Photography Workshops

Bry Cox at Photo Beijing China & Inner Mongolia (Part II)

Posted November 5, 2015 by BryCox (Admin)

Before leaving Beijing for Mongolia, I took a few hours between meetings to walk a few miles around my hotel. I quietly photographed people and the scenes around me. Here are some of my favorites, starting with some older men flying kites, something I hadn’t noticed in my previous trips to China.

And with Beijing being a city of 20 million people, there is a lot of variety in city life in just those few miles around my hotel. I hope you can feel a sense of what it’s like to visit this city from these photographs.

The complexity of the newsstands are interesting to me. And in this first image, you may not notice right off the bat, but the salesman’s face is behind the glass in the upper left corner.

After this photo walk I had a big dinner to attend. Then early the next morning we traveled to Mongolia, a long 12 hour drive. It was much colder up there and I had to make due with what little I brought with me as you can see in this self portrait overlooking a Mongolian Buddhist temple at sunrise. Some of my favorite images of the trip were created in Mongolia, and I’ll share some of those in my next posts.

So until next time, America.

Bry Cox at Photo Beijing China & Inner Mongolia (Part I)

Posted November 2, 2015 by BryCox (Admin)

I just got back from speaking in China at Photo Beijing, 2015 where I was treated like a king. It was such a great experience and I’ve been anxious to share more about this trip. My hosts also asked if I’d be a photographic ambassador and visit Inner Mongolia as well, and I took a lot of great images there of the most interesting faces. I’ll share more about that later. For part 1 of this trip I wanted to start with Photo Beijing 2015.

I wrote an article on street photographer Vivian Maier, which is getting compiled with other articles into a book being published later. Because of that article, I was asked to travel to China to speak on Vivian Maier. (I’ve also posted that article online for paying members of my photography training site for it’s insight into posing and reading people’s personalities.)

After speaking on the opening day, they had a big ceremony complete with red carpet where they had me walk while being photographed by a huge crowd of people. While walking amongst the camera clicks and flashes, they had television cameras too from CCTV, and I could even see myself projected on the huge screen in the distance as it cut from camera to camera. The whole thing was quite exhilarating.

I was so excited that I made this iPhone video at the top of the carpet, still on a high from the walk.

They also had these models wearing dresses made of photographs, walk the carpet the opposite direction.

At the top of the carpet, there were welcomes and speeches from government and photographic dignitaries.

And I had to get a photo with me with my friend Bing, who invited me over to China, and who I got to know years ago when I first went to China to speak in 2009. Her father is one of the most well-known photographers in China and was in charge of the event.

After the red carpet ceremony, we were taken to a television theater and asked to sit on the front row for another opening ceremony event, this time we were entertained by amazing local dancers and singers. Again, this was all filmed by cameras from CCTV, which continually cut to cameras on us. Sometimes, the cameras were awkwardly close to my face, so close I couldn’t see over them to see the dancers.

All of these images I’m posting were shot with my small Lumix point-and-shoot camera, which I love for it’s manual controls, retro look, and very small size. It was the best camera to take on a trip like this, giving me both control as well as a very small size and weight.

The next day, me and the other speakers were part of a roundtable discussion. I was the only one from the US, and other countries represented included Bangladesh, Malta, France, Germany, UK, Indonesia, and many others. We all wore headphones with receivers capable of receiving various channels of audio from the translators. It was incredibly interesting to see so many people with so many backgrounds and languages, all connected by photography.

Somehow when my name was translated from English to Chinese and back into English, it came out as “Bry Cox’s Bio.” So a few times throughout the event I saw my name written this way.

I was also given some translators at this event, local college student volunteers that followed me around everywhere and made my life easier.

When they asked if I’d come speak on photographer Vivian Maier, I had no idea how big of an event it would be. They had beautiful signs like this printed around town inviting the public to an exhibition of original prints shipped from New York.

And here I am at the exhibition after I was done with my work and meetings, wearing more relaxed clothes. It was an incredible show. They had 50 original images on display, and they had made wall paper based on her negatives. It was all quite beautiful.

Before this, I had only seen Vivian’s images in books. It was quite an experience to see them up close and in person, looking at real silver halide prints. The detail that close was incredible and the images were even more beautiful and inspiring.

