Bradley Hanson of bradleyhanson.com started out shooting headshots for models and musicians, before getting some work at the weekly newspapers. He added weddings to his repertoire in 1999.

Although based in Minneapolis USA, Bradley has shot all over the world and his work has been featured in more publications than I have space to list. It's the same for his awards!

In regard to style, black and white is his thing and he takes inspiration from outside the wedding photography industry and uses it to stay true to his photographic vision.

And opinions? Sure, he has plenty… strong ones too!

Someone needs to be open and honest about the excess of workshops and that they are cash cows for those giving them, and borderline useless for the participants looking for easy answers – Bradley Hanson

This episode of the Photography Xperiment podcast is sponsored by the super talented digital editors at The Image Salon… more about them in the show and below.

Here’s some of what we cover:

  • Why Bradley is not keen on doing free advertising for camera gear companies
  • The biggest challenge for new photographers today
  • The problem with the photography workshop industry
  • Workshops are designed to be profit-based instead of learning based for participants
  • Can workshops teach you how to shoot better, be more creative and shoot differently
  • Bradley’s biggest influence in photography
  • Are you really paying for the workshop organiser’s holiday
  • How to determine if a workshop is a business opportunist or a legitimate venue to learn art
  • How you should find creative inspiration
  • How Bradley learned to be better at photography
  • The real value of photography
  • Why Bradley doesn’t look at other wedding photography images
  • Should we be satisfying ourselves, as the artists, or should we be pleasing the clients
  • Photography and the human mind
  • Bradley’s workflow
  • Having a consistent body of work gives you more chances of getting hired
  • Getting a second opinion when having difficulty choosing the best photo
  • Why photographers are intrinsically biased in the photo selection process
  • Will Bradley change his shooting style if clients stop coming for his current style
  • How to regulate your workflow
  • Why you need to keep changing and look at things in a new way
  • Altering your style to make a broader appeal to clients will always backfire
  • Why you must stay true to your own style
  • You need to give someone a reason to hire you
  • Why wedding magazines are killing the industry
  • What do you do as a photographer to stay different
  • Responding to over controlling clients
  • You need to not only inspire yourself but you need to create work that inspires other people who hire you – Bradley Hanson   

Bradley Hanson Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Was there something from this interview that struck a chord, inspired or motivated you?

Will you take any kind of action after hearing what Bradley had to share?

Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

Photography was not only an art form but the thing that I wanted to pursue – Bradley Hanson

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Bradley or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below too.

Bradley Hanson Photography Podcast

Quote from Bradley via email after the interview:

Hey Andrew-

Thank you. I was also thinking of so many different things that I felt like I may have strayed from my original thought too much. I was thinking that inspiration is temporary, but experience is forever, too. Most of what workshops promise are easy answers and “inspiration” from the location, but we all learn differently. I think many workshops cater to the “easy answers” crowd rather than just slogging it out yourself and learning through experience.

I get a lot of personal emails asking advice about gear and business. I’m happy to help anyone and don’t have any secrets about what works for me. In that regard, I guess I’m giving free mini-workshops all the time! 😉

Best,
Bradley

Bradley Hanson Photography Podcast

It’s interesting things that are happening in real time, and that’s the kind of stuff that inspires me – Bradley Hanson

Bradley Hanson Photography Podcast

If something elevates your mood, you’re more likely to want to keep doing it – Bradley Hanson

Bradley Hanson Photography Podcast

The more you have something unique to sell, the greater likelihood that it will feel desirable and exclusive – Bradley Hanson

Bradley Hanson Photography Podcast

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Bradley Hanson Website

Bradley Hanson on Facebook

Bradley Hanson on Instagram

Bradley Hanson Photography on Instagram

Bradley Hanson on Twitter

Bradley Hanson Blog

How wedding photography has changed over the last 16 years and what all photographers can learn from it

My 3 years with Fujifilm X-series cameras and lenses

Minneapolis Photo Center

Vivian Maier

Ralph Gibson

Ralph Gibson Books

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock

Elliott Erwitt

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Robert Frank

Episode 168: Two Mann Studios – Careful Curation is the Key to Photography Success

I don’t have preconceived ideas of how I want to set things up. It’s more of the ability to recognise things as they are happening – Bradley Hanson

ShotKit.com

More Brides – the ebook on building a better wedding photography business

The ShotKit Books – Volume 1 and 2

I wanted to move in a very personal inspired direction and do something different in the industry that haven’t been done – Bradley Hanson

Bradley Hanson Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening to the show and thanks to Bradley for coming on and experimenting with a new and different format for this photography podcast and for sharing his thoughts, views and ideas on photography and the industry.

Also, a big thanks to Mark from ShotKit for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible. If you wan tot see what the worlds best photographers are packing in there bag, check out ShotKit. You'll see one of the best laid out, resource packed photography websites out there.

I don’t want to represent myself as anyone other than I am – Bradley Hanson

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me, hope everything is going well for you in life and photography!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew

 

shotkit