Meet Rob Watkins | Videographer/Photographer

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

Hi Rob, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
For the past 9 years, I worked for Tesla as the manager for the Photo Instrumentation team. My team would capture all of the high speed images for crash and testing. During that time, I started going to metal shows in my area. I started to get bored just standing there, so I starting bringing my camera. The bands loved the photos! They started reaching out to be about taking promo photos. I became pretty popular lol! Eventually, bands started to ask if I shot music videos. I said “Sure! Why not!” and my side business blossomed from there. I expanded into filming weddings, restaurants, social media campaigns for businesses, you name it!

In June of 2025, I was laid off from Tesla. After 9 years of steady employment, I found myself unemployed. I was lost. After speaking with some of my old bosses, peers, and family members, I decided it was time to take my side gig full time. I mean, what better time is there? I just turned 41, I spent the last decade working for someone else, It’s time to do something for me. Luckily, I’m starting off with a strong foundation, but it’s still scary.

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.
Ever since I could remember, I’ve been into movies. One of my first core memories is my dad showing my brothers and I Star Wars for the first time. It was magical. Seeing these unimaginable things happening on the screen. I was hooked.

Growing up, my friends Derek and Dusty Yoder lived around the corner from me. They had a camcorder and the same love for SNL and Monty Python that I had. We started making shorts, recreating SNL skits, beer commercials, and more. I was enthralled by the process of making a video and working with actors. I had the vision, this was me. Those were some of the best times of my life. After a while, we just sort of stopped doing it.

When I was a freshman at Willow Glen High school in San Jose, CA, Go Rams! I was mistakenly assigned the photography class. The teacher, Mr. Cassetti, said no freshmen in his class. So, I had to change classes. I was so bummed! I had never heard of a class like that! They certainly didn’t have classes like that in middle school. It was such a gut punch to be denied such a cool class! It put me off so much, I didn’t try to join the class the following year.

In my junior year, I finally decided to try the class again. Mr Cassetti was much more gracious this time around, despite all of the crap I gave him. He truly became my first mentor. He saw my aptitude for photography and challenged me. He taught me things he wasn’t teaching the other kids in the class. Without his guidance, I don’t know I’d be where I am today. So, Thanks Stan.

At the time, my mom, Wendy, had just married my stepdad, Mark. Mark was moving into our house and he just so happened to be getting into photography at the same time. It was a blessing, because he had money to buy cameras. I was financially free to explore and play around. It was a very fortunate position to be in.

I started off shooting 35mm film. Thats your most basic film size back in the day. I had an old Minolta Maxxum 7000. I don’t even remember what kind of lens I had. This was 25 years ago…

Mark started getting into larger format cameras. He loves shooting landscapes. He picked up a few medium and large format cameras, including a few Yashica and minolta Twin lens reflex 120 film cameras, a 4×5 field view camera, and eventually a few Mamiya 7s.

I’ve always loved the look of larger formats. It gives a perspective that we are not used to. I ended up sticking to the medium format size film. It was a happy medium between 35mm’s ease of use and large format’s perspective.

I shot on film pretty much exclusively from the year 2000 to 2007. So many pictures, some much time spent developing and printing. Sometimes I miss it. Having to wait to see your image is an exhilarating and daunting thing. Maybe I’ll shoot more film in the future, but I’m not developing it anymore.

When I was a kid, my mom told me that she couldn’t see me having a regular desk job, and she was right.

It’s 2002, and it’s time for college and I want to be… a director. I had a dream in my eye and a hope in my heart when I decided to move to Los Angeles and study filmmaking at Cal state university northridge. Boy, were my hopes dashed quick. What they neglected to tell me was, I was enrolled in the PRE-film major, I had to take 2.5 years of classes first, then apply to the ACTUAL film major. Oh, and if you were rejected twice, your applications were no longer accepted. During that first year, I saw so many filmmakers that were more talented than I, getting rejected twice. It was discouraging! I decided to make a change. I switched my major to photography, finished up my degree, and got the heck out of there.

Right out of college, I got my first full time, salaried job, working for a kids sports and college portrait photography company. I was making $35k a year and I was stoked! I thought I had made it! I was on top of the world, then the world came crashing down. This was in 2008 and the economy was tanking. I was the last one in, first one out.

After a few months to trying to find work in a dying economy, I had to pack everything up and move back to my mom’s house in San Jose. It was one of the lowest points of my life. I was defeated and coming home with my tail between my legs. But I had a support group. My parents came through for me many times. I’m very fortunate to have them. Now that I was back home, it was time to find work!

After some searching, I found an open position at one of the local picture people studios. I got the job and quickly rose up in the ranks. I was a good photographer and a good sales man. People found me personable. I started getting a lot of repeat customers and the heads started to turn.

A new deal with Petco had just been made and they needed ambitious people to work the contract. It was presented as a quick way to rise up in the ranks. We were sent out in teams of two to a different petco location every week to take pictures of animals and sell photos. That’s where I met my friend and future band mate, Logan. We were a great team. During the trial period, we ranked third in the nation for sales. The sent us each to hawaii, separately… Logan went back to the studio and I carried on with Petco. I rose the ranks and saw less return. This was another low point in my life. I was barely scratching by, I was getting worked to the bone, I was miserable. I stayed there way longer than I should have. To be honest, the reason I stayed was for a girl I really liked. Turned out to NOT be mutual, so I left the company.