Of course in Beijing I went on some photo walks where I did some of my own street portraits that I’ll share in my next post, images like this cute little boy driving his motorized trike through the busy streets of Beijing.

And later in Mongolia I was presented with custom made traditional clothing in a ceremony which I’ll get to in a later post. And while there, my hosts took me to photograph a Mongolian primary school where kids wrote in calligraphy with giant brushes, to a Buddhist temple at sunrise, and to a local farming village where the residents put on a parade for us. During all of this I created some photos that I’m really excited about, and I’ll share them in the next posts.

So until next time, America.

The Story Behind My Birthday Portrait, And Our Love/Hate Relationship With Photos

Posted October 30, 2015 by BryCox (Admin)

I just had a birthday and like all of us, it reminds me that I’m getting older, I look different – and that’s usually reason enough for people to not get new portraits. In fact photographers don’t like being in front of the camera any more than anyone else. Everyone has the same excuses to put off professional photos: it feels vain, I’ll do it later, I’m getting older, I don’t have time…

No One Likes Being In Front of the Camera

Being a photographer for so many years, I’ve found that actually no one likes being in front of the camera. My clients constantly tell me how much they worry about their upcoming shoots, moms put off family shoots because they worry about how they look, high school seniors fear their shyness or other weaknesses might show, beautiful models are more critical of themselves that you can even imagine, and even famous VIP clients confide in me about their various concerns.

My biggest job as a photographer is to help my clients feel comfortable and to bring out their real emotion in a portrait. I don’t want fake looks, I want real expression that I can light in an exquisite way. That’s why I say my specialty is exquisite lighting and emotion – you need both for a fantastic portrait. And because I believe that my clients should get regular portraits, I too try to create regular professional portraits of myself. I personally use these for my website, for magazine articles I write, and for when I go speak at conventions to train photographers. Sure I could do what a lot of people do and send a 10-year-old photo, but I really dislike when I see others do that. It looks unprofessional and is says that you’re embarrassed with yourself now and that you deep down really wished that you looked like you did back then.

That’s unhealthy. We should be happy with ourselves right now. But we’re bombarded with ads, creams, and magic serums telling us that we shouldn’t be happy with ourselves. The old hippie mantra was, “Don’t trust anyone over 30,” as if to say that our elders are stupid, life experience made you wrong, and that youth was the answer. And decades later the media is full of pop musicians, models, tv shows, and movies all staking a claim on “youth.”

So what’s wrong with being the age we are? What’s wrong with lines and wrinkles that we earned? What’s with Hollywood actors always pretending to be characters 15 years younger than they are, like 40 year olds saying they’re 25, or 30 year olds pretending to be high school teens with silly haircuts?

The truth is that in a few years we’ll look back to how we look now and think how great we looked, meaning we should enjoy how we look now.

Our Ancestors Valued Portraits

It wasn’t too long ago when our ancestors would scrimp and save to get one or two great professional portraits in a lifetime. These would be professionally printed physical heirlooms that would be passed down through generations and people would fight over who got to inherit great-grandpa’s portrait. Even today we run into burning buildings to save important photos and family archives.

But lately we’ve moved into an era of digital-snapshot-proliferation, where every device is a camera, no image is very good, few images are printed well if even printed at all, and we’re overwhelmed online with bad, egocentric selfies – often from the exact same angle and with the same annoying cocked-head and unattractive pouty duck-face. All this makes people worry that a professional portrait means that “we’re in love with ourselves,” which isn’t true at all.

Plus add all the new untrained photographers flooding our feeds with sub-par, over-retouched, washed out, puffy-eyed, “natural-light” photos that are to some young people becoming the new norm – just like the awful sound of Auto-Tune in trendy pop music which is indicative of bad signing.

I care about this industry. And despite the devaluation of photos is some areas, I still believe in the actual importance of a good, well-made professional portrait, and that it’s good for the soul.

A Good Professional Portrait IS Good for the Soul

What Are We Passing on to Our Children? How many times do we wish we had a better portrait of someone that we loved but lost? Maybe it was a relative that passed away or maybe it was someone we cared about that is no longer in our lives. When we get portraits done, it’s often for our closest loved ones.

But a great portrait isn’t just valuable later and to other people, it’s good for us right now. A good portrait that is well lit and masterfully retouched and void of all the artificial rubbery-skin looks, is good for the soul. It’s good for your own self-worth.

