Episode 80: Dean Bradshaw / Commercial and Lifestyle Photographer and Director

Sep 13, 2018

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

On this episode of the podcast we are joined by commercial and lifestyle photographer and filmmaker Dean Bradshaw who talks about making the career leap from zoologist to photographer/director and how he's continued to evolve his aesthetic as an artist to reflect his own maturing taste and stay relevant in an ever changing industry. Growing up in Perth Australia, Dean always loved the outdoors and the vast array of reptiles Australia is famous for. This interest would soon have him studying zoology and working in the field capturing and collecting data on different species. Around this same time digital photography was introduced to Dean and he soon became obsessed with the best way to capture and light the reptiles. Before long he was shooting other subjects and growing more and more interested in photography, lighting, and post production. His skills eventually led him to LA and a whole new career path. He quickly became known for being one of the new shooters that could capture and produce the hot new hyperreal look of the time. Within years he was shooting large advertising campaigns for some of the biggest companies a photographer could want to work with but became dissatisfied with his own style and knew he had to make a change. That would lead to the look, feel, and subject matter that many currently know Dean for. During our conversation we talk about stepping past the fear of changing a certain aesthetic that has made you successful to pursue your own changing tastes, how he became involved in filmmaking and how that influenced his photography, the challenges of the current era of photography and content and how young people need to value their own work, and advice he gives to others coming up in this industry.