For Muna Coterie photographer Reje (Rah-jee) Rush of Nativ Lens in Orlando, Central Florida, the art of photography and storytelling are intrinsically interwoven into his work.
Rush explains, “Growing up in Miami, art in all its forms was very popular in my house. From visual arts to poetry, my father was adamant about making sure my sister and I grew up well-rounded.”
With his father’s encouragement, Rush explored visual arts in school. He was also involved in athletics and even dabbled in amateur boxing. While creativity buzzed around him constantly, it wasn’t until 2019 that Rush officially picked up a camera for himself.
Rush started with street photography, which is what his father photographed, and soon inquiries for other events started pouring in.
“As many photographers can relate,” he reveals, “I then started getting questions about shooting family photos, baby showers, and birthday portraits, which then landed me into my first, very small, wedding in early 2020. That backyard wedding is what started my passion for wedding photography and I never looked back.”
At the beginning of COVID in 2020, Rush was one of many affected by the pandemic and lost his job of 6 years. The unexpected setback gave him time to contemplate life and how he’d move forward in his career.
“I needed to get on my feet quickly,” he reveals. “It got me thinking “Maybe I should start a business?” So by June of 2020, I created the LLC! The name Nativ Lens comes from an old hip-hop collective by the name Native Tongues. I thought it was a nice play on words and it just stuck.”
Describing his photo style as “timeless, authentic, and creative,” now Rush travels the world capturing couples’ milestone moments.
Whether that’s a wedding, lifestyle portraits, engagement sessions, or a maternity shoot, he aims to capture your story authentically and make you laugh during the process.
I believe couples should choose a photographer based on compatibility in two areas: personality and artistic vision, but definitely in personality. If a couple is looking for someone they can have some laughs with and who truly enjoys authentically documenting their wedding story, then I think we’ll make a good fit.
– Reje Rush of Nativ Lens
Keep scrolling for our exclusive Q&A with Muna Coterie Photographer Reje Rush of Nativ Lens. From a typical photo shoot day to his immense love for his family and strong Faith in God, get to know the talented man behind the brand below.
- Series: Behind The Brand
- Featured Company: Nativ Lens
Do you remember the first wedding you photographed? Looking back, how was that initial experience, and in comparison to now, how far you’ve come?
Wow, yes I remember very well! It was a small backyard wedding with only 20 or so guests. I was ridiculously nervous and had no idea what I was doing besides some crappy advice I got from someone on YouTube.
But it really set the tone on how creative one could be during a wedding. I still get a little nervous, as this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, but I definitely come in with much more confidence in my ability to capture moments and create memories even when others don’t see it.
What does a typical shoot day look like for you and your clients? How do you guide them through the process from start to finish?
If I’m shooting a wedding, the night before I’m double-checking all my gear, making sure my batteries are charged, memory cards are formatted, and that I have everything packed. On the day of, I make sure to enter into the space with a confident, positive attitude. My job is not to add any additional stress to an already stressful day. Throughout the wedding, I engage my couple with small talk and jokes and consistently reassure them, verbally or through my presence, that things are under control.
Family and faith are big for you. Can you share more insight into how your wife, son, and God are your ‘why’ and motivation to keep pushing your business forward?
Yes! My faith in and commitment to Jesus comes first. He has provided me with the talent and temperament to take on the challenge of running this business. I’ve traveled more in the past 2 years because of photography than I have in my entire life! For someone who never saw himself owning a business, I can only attribute that to Him.
Furthermore, my wife and son are my true gift from God. They’ve helped me to develop patience, discipline, and integrity that I would not have been able to develop otherwise. Having a family definitely changes you for the better. My desire to be a loving, providing husband to my wife as well as a good example of a man of God to my son helps me keep on the narrow path.
I also see my business as a form of service to God. Working in excellence includes having integrity in your business affairs, being honest and empathic to your clients, consistency in your work ethic, and overall making sure your clients have a smooth experience. My relationship with God helps me with all of those things.
What does the Coterie mean to you? What do you hope to accomplish as a member and why should other photographers consider joining the collective?
So it’s always fun being a part of an exclusive club. Mainly I want to surround myself with like-minded professionals that I can grow with and bounce ideas off of. I like to use the saying, “A rising tide raises all ships”.
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