Testimonials From Mothers and Single Women

I could share countless stories from mothers who’ve told me that the portraits I did for their high school senior child changed how they felt about themselves. Girls walked taller and boys found more confidence because I portrayed them in ways they couldn’t see before in themselves. I can tell you stories of older women that have gotten married and thanked me for the attention they got on Facebook and dating sites.

I’ve photographed children in foster care who avoided eye contact and smiling, kids sometimes with severe issues of self-worth that have never had a good portrait of themselves, that later get soggy eyes when they see their finished, framed image on display. You can see the gears turning in their head as they come to terms with the fact that they are perceived differently than they see themselves internally, and they’ll say, “That’s me?! …….That’s Me!!”

And moms have given me big hugs after I hung their family wall portraits in their home, because they are so stunned at how great they look surrounded by their closest loved ones. It’s a big change from before the shoot when they are stressed about their hips, their clothes and countless other things.

A well-made portrait is good for the soul. Why? Think of the all-to-common alternative. How do you feel about yourself when your so-called “professional” picture is only deemed viewable by the public after your “photographer” has over-retouched you until you have a plastic, pore-less, rubber face? Or when they whiten your eyes so that you look like a weird alien that is going to shoot lasers out of your eyes and start fires, or when they “liquify” and bend your body to change your boobs or arm shape? What does that say about you? How do you feel when you look at it, knowing that it isn’t you at all?

Come in to my studio and get a real professional portrait that you absolutely love. I’m a Master Photographer and use specific lighting techniques that will accentuate the right things and hide the things you worry about. You’ll be amazed at how great you look before I do any retouching. I want you to have regular portraits from throughout your life that you love, and that your future children and grandchildren will fight over when we’re all dead and gone.

My 2015 Birthday Portrait

And because I believe so strongly in portraits, I make myself get portraits regularly. It’s not always fun at first, but I’m always grateful afterwards.

So this last week I set up my studio for the lighting I envisioned. Being an older guy I wanted an aggressive angle that would accentuate wrinkles and skin texture, not hide it. And being fall outside, I shot myself in the clothes I happen to be wearing, including my Black Rapid snow cap (a gift from the owner of Black Rapid from earlier in the year). I was wearing the cap just prior and opted to just leave it on because I thought it was different than my past photos, and I was also being lazy, knowing that I didn’t want to comb my hair or overthink the shoot too much.

I shot about a dozen images because I can’t see exactly how the light is working when I’m not behind the camera, I have to imagine it. So I shot a few more than I thought I’d need and from those I narrowed it down to these two as my favorites. I think they’ll work well with my new website that I’m working on, but more than that I’m really happy with the photos and am excited to use them, as we all should be with professional photos.

So if you’re in need of some great new portraits (and I know you are) either of yourself or your family, let’s get them done now for Christmas, and beat the Christmas rush. Call me at 801-728-3317.

And until next time, America.

Teaching Fashion and Creative Photography for a Week in Texas

Posted May 12, 2015 by BryCox (Admin)

Every year for one week in the spring, I teach an intense week-long workshop in Texas for photographers who fly in from all over the country, and sometimes other countries as well. I am back from that event and am mostly recovered (as I get little to sometimes no sleep each night), and wanted to share some of the images I created while I was there sharing my entire system, everything from lighting, to digital workflow, to business.

This event is always amazing and inspirational, and this time in particular I have come home to some of the best thank you emails and calls from the photographers that I think I’ve ever had. I really appreciate it. I feel honored and grateful to be a mentor to photographers and help them learn and do better.

So I have specific steps to creating a portrait that I share. The trick is to get exquisite lighting, truly capture someone’s personality, and also nail everything technically as well for perfect skin tones, perfect brightness and contrast, perfect eyes, and fantastic expressions that draw you in as a viewer.

And with perfect images, it means I can spend some time on the computer doing artistic work rather than corrective work, so I have fun creating paintings, collages, and creating other art pieces.

Here I shot this model against a studio background using a specific fashion light setup. Nothing has been retouched, no eyes have been brightened and no skin blurred. All I did was convert to black and white and design this awesome collage that shows a lot of personality.

