Meet Micah Rind | Photographer/Videographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Micah Rind and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Micah, how do you think about risk?
The creative industry is naturally a risky business. When you’re first starting, the task of breaking into the industry is rather daunting, and playing it safe seems like the most logical approach. However, while I think you should always use your head, I also believe that risk taking is an inherently necessary and vital part of growth, that is ultimately the only way you’ll get to where you want to be.

It’s always going to be scary, but that’s part of the fun.

Growing up, I was always walking a little too close to the edge, just to see how far I could go. It’s kind of a running joke in my family that my curiosity will be the death of me. Once I am curious about something, I just have to know the answer. I like to challenge norms, and I like to be challenged.

I think what ultimately drives my comfortability with risk taking is my desire to learn. Through this, I’ve met so many incredible people, and learned about different cultures, studies, and concepts that are beyond what’s broadly accessible. You would be surprised how many doors will open up if you just follow the thread of curiosity.

For me, it was just a natural step to apply this curiosity to my career. I figured it was already a risk that I was going to school to study film rather than business or nursing, so why not take it one step further? How far could I go? A lot of the time I’ll ask myself “I wonder what would happen if…” and then I just have to know.

As I look back on my life, it’s interesting to see the domino effect some of the risks I took, and continue to take, have created. I wouldn’t be here today if I played it safe. Whenever I have a moment of doubt or hesitation, I think to myself it would be such a shame to let fear run my life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been in the photography/videography industry for the past eight or so years. My work mainly centers around the fashion and music intersectionality of the creative industry. I work with brands and designers like Ecosusi Vintage and Sacred Hearts to showcase their clothes/products, as well as covering live events such as Arizona Fashion Week, Phoenix Fashion Week, and Tempe Fashion Week. On the music side of things, I’ve had the pleasure of working with artists like Max Bennett to promote his EP Nuclear Family, and covered numerous shows for local Arizona band SCHPILT. I’ve met so many wonderful creatives along my journey, and truly feel honored to have the opportunity to collaborate on various projects together.

My favorite thing about what I do is that I have the ability to dip my toes into various aesthetics, and work with people from all backgrounds to create meaningful art centered around connection and humanity. I want my art to make people feel something. Whether it’s a portrait session, event coverage, or an ad campaign, it’s important to me that my photos embody humanity in all of its complexities.

I’ve grown to find great joy in the creative process and the evolution of a project over time. American hustle culture often prioritizes the result rather than the process itself, but I believe you run the risk of undermining the entire project if you ignore the beauty of its development, and the time that this craft requires. To ignore the process would be to disregard the hard work of all the designers, models, stylists, and artists involved. Although I enjoy recognition for my work, I’d much rather prioritize the creative vision and those involved, rather than likes on Instagram. It’s less about pushing out content, and more about honoring the authentic needs of the vision.

There are a lot of moving parts in the industry and if you don’t hold onto yourself it’s easy to get lost. To me, the most important principle in my line of work is steadfast authenticity.

To me, remaining authentic looks like taking on projects I’m genuinely excited about, collaborating and learning with people who I genuinely want to learn from, and honoring my gut feeling about things. It’s walking into a room at peace with who I am, and accepting that not all energy is on the same wavelength.

Maintaining authenticity is important to me not only in creation, but in the logistics behind the creation as well. I’ve had opportunities to work with big brands that could have advanced my career and been great exposure, but their company principles did not align with my values. It was hard to say no, but in the long run I feel confident in the fact that I remained true to who I am, and the standards to which I hold myself.

It’s been a long road, and I’ve sacrificed a lot to be where I am right now. I’ve invested countless hours into my craft, and put my personal life on hold for a long time to focus on my career. There’ve been many sleepless nights, and literal blood sweat and tears put into my art, but despite the challenges I’ve faced, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

God has blessed me to have the opportunities that I do right now, but it wasn’t always like this. I remember when I was younger no one really took what I did seriously, and I had to practically beg people to model for me. It’s funny looking back on it, I think that was the motivation I needed to make me push through everything else, to be looked at like I was nothing, and then say watch me do it anyways.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

The plethora of live music is one of my favorite things about Arizona. I would highly suggest coming on a weekend Relentless Beats is hosting an EDM festival/show, it’s one of the most fun things to do here in Arizona and definitely worth checking out.

If EDM isn’t your taste, I would head to a local show at The Van Buren or Crescent Ballroom. The underground rock scene here is amazing and if you keep up with the right people you may catch wind of an underground house show worth checking out.

If fashion is your thing, Arizona’s fashion community never rests. Luxe and City frequently puts on many notable events such as Arizona Fashion Week, and galas year-round. Stay up to date on their website for all their events, definitely a must see! Ivory House also throws a Rolling Retro Market every month, and Wang’s Closet puts on Wangapalooza, the perfect spot for some rare thrift finds!

If you’re into coffee, I’d recommend checking out Liberty Market in Gilbert, The Nile in Mesa, and Kahvi Coffee in Phoenix! For food, you can’t go wrong with a chicken mozzarella panini from Postino or a late-night taco fix from Taco Boys in Phoenix.

And if you’re more of a nature person, the views and hiking terrain at Superstition Mountain are beautiful at sunrise, especially when paired with a dip in Saguaro Lake afterwards. A day trip to Sedona is well worth the visit, I’d suggest prioritizing the Cathedral Rock trail if you’re pressed for time, and then swimming in the river nearby!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It would be impossible to look back on my career and not thank my father for his support. We’ve been through a lot together and he’s really pushed me to become who I am today, both professionally and personally. I’m endlessly thankful to him for standing with me throughout this journey, and always challenging me to level up.

As a first generation student, my education is very important to me, and the professors at Arizona State University quite literally changed my life. I cannot thank each and every one of them enough for investing their time in me. I proposed a lot of projects and questions that were atypical of the curriculum, and they took a chance on me and guided me through my own path, to them I’m forever grateful. With their support, I had the pleasure of graduating early as Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA and honored recipient of the Moeur Award for highest academic standing in the completion of my bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Production, with an emphasis in Cinematography.

Lastly I’m thankful to each person I’ve had the pleasure of creating with. To all of the designers, models, and friends who have trusted me with their image, thank you for your faith. Creating with you has been the utmost pleasure, and I look forward to many more projects.

Website: https://rindstudio.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rindstudio/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rindstudio

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJSODu1bpDp5MjJv3pWN6CQ

Other: TikTok: @officialrindstudio https://www.tiktok.com/@officialrindstudio Email: micah@rindstudio.com

Image Credits
1&2 Melody, Bag: Ecosusi Vintage
3 Ebony
4 Max Bennett
5 Uniss, Bag: Ecosusi Vintage
6 City of Knowlege (KITO) at Phoenix Fashion Week
7 Resty LaGare at Phoenix Fashion Week

Personal Photo Credit: Sav Mitchell