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Art & Life with Richard ‘Ryche Rych’ Howard

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard ‘Ryche Rych’ Howard.

Richard ‘Ryche Rych’, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I actually grew up in photography. My father has been doing photography and videography for about 40 years. My father was part of the first wave of businesses to get involved in One-Hour Photo before it was popular. In the early 1990’s he had a contract with Dekalb County to print the crime scene photos for the police department.

Starting from when I was in middle school, around 1996, I cleaned and straitened up with my mother at the studio. But the main thing I was doing was helping with printing and mixing chemicals for the machines. I also used to help my dad in the darkroom when he had to develop pictures manually. When using the machines, you had to manually color correct and fix the lighting before printing the negatives. That really helped me because when I look at pictures now all I see is different colors and light. Keep in mind there was no Photoshop at that time, so when there was lent or “red-eye” on the picture you had to use a special pen to fix it. So, you can say I’m an old school photographer trapped in a young photographer’s body.

By the time I got into the 9th grade, I was able to go out and help my father with shooting weddings and other events. I started doing videography first, and learned to edit videos on an old linear editing system called the Casablanca. I went to Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, GA. I was in TV production and on the news team. We would shoot and edit the athletic games and current school activities to show on the morning broadcast. I went to Savannah State University where I graduated with a BA in Computer Information Systems. I also pledge Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc in Fall 2005. Around 2006, I started to really take photography seriously and did a lot of free work just to build up my portfolio. I had to learn how to work with digital images.

Initially, I wasn’t interested in photography at all. It was more of an obligation. In 1996, I had the privilege and opportunity to sing and dance on stage with Raven Symone and classmates during the opening day ceremony of the Paralympics. I’ve also done talent shows, plays, and played several sports. My main sport was baseball. I started playing when I was 6 and played all the way to my Junior year of college. My goal was to go pro, but as I got older it started not to be as fun anymore and the passion started to decline. I decided to hang up my cleats permanently and pick up my camera. The talent with photography was always there so I figured that I shouldn’t fight it anymore.

I wanted to build my own brand outside of my father. So, The Riches Rych Brand, LLC was born. Because of my father’s influence, I don’t specialize in one type of media or service. I do weddings and events, real estate photography, photo shoots, printing, passport photos, and the list goes on. I wanted to use a name that was part of me but unique as well. I always had the nickname Richie Rich, but I needed a unique way to spell it. I’ve had the honor to meet and work with legends along the way. You never know who might walk through the door.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I do photography, videography, basic graphic design, basic website building, printing and framing, photo restoration and more. It’s all about the experience and showing the client that we care. My father has had some of the same loyal clientele for over 20 years. That’s the same goal I have to build a loyal client base. Whether it’s a famous client or a regular everyday client; everyone is treated the same. I want everyone that comes through those doors to leave happy and compelled to refer someone. Most importantly it’s about leaving a legacy for my kids. I learned about being a family man, business man from father. As the company grows, I want to keep a family orientated environment.

Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
Always focus on getting better, learn from past mistakes, stay humble, and most importantly stay customer driven. Being money driven will take you down the wrong path fast and end up taken more money out your
pocket in the future. That one client that needed extra attention may be the same client that puts you in a better position.

One last thing to keep in mind as an artist is stay in your own lane. Don’t worry about someone else’s success. Set your goals, stay consistent, and trust the process. Like Drake said, “Do Right and Kill Everything.” Remember there is no one like you!

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My website is www.RycheRych.com I have Instagram, Facebook. Twitter, Tumblr, and Flickr. All you have to do is Google Ryche Rych. I’m extremely easy to find.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Richard ‘Ryche Rych’ Howard, The Ryche Rych Brand, LLC, Brooklyn C. Howard.

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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