When an image is real, it has more power. The mind can tell when something is fake, and by lighting exquisitely and capturing emotion in a real way, the image is far more powerful. Then, if I want to do some artwork on it (like this image below), the image can retain it’s powerful draw because any retouching done to eyes and face is so subtle, that it can’t be seen, and all the heavy artistic work is done to the background.

Of course I love my paintings, and so I took this same image another direction as well, painting it too.

Here are more un-retouched images. For variety, I used the curtains in the conference room, and shot these all with one studio light. Again, none of these have been retouched, I just designed up this cool collage showing a variety of poses and emotions to tell a story.

I also shot this model in the hotel’s bar using the Einstein bulbs hanging in the back as a background. I had to be strategic to hide people in the background, but created this with a very minimal setup.

I took three images from that set and designed this trio.

And I shot other models both in studio and out.

One night in particular, I photograph a slew of models, each for only a few minutes, and each in separate locations around the hotel, inside and out. None of these images are retouched or corrected. These are all straight out of camera. But this also shows one big creative secret, and that is to not shoot the same thing twice – no two images can be the same. To truly be creative, you have to change up each shot making small changes and then big changes, and these thumbnails show that.

These were shot for the event so I didn’t work up any of them. But if I do, I’ll post them here on my blog.

So a special thanks to my cute models for coming and working with me, to my suppliers and sponsors, and everyone who came out and oversold my class.

I love speaking and teaching in Texas and love that it’s full of people that pour their whole heart and soul into making it a great event.

And did I mention that I played blues harp in a band there too? Here’s our official band photo shot by the famous John Hartman, shot just before our gig in the hotel’s garage.

And here we are backstage before going on, shot with my point and shoot camera on a tadpole selfie stick. I’m still hoping to find some video of us playing.

Well that’s it for now. If you’d like to attend one of my photographic events or get some online training, visit my site for photographer training at BryCoxWORKSHOPS.com.

And until next time, America.

Bry Cox on Faces of PPA

Posted October 27, 2014 by BryCox (Admin)

It’s an honor to be featured this week in the ‘Faces of PPA‘ gallery. It showcases photographers from all over.

As part of the process, they ask some questions, and then they pick through your answers for a few bubbles to go over your image. It was fun project and I appreciate being a member of PPA. It has helped me immensely, and it was nice to reminisce about times and places and where my career has taken me, particularly when it comes to my partnership with the PPA (Professional Photographers of America).

I specifically shot this image (Artist of Light) for use in the PPA magazine as well as for my tutorial lighting DVD for photographers, which is why I shot it vertical. I wanted an image that said I was an artist of light, and the thought came to me to be lighting myself. I could imagine the entire image down to the details, including the location, the time of night, the different colored lights, etc. It took a bit to load that gear out there, but I really love how the image turned out.

I would like to thank the PPA for this, and would like to remind any photographers out there to come to the national convention coming up during the first part of February in Nashville. I’ll be speaking there so be sure to come see. Here’s a quick video about that.

And until next time, America.

Abby’s Studio Shoot

Posted June 26, 2014 by BryCox (Admin)

I recently photographed Abby in my studio for my recent lighting video tutorials for photographers. Abby is a talented architectural and interior designer, and was at my studio because I was working on some interior images for her and designing un updated website for her business. (I think it would be a good idea to post about her business on my blog actually. I will do that!)

So I needed a studio model for my tutorial and talked her into doing a quick shoot when we were done. The shoot went great and the images look beautiful.

As you can see, Abby is a great model. She’s beautiful and fun to shoot, and did well and showed a lot of personality in front of the camera. All of the images looked great, and it was hard to pick any favorites. I especially liked this series of three images below.

These video tutorials were created because as I’ve taught and spoke around the country, I’ve found that most photographers admit to having personal difficulties when they light either inside or outside. One or the other seems to be harder, so this video series is to help give photographers a specific system that works everywhere. It shows that lighting inside is no different than lighting outside. The system shows that in all instances, you should light people specifically and beautifully, and always control exposure, lighting, and color balance. When done right, images straight out of the camera do not need retouching or correction. So if you want to spend time on the computer, it can be creative work and not corrective work.

Though I may speak and shoot images all over the US, I’m a Utah based photographer and my studio is about 30 minutes outside of Salt Lake, out in the quiet country. Here I have both indoor and outdoor options. I have a half acre of trees where I can shoot outside, but also a beautiful studio inside. This means I can photograph people in a variety of locations without travel fees.

