached out to a mma fighter who had followed me on instagram recently. my hopes were to shoot with him, have him share the photos and see what happens from the exposure. met up with him and shot some training photos and he immediately told me he was paying my rate for work. I had no clue what to charge and wasnt expecting to make anything so I think I told him $100 (this was back in 2019) and he paid. from there he introduced me to his trainer who hired me then he introduced me to other trainers and athletes and from there I was able to build my brand, shoot new content and learn more about the photography business. from there I just kept grinding and shooting and since then ive been able to work with clients such as the ufc, starbucks, popeyes and have been to shoot several ufc events, nashville soccer games, cma fest, bonnaroo and have been featured in rolling stone magazine, new york post, new york times and several other publications.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
it hasnt..the life of any type of freelancer is tough, mine especially. the first few months I was shooting anything and everything I could but once winter hit and nobody wanted photos (I didnt have an indoor location to use) I was struggling. It was also tough getting my business off the ground right before covid hit which caused everything to halt. during that period, I had to get creative in order to make ends meet. I would go take random photo of the city, landscapes, products and upload to stock image sites such as adobe stock, shutterfly, unsplash etc in hopes of people wanting to use my work for whatever. since then its always been rough, sometimes work is demanding but theres also a lot of times where work doesnt come so you just have to ride the wave.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
im a freelance photographer/ videographer and podcast producer. im known for shooting content for athletes and brands such as mike chandler (ufc fighter), danae hays (comedian, tiktok influencer), the ufc, nashville sc. im most proud of being able to take my hobby/passion of photography and turn it into a business that provides for myself and my family. what sets me apart: id say my strive for success and my “never not working mentality”

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
check out my work: www.byjustinrenfroe.com or instagram.com/justin.renfroe. if you need any photo, video or podcast work feel free to reach out!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.byjustinrenfroe.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justin.renfroe
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.renfroe.31
• Twitter: https://x.com/justinrenfroe