Meet Jacob Ruth | Photographer / Creative

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

Hi Jacob, how do you think about risk?
For me, I think it is important to learn how to take risks and know when to not take them. Risks give you the option to either stay where you are in life, or they can take you on a journey with unexpected results that will ultimately grow you as a person.

Sometimes we are in a place of life where we need to stay steady. Other times (and in my opinion most of the time) we are in a place where we need a bit of an adventure in life. Even though there is a high chance of failing, the reward will be so worth it.

My whole life has been risks, and I kept myself from a lot of great choices by not taking a few of them. I took a risk choosing a school semi-far away from home, I took a risk asking the person I liked out, I took a risk dropping out of school to pursue my dream. Without taking those risks, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Taking those risks also kept me from thinking later on down the road what life could’ve been like if I had just done *you fill in the blank*

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I feel like my story to where I got is truly by God’s plan for my life. I wish I could word it in a less “cheesy” way, but to me, that is my answer. I started photography when Instagram came out in 2012. I fell in love with just taking photos, engaging with random photographers across the globe, and just creating my own world. Being able to create what my brain was seeing was so thrilling to me.

When I was a senior in high school, I got my first camera and I really only used it for random projects. I then brought it to a concert and found my true passion there. My passion for music and photography combined and I didn’t really want to do anything else. Over time, I started to become friends with people who were in bands and one thing led to another. I would take pictures for their shows and I built this brand for myself while helping them build theirs. Their bands started to take off and I was fortunate to be there with them.

It was not easy to be honest. I worked for free most of the years, I had to stay up late editing a lot of nights, and I barely broke even by the end of it. But the experiences I had, the people I met, and the fact that I chased something I loved was all worth it to me.

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?
My favorite place ever that I have lived is Fayetteville, Ar – so this is where I am taking you.

First, we would hit up Puritan Coffee solely for the vibes. We would then take our coffee and our breakfast burritos down to Block Street Records and find some heat. After that, I would want to spend some time outside, so I would take us to Wilson Park. Maybe toss the disk or play some games.

It would soon be lunch and there’s no better spot than Slim’s Chicken. After lunch, we would need another pick me up, so I would drive us to Rogers, Ar and we would hit up the Onyx Coffee HQ! After that, I would take you to the best museum ever – Crystal Bridges! The art they have is incredible and the space is truly just so fun to be in.

For dinner, I would drive us back down to Fayetteville and we would grab a fire dinner from Khana Indian Grill. And to truly end the night in style, we would go to Maxine’s, grab two cold ones and some popcorn, and celebrate the best day ever.

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?
I can thank my family, friends, and God for where I am at today!

Website: jakeruthcreates.com

Instagram: @JacobGRuth

Image Credits
For the portrait of me – It was taken by Tyler Krippaehne