However, sometimes when people don’t want studio images. This is based on the awful images created in grocery store or mall studios, or even the 1990’s type studio images. But a studio used in the right way means getting some very modern images with some very specific and controlled lighting. It’s not uncommon for clients to come to me for some outdoor portraits but then choose the indoor studio images are their top favorites.

So if you need some awesome images, give me a call. Maybe you need a portrait for your website or business, or you would like some fashion images or some portfolio work, or just some updated family portraits. If so, give me a call. It’s a great time to get in for either an outdoor or indoor session. 801-728-3317.

And until next time, America.

Fun Spring Portraits of Heather on Location

Posted May 30, 2014 by BryCox (Admin)

Photographers love overcast days, because it means they can shoot “naturally,” not doing anything to add or control lighting or even thinking about it sadly. It’s a lazy way to work, and the results are flat and dull images that require layers of “filters” to give them any type of punch or contrast. So for my recent lighting video tutorials for photographers, I photographed Heather on location on an overcast day to share with photographers how to control lighting in any scenario, even on these days with natural dull, overcast light. I like images to pop, to have vibrant colors and have depth in the contrast, but it should be done in the camera and with lighting controlled on the scene.

Interestingly, we where shooting in an area of Salt Lake City that is popular with photographers, and the place was almost over-run with photo shoots everywhere. Photographers were waiting in line to shoot in the same spots, and nowhere did I see anyone controlling their lighting. Every photographer I watched was using the natural dull light of the day, or were using an on-camera flash incorrectly. So it seemed apropos to be doing the exact opposite as everyone else, as part of my master lighting tutorial series.

Heather was such a great model. She moved naturally and gracefully, and had a way of always giving a real expressions throughout the shoot. We had a lot of fun laughing throughout the shoot and it was a blast.

I really like this dress of Heather’s too. The color popped against the low-key colors of the area, plus the retro look was a lot of fun, and she made it look great.

I also really like that in the images, the place looks empty. We had to find the right angles as well as time images in such a way as to avoid getting people in the shots, because really there were people on all sides of us. However, you would never know it from the images. The place looks empty, and Heather’s looks and expressions were never distracted.

If you know a photographer, send them to my lighting tutorials. And if you’d like some new portraits, spring is ending and warm weather is here. The studio gardens here at my place are in full bloom and now is the best time to get in for some new portraits. Call me at 801-728-3317 and let’s block some time off to shoot you some great images.

And until next time, America.

Stephanie’s Studio Shoot

Posted May 27, 2014 by BryCox (Admin)

Photographers usually have difficulty in lighting either inside or outside. One tends to be easier and the other is harder. So for my recent lighting video tutorials for photographers, I photographed Stephanie here in the studio, showing that lighting inside is no different than lighting outside. In all instances, you should light people specifically and beautifully, and always control exposure, lighting, and color balance. When done right, images straight out of the camera do not need retouching or correction. So if you want to spend time on the computer, it can be creative work and not corrective work.

With that in mind, here are the images I created during Stephanie’s shoot. I really love this first one, the colors, the textures, the look and expression — everything draws you in. For the creative work, I turned it into one of my signature texture pieces. They are fun to create and no two are ever the same.

Here is another one of my signature textured pieces, but this one is a different outfit and of her smiling. I think she really glows in this, and I really love the light on her hair, which has a soft flow to it.

And with a change of outfits, this trio below is awesome. I love the different moods and expressions, and the different ways of leaning really helps this entire piece balance well.

Though I do work all over the US, I’m a Utah based photographer and my studio is about 30 minutes outside of Salt Lake, out in the quiet country. Here I have a half acre of trees where I can shoot outside, but also a beautiful studio inside so people can have options without travel fees.

Sometimes when people hear “studio,” they think of a boring 1990’s type image. But as you can see from these images, my studio portraits are far from boring.

So if you need some awesome images, give me a call. Maybe you need some fashion images or some portfolio work, or just some updated family portraits. Well warm weather is here and it’s a great time to get in and avoid the summer rush. 801-728-3317.

And until next time, America.

