Frequently Asked Questions
How long have you been a professional photographer?
I started professionally photographing weddings in 2006, and become a full time self employed photographer in 2009, I've been clicking the shutter for a living for more than ten years now.
How many weddings have you photographed?
I lost count at 300, so more than that :).
What are your favorite kind of weddings to photograph?
I love unique, meaningful events. An incredible location or being on the side of a mountain never hurts.
What are your favorite photos?
My favorite photos have emotion and feeling. They have a quality of storytelling beyond the photo itself. These photos aren't perfect by any means, sometimes they're even out of focus, or don't adhere to the major "rules" of photography, but if they something about the truth of life, or my or someones experience of it, then I love them.
How would you describe your work?
At it's core my work is honest. I don't spend my time photographing people creating fake moments, I have no interest in doing that. You've already created a life full of beauty, so I show up fully present, and photograph the beauty that I see. I believe people are beautiful and important, and there is power in being seen for who you really are, that's what I try to do with my work, let people be seen and documented for who they are.
What are your sources of inspiration?
I'm inspired by nature, textures, colors and lines, and most of all relationships and people. My kids give me a lot of inspiration, they're so free, and oftentimes I find myself wishing I could be more like them.
What kind of equipment do you use?
I use high quality Canon cameras and lenses for my professional work. I shoot film for my personal work and to keep myself inspired.
Where do you photograph weddings?
Everywhere. I live in Boise, Idaho, where I recently moved after ten years of living in Portland, Oregon. I travel between the two cities photographing weddings and events in both places, but I shoot weddings everywhere, and love traveling.
What do you do for fun?
I spend time with my family. I'm married to a beautiful woman, and I have a seven year old son named Wellington and a four year old girl named Pearl. I get out into nature every chance I get. If I've got a big chunk of free time, you'll most likely find me on my mountain bike, riding local trails with friends, or at the ski resort searching for fresh powder on my snowboard. I grew up in Colorado, and the mountains and nature are so close to my heart, when I'm out there things are always a bit more clear.
Is this your full time job?
I'm grateful to say that it is and that it has been since 2009. I also run several other business and offer marketing/consulting/coaching for clients. My other businesses are Boothshakalaka and my latest venture Oil + Herb.
What education do you have in photography?
I have none. Photography came very naturally to me and I've loved it since I was a child (when luckily my parents put up with me shooting tons of rolls of film). My mom is a watercolor artist and she raised me with the rules of composition. When I picked up a camera it felt very natural to me, I don't think about composition, the way I compose images just makes sense to me, and for every photo I frame, there's a certain way to frame it that makes the most sense. I started working for a studio in Portland in 2009, second shooting weddings for them, after one season, they made me a primary photographer, giving me 17 weddings of my own, and the following year I had booked 25 weddings through my own business and went full time as a self employed photographer and entrepreneur.
More Questions?
"My husband and I loved working with Bryan! Neither of us were comfortable in front of the camera and Bryan immediately put us at ease. He was able to pose us and our pictures turned out great. We are so happy with them. We would absolutely recommend him to everyone and look forward to working with him again when we start a family and need more pictures taken.
Thank you so much, Bryan!" - Alli + Drew