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Meet Bryan Blair

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Blair.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Bryan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started doing photography about three years ago. I’m from San Francisco originally, my friend and I would always hang out and have fun in the city. One day, my friend suggested we bring cameras to the city to just mess around with taking some photos. Since then, our passions for taking photos started to grow. We started taking photos every day of other cool locations all around the Bay Area. After doing this for fun for about six months, we both decided to buy our own entry-level DSLR cameras to step up our game. We started to promote our services to our local high school and friends in San Francisco. As every creative artist knows, you have to start somewhere. Our first few photos of landscapes and portraits were not that great, but with a lot of experience, time and effort, we both managed to become known for taking photos that stand out with a unique perspective. I branched off and started to focus more on portrait photography and aerial photography. My friend and I still keep in touch but have different paths and opportunities with photography. I started to build my personal Instagram page and transform it into an “online portfolio.”

From there, it has been an amazing experience. I now own a professional full Fram DSLR with Canon’s L-series lenses, which yield a very clear and sharp image. I have never taken a photography course. I acquired all my skills from YouTube and online forums. Most importantly, I learned how to shoot from experience. I believe that you can’t teach a creative outlet, the only way to learn and grow your experience in the creative field is to go out in the world and do it. I have made many mistakes in photography and videography but all of those mistakes have made me a better photographer. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from taking photos, is patience. You can’t go out every day and expect amazing results, timing is everything. With this as my moral, I have successfully built a thriving business in the Bay Area, and have branched that business and service out to Phoenix and Flagstaff, AZ. I have met so many awesome and inspiring people along the way. I love photography because it allows me to be creative and share my experience with amazing people.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a rough road in the beginning. A lot of people doubted me when I said that I wanted to become a professional photographer. The competition was huge. To get known, you had to force your foot in the door of this industry and provide a unique aspect that would capture the attention of the audience. The biggest struggle I faced was support. With there being competition, other photographers would “hate” on my work, spread rumors and try to undermine my capabilities. I even had family members tell me I “was a little fish in a big pond.” I did my best to keep the negative attitudes out and still try to pursue what makes me happy. I still get discouraged and hated on to this day. But I keep my head held high and I know the outcome of this process. I still do it because I love shooting and creating. I know my abilities and what I can offer, I will not let the people that judge stands in my way. With this, I will still keep growing and striving for the best I can do. I’m learning every day.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Bryan Blair Photography – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’m a freelance professional photographer that does it all! I’m currently signed with AXO Talent, a content creative agency based in LA, and have built many connections from doing real estate to music videos. I shoot landscapes, portraits, aerial photography, event photography, weddings, cinematic video, and music videos. I basically do it all. I believe that my unique vision in the way that I can capture a moment and provoke an emotion is what sets me apart from the rest. A lot of students and people my age pick up a camera and try to shoot, but they don’t have a vision. They just take the average photo with no real subject or composition. I believe that a photo tells a memory and a video tells a story. I’m proud of pushing through the troubles and coming this far. I’m still learning and will continue to grow.

Is there a quality or characteristic that has played an outsized role in your success?
Having very good communication skills and not being afraid to talk about yourself. Having good communication skills will allow you to reach out to companies to persuade them to use you for a job or project. Having a little bit of an ego is not a bad thing, as long as it doesn’t get out of control. You need to be able to talk about what you do and how well you can do it. In this industry, it isn’t about what you know as much as it’s about WHO you know. The connections and people you’ll meet is what will open the door to many more opportunities in the future.

Pricing:

  • For Photos, Flat rate fee is $200 including post-production and about an hour of shooting time. This is my most common shoot booking and everyone that I have taken photos of before has been very pleased with the results.
  • For video, it depends on how big the project is but the average video price is around $400 per project. A lot more work goes into video than photo.
  • I also have an hourly rate for photos, $150 per hour. This is typically used for companies that require a lot of photos or major events.
  • I also sell my landscape photos. Printing prices vary, my most common bought print is a size 9×12 for around ~ $25

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Photo of me, taken by: Monique Boudreaux

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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