I had some wild experiences working for Picture People at Petco. I took pictures of a lemur, I saw people break up in front of me, I even sold pictures to a blind person! That’s a story for another day. My former boss, Sara, told me I should write a book about my experiences. I never did. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Out of work, again, I started the seach. I came across a post looking for school portrait photographers for a company called Len Conrad photography. I applied and was in! Those were some of the most grueling days of work I’ve had in my life. We were at the warehouse by 5am to drive 2 hours to a school, to set up and photograph 1000 kids in 8 hours, to then pack up and drive home. It was 15hr days regularly. The money wasn’t great, but I was doing ok.

I quickly rose through the ranks to a lead position. I started catching the eye of the studio devision of the company. They were called Pro Image studios and they serviced the high school clients with senior portraits and event photography. It was the big leagues. We got to wear whatever we wanted instead of a stupid polo shirt. It was a big deal! I really enjoyed the work there. It was a lot more creative than Len Conrad. We got to shoot football games, plays, rallies and more. Unfortunately, it was kind of a toxic work space. Lots of bullying from the senior staff. It’s really difficult to not have a supportive manager. It really makes or breaks a work environment.

At the end of the 2014, The Len Conrad/Pro Image studios got sold off to another company. They ran Pro Image into the ground. By the end of 2015, they had successfully bankrupted us and shut down shop, laying off the employees he didn’t like. And I was out of work again.

After getting laid off again in 2016, I was lost. I was fed up with the school photography world. It surprisingly more cut throat than you realize. All the backstabbing and bad business practices turned me off to photography as a career. I started looking for ANYTHING else. I posted to facebook asking if anyone was hiring. A friend replied saying that Tesla was hiring vehicle testing operators. It was perfect! It wasn’t photography, it sounded fun, and it was working for this exciting, up and coming ev company. I applied and got in.

I worked as a vehicle testing operator for about six months before they hired me on to the facilities team. At that time, our job was to move the testing department into a new facility and get everyone settled in. Over the next year plus, I helped build out this facility including the crash track. Tesla had recently hired an Imaging Specialist, Phiroze Dalal. He was brought on to build up our imaging capabilities. He and I worked together a lot so we talked. I told him about my history with photography. He said, why don’t you come over here and I’ll teach how to do this. And just like that, I was a photographer again.

Over the next 8 years, under the tutelage of my boss, Tony DePaolantonio, I helped build up Tesla’s testing department, built of team of 6 technicians, consulted with outside vendors, managed several infrastructure projects, and so much more. I was fulfilled. It was the best job I’ve ever had. I was challenged creatively and I was making a difference. I was helping save lives. Things were great for a long time.

After my boss, Tony, left the company, things changed. I didn’t have his support anymore. Then came the layoffs and reorgs. I started 2024 with 6 employees. I ended 2024 with 2. Change was in the wind. I knew it. I felt it in my bones. I tried looking for another position, but there weren’t any good fits. And in June of 2025, after 9 years, they laid me off. To be honest, it was time. I had done all I could do there and the company was moving in a different direction. Not to mention all of the optics around the CEO since last year. Regardless, I had a very long career and I’m still immensely proud of the work I did there. Thank you to everyone I worked with there. I am a better person having worked with all of you.

In 2011, my band mates, Logan, Klaus, and Tim, founded our band, A Human Costume. In 2014, we released our first album, Exhume, Behold, Defenestrate. With our freshmen album out there, we were ready to play some shows! We finally found our way into the Bay Area Metal scene, playing with a lot of amazing bands. I had found my people.

I started going to show regularly. After a few, I was getting kinda bored just standing there, so I brought my camera one time. The bands loved the photos so much, they asked me to take some promo photos! From then on, I would go to at least one show a week and take some pics for free. It was great marketing and I was having fun doing it. I started getting more and more commissions for promo work. It was pretty decent supplemental income for the time.

After a year or so of doing this, bands started asking me if I shot music videos. I said, Sure! Why not? I wasn’t very good at first, but I learned something with every video I produced. I still look back on them with fondness. Not knowing much about lighting, camera movements, edit, running a business, and all of that fun stuff.

I needed to learn. I wanted to be better at my craft. So, I started watching youtube regularly, learning whatever I could. Following youtubers like Peter Mckinnon, Potato Jet, and Jared Polin. I would consume whatever I could find on what I was trying to do for my next video. Youtube is still my most watched streaming service. That’s what has inspired me to start my own channel.

Since then, I have filmed over 50 music videos. It’s wild to just think that! I’ve been called the king of metal music videos in the Bay Area. I don’t hate that title. But that’s not everything I’ve shot. I spent many years as a wedding photographer for a wedding company. I’ve shot around 75 weddings in my life. For the past 7 years, I’ve been increasing my focus on business content creation. ’ve worked with over 15 restaurants and business to improve the quality of their content. I’ve shot anything and everything. You name it, I’ve shot it.

My whole life, I’ve been honing my craft. I’ve been learning to make better images, for my clients, and myself. I’ve been privileged enough to work with some amazing and talent people.
I have learned from them all and I continue to learn.

I love the quote from Ansel Adams, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” We put thought and intention into the art we make. We tell stories, we document history. We are capturing memories, moments in time, saved forever, always accessible. And I think that’s beautiful

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would first take them to Tlaquepaque in San Jose. By far, the best mexican food in the Bay Area. After that, a trip through San Francisco to see the sites. We would end in Alexander Valley vineyards for wine tasting.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out all of my mentors through the years: Stan Cassetti, Brad Bishop, Phillip Pasag, Derek Letourneau, Tony DePaolantonio, and Phiroze Dalal. You all saw something in me and shared your knowledge. With out you all, I would not be here today.

I want to shout out my family and friends who have always stood by me, encouraging me to be the best I can be. Thank you

Website: https://www.watkins-media.com

Instagram: @watkins_media

Youtube: @WatkinsMediaPro