We had the good fortune of connecting with Ram Dela Rosa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ram, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Ram and I’m a photographer actually based in California. Photography is more-so my hobby/passion rather than a job. The opportunity for making money is there but I mostly just enjoy shooting for fun. I’m also a full time nurse. Photography is definitely my escape from the stresses that come along with my actual job. I pretty much bring my camera everywhere with me. If I see something that looks worthwhile, I take the shot. I believe it’s important to have an outlet for creativity especially for an occupation like nursing. It allows for stress relief and great fun.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Instagram is what actually got me into photography. This was early on during the platform’s lifespan. I just noticed that the quality of everyone’s posts were the same and for the lack of a better word, mediocre. There would be some gems of posts that were beautiful and that you could tell some effort went into making it. I wanted to be like that. So I did what any normal person would and searched up YouTube tutorials on how to take better pictures. I did not have a proper camera besides my phone during these times so I went through a phase of watching “iPhone photography” videos and purchasing external lenses. Eventually I got my first ever camera: a budget Sony a6000. Then moved on to a Canon 80D. Then my first full frame camera in the A7III. Then I found myself falling in love with the Fujifilm system in the X-Pro3 and XT5. The biggest challenge in photography that I think every photographer goes through the reality of: you will not be happy with 80% of the photos you take. The best thing to do is to just enjoy the process, think it through, and try your best. Eventually, you will get those gems of shots.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Let’s talk specifically about Los Angeles. Los Angeles (and the surrounding cities) is a culinary hub. From Mexican food to Peruvian to Japanese and many more. The choices are endless. I quite enjoy the 1am random street taco stand. Definitely enjoy the endless options for Sushi. Venturing out of the traffic-infested city, I definitely enjoy being blessed with the California coastline. My preferred adventure would be driving up highway 1 to Big Sur. You get the usual breathtaking cliffside coastal views but also some fresh forestry areas. Having a convertible car is clutch when driving through Big Sur. The vibes are immaculate.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This is dedicated to all who has had a part in my photography journey (real life friends and those who were in the millions of YouTube tutorials I’ve watched).

Instagram: @ramoftherose

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