Today we’d like to introduce you to Phillip Destruge.
Hi Phillip, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My photography career began in NYC around 2012. I originally began photographing portraits of friends and family while also taking clients who were referred by them. However, my fascination with photography started long before then. When I was 12 years old I picked up my first Vanity Fair magazine and instantly was drawn into the beautiful imagery; my father worked at the School of Visual Arts in NYC so I was also exposed to amazing creativity when he would take me along to his job. It was the first time I got to see more of NYC and its understand it’s appeal. Fast forward to 2015, I was introduced to a few friends who were agency-represented models and I fell in love with creating editorials; hence a lot of my early work is shot in NY and it has a distinctive style.
Then in 2018, I moved to Florida with my wife and kids and I continued to shoot Portrait & Editorial work. I was able to get in touch with a few agencies here and managed to create some great relationships and have work sent my way for model development. Unfortunately, COVID showed its ugly face and placed a halt on the fashion world, therefore, stopping work from coming in. It was during this time that I took the moment to reflect on what I really wanted to do long-term and that took me back to my roots which was creating beautiful magazine-style portraits for everyday people.
I wanted to transform the experience from something that’s just an average mini photo session (which feels impersonal) to a more elevated and exciting affair. Everyone should have the chance to feel like a celebrity for one day and celebrate themselves. Whether you’re a new mother or a matured parent with many children or it’s a personal achievement such as a graduation or even a celebration of love such as an anniversary, I wanted to offer a unique gift people can give themselves or to their loved ones.
So with that goal in mind, I created two separate branches of my brand, Phillip Destruge Portraits. Both offer the same quality of work but are meant for different people. One is the Family Portraits and the other is Personal Branding/Headshots for business people who are in the service business. My other realization during COVID was that the world quickly adopted an online life. Companies like Zoom profited exponentially and regular corporations are currently struggling to find new workers because the ones they had don’t wish to go back to a 9-5 because they have created their own thriving businesses.
All this change created an opportunity for me to offer my own services as not only an experienced photographer but as a social media strategist combined. I Help Business People CREATE Great First Impressions & TRANSFORM Their Online Presence With PROFESSIONAL PORTRAITS. I enjoy very much helping local business grow and thrive. It’s the ultimate underdog success story and gives me the fuel to continue.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely Not! I don’t think it’s ever a smooth road unless you have deep pockets but even then, there’s always some kind of obstacle. For me personally, moving from NY to FL was a massive change. No friends nearby, I had to grow my network from scratch and I’m a father of two so my time is very limited; therefore, every decision had to be a calculated move. Once COVID hit then I had to get really creative in how I was going to make my business survive and thrive. So pivoted to solving a specific problem with my skills and that was helping these small successful businesses take the next step from good to great. Ironically, my biggest challenge was comparing myself to other creatives I saw on social media and beating myself up, trying to understanding how they were succeeding and why I wasn’t at their level yet. So I had to make an internal change as well and redshift my focus.
In my humble opinion, never get distracted or compare your journey to others. Some people crawl and other people run. The best thing I ever did was unfollow everyone I looked up to on my social media platforms unless I was friends with them or they were my mentors. The highlight reels people share on their feeds is just that; seldom do you get the full scope of their lives so it’s best to stay focused on your own work and people will start to notice.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have two different branches to my business. One is Family Portraits, where I wanted to transform the experience from something different than just an average clicking of the camera and some digital files but instead provide a more grand event. I produce magazine-style quality images in the form of print so that they can be passed down from generation to generation or hang largely and proudly on the walls of your home. Whatever stage you are in your life, it only happens once and I want to immortalize it by creating timeless pieces of art that will outlive you. It’s quite an exciting affair! The other branch is Personal Branding & Headshots along with Social Media Strategies to Grow Your Business.
What do you do?
As with any business that is active online, image is everything. Today deals and clients are won with a click of a mouse. Professionalism and trust are the major factors in any company’s online presence. I help a variety of businesses, including Accountants, Solicitors, Business Owners, Real Estate Agents and Recruitment Agencies, bridge the barriers of the internet and portray a friendly, honest and reliable brand, with innovative and fresh professional portraits that tell your company’s story.
Every business has its own story, its own unique brand and its own set of values but on many occasions, a brand’s true meaning is lost online with the use of generic stock images combined with unflattering, badly lit and poor quality business portraiture. As cliche as it might sound, people still buy from people they like & trust.
Image is everything online. That is why I can guarantee that when you book me to tell your story, I will do so in a way that gives your brand the upper hand by creating a warm and personal feel to your company’s online presence. Not only will you love your photographs, your clients will love them too.
Prior to any booking, you’ll receive a FREE Discovery Call, where we can discuss ideas and possible locations for your company’s shoot as well as how to maximize the impact of your social media platforms on your current audience and those who may be searching for your services. The days of the standard white backdrop, head and shoulders portrait are long gone. Your business portraiture needs to tell your own unique story, whether it be at your desk, at the front of your establishment or next to a local landmark that tells of your company’s history.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Camping along the Delaware River and tubing down the river with my friends. There are many more but that is one that quickly comes to mind.
Pricing:
- Sessions start are $300 – Images Sold Separately
- Images for Family Sessions start at $275
- Images for Personal Branding/Headshots start at $150
Contact Info:
- Email: egurtsed@gmail.com
- Website: www.egurtsed.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/phillipdestruge
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phillipdestruge2
- Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/phillipdestruge
Image Credits
All images photographed and edited by Phillip Destruge. Makeup on some images are by Bachida Hood @makeeupbychichi
