Business Spotlight: Richard Stahlberg Photography

Richard Stahlberg, of Stahlberg Photography, was not always interested in photography. Despite his big brother's encouragement, he couldn't be bothered to take pictures as a young man. He was too enthralled pin-striping his car, cartooning, and other art forms. But one morning he woke up and realized that photography was his calling, and he's since been making a living, winning awards, and most of all capturing the essence of his subjects for everyone to see.

"I received my first award for underwater photography," he said. "That gave me the confidence and encouragement to do this for a living. I just woke up one day and realized I had to do photography."

Since then, he has received numerous awards for his portraits and landscapes, including top awards received from Northern California Professional Photographers, and Professional Photographers of America.

When he first started out, Stahlberg did not have a lot of technical expertise. But he soon discovered a talent he had that allowed him to make an early name for himself in the field. “I got very good at having a person’s personality show up, even the clients who thought they were not photogenic!”.

That skill is apparent in the many photographs on display throughout his Main Street studio, where he has conducted his portraiture business for the past 25 years. Stahlberg Photography is one of the longest lasting businesses on Main Street, surviving through economies robust and ragged. That is the value of a reputation for excellence.

But Stahlberg's excellence is also a value financially. One of his frustrations is the assumption that when people see his large-scale portraits hanging in the window of his store, they assume his prices are out of the range of most people.

"My cost is $75 for the Portrait Session, and $89 for an 8 x 10 print, or less if a package is ordered," he said. "And if someone decides they want a large portrait for over the fireplace, I offer a layaway plan for that. My guarantee is if you don't love your photograph, it doesn't cost you anything. And I've never had to give any money back. Not in 25 years."

“People can call or just stop by,” he said. “I love to talk with people about photographic options and ideas for them or their families.”