RK Creative

Tell us about yourself, where you are from and how you came to Pemberton.

Hi, my name is Ryo Kawashima. I was born in Tokyo, Japan. I am a photographer/videographer based in Pemberton, BC. After graduating from University in Tokyo, I began travelling around Europe and fell in love with nature in the Swiss Alps, where I was introduced to the world of photography.

I started my career in the ski resort and hiking guide industry in Zermatt, Switzerland. Since moving to Canada in 2007, I have been attracted by wilderness in the Rocky Mountains, Yukon Territory, and West Coast Mountains. I enjoy taking photographs and videos of nature, landscapes, and people.

I settled in Pemberton in 2015 and have had a photography and videography business since 2021 for local businesses, sports teams, people and families in the Sea to Sky corridor.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I am a father of a 9-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter. My wife is a nutritionist working at Stay Wild Natura Health and teaches a cooking class for kids at the Community Centre. Her diverse love of food inspires me to try different styles of photography. In the summer we enjoy camping, biking and climbing.

In winter, I like to go skiing and snowboarding with my family. We are trying to use Japanese as a first language at home to encourage our kids to learn to speak, read and write in Japanese.

Why did you decide to be a business owner and start RK Creative?

I have been taking photos and videos with my DSLR camera (Mirrorless camera now)  for more than 15 years and I have had the opportunity to showcase my photos in galleries in Canmore, AB, and Whistler’s State Of The Art.

I have received an award in the Global Warming Witness photo contest by Olympus, and the Pemberton photo contest by the Community Centre. I always wanted to focus more on the photography/videography side, but I also loved working around nature as a hiking guide. This proved a great combination of work-life balance,  but when Covid started, I thought
it was a good time to start my own business as a photo/videographer.

Initially, I participated in the YMCA Self-Employment Program and learned how to start a new business as an entrepreneur. I then launched my business RK CREATIVE in the fall of 2021. Since then, I have had opportunities to take photographs and videographs of dance studios, building and real estate companies, small businesses, weddings, family and individual portraits.

In the winter season, I work as a tail guide/photo/videographer for a heliskiing company in Whistler. The biggest challenge to operating my business is to grow the business through more recognition. I look forward to more experience through work and good relationships with clients in the community.

What is the greatest reward?

The greatest reward is when I see or hear my client’s happiness with the photos and/or videos I create for them. A prime example is the first time I made a short film promotion video for the Lynx Cafe for their social media. My reputation was enhanced and the many shares from their customers showed the promotional value of my work.

I would like to share happiness through photos and videos!

What would you like people to know about RK Creative?

RK CREATIVE helps small businesses to promote and increase sales of their business by shooting photos and filming videos for brand awareness. The trend of using creative photo/video advertising among markets is on the rise, especially for social media and websites. RK CREATIVE can meet the need for advertising with artistic and affordable options through photographer/videography – or BOTH. In addition to advertising, I relate to the Pemberton community and can capture and share the happiness in people’s lives through the camera lens. Please feel free to contact me anytime!

Visit the RK CREATIVE Website to learn more.