McKenzie Fashion Shoot On Location

Posted May 24, 2014 by BryCox (Admin)

McKenzie is a joy to photograph, so for my recent lighting video tutorials for photographers, we went out and did a shoot in the hardest of situations — on location, no shade, broad daylight, multiple flashes, and all settings on manual for camera and flashes. The goal was to show photographers how to create amazing images under any circumstances without excuse, and with perfect lighting using any type of gear. The exposure, lighting, and color balance should all be done deliberately and should not have to be adjusted afterwards with software and people’s eyes should pop without any retouching.

We did the shoot cold too, not scouting the locations or picking the angles prior to the shoot. Everything we shot was organic and real, and you see how I do everything. We found the spots by simply driving out to an area with no possibility of shade, then we pulled over and began to shoot. Here are some of my favorite images of beautiful McKenzie.

Being a Utah based photographer near Salt Lake City, there is a plethora of cool locations to shoot if you know how to use them and make them work dramatically in the image. They don’t have to be the same spots that everyone else uses.

I should mention too that these have almost no retouching or enhancements. In the tutorials I show the before and after of each image. The deep blue sky, the great skin tones, the sculpting shadows — everything is real and done in-camera. McKenzie moves really well too. She’s great and posing naturally and at giving real expressions. Together we make a great team!

If you need some awesome images for any reason, give me a call. Maybe you need some fashion images or some portfolio work, or just some updated images of your children. Warm weather is here and it’s a great time to get in and avoid the summer rush. 801-728-3317.

And until next time, America.

Preview of Images Created While Teaching Fashion Lighting/Posing in Texas

Posted May 2, 2014 by BryCox (Admin)

I’m in Texas right now, finishing up my big weeklong-workshop of the year. This event is always amazing and inspirational, and in many ways it reminds me of how much I love being a photographer who captures moments in people’s lives as well as a mentor to other photographers to help them learn and do better. I love seeing photographers in my workshop brighten up as new principles and concepts inspire them, and help them to try new things.

As we go through many parts of creating a portrait, from exquisite lighting, capturing true personality, to premiere product finishing, we go through all of these steps by creating actual images through real photo shoots. Here are some of the images I created during this week.

And last night to close the event, we had a big shoot. I did some quick demos on lighting for the crowd, and created these images. These are un-retouched, have no color or exposure work. They are straight images, which is exciting.

I’ll post more about this soon but for now, until next time, America.

Photographic Workshop in Tacoma, Washington

Posted April 3, 2014 by BryCox (Admin)

I just got back from speaking in Tacoma Washington, and judging at the state’s convention for professional photographers. It was a great event and very inspirational.

I spoke on lighting women specifically, and on just how to get everything right in the camera so that there is no need for retouching, color correcting, or even having to make adjustments later using software. Everything should be manual, including your flash, and angles and poses are specific. When everything is done right, images should look amazing right out of the camera.

That was the first half of the day, then after lunch I was going to demonstrate my fast digital workflow using some images I already had on my hard drive. But during lunch I was getting a lot of questions about lighting and exactly how to do what I was teaching. So at the end of lunch, I asked an attendee named Lexi to be a quick model for me outside the hotel. It gave me a chance to demonstrate what I was teaching, and also game me some demo images to use during the second half of the day, that everyone knew were not prepared earlier for the event.

A photographer friend I’ve gotten to know over the years who was at the convention, Rich Breshears, took this image of me and Lexi outside in the parking lot. It shows me shooting with my light pole that I have built so that I can really control light even better as a model moves. I like to hold the light so that I can move it as I need to, putting the highlights and shadows exactly where I want them, not leaving them to chance. The parking lot had this big bush which I used as a background because it complimented Lexi’s red hair and also gave me a dark, low-key background that was mostly solid with a little texture, that way there was interest without distractions.

After getting a few images, we went back inside and started up again. I spoke on my fast workflow system, which is made even faster by not having to correct any images. I also showed that with images already looking great out of your camera, your computer time should be fun and creative, coming up with some cool ideas for the client rather than correcting problems. Here I added one of my new custom edges I’ve made.

And then I used that same image to create an abstract painting in front of the group.

I also used three images to create this trio, showing everyone how to create their own trios and composites. I love seeing images in threes, and having a trio design already made makes designing later even easier.

It was a great event and very inspirational. When I speak, it means that I study and go through all of my material to determine what to spend my time on with the group. I find myself being uplifted as well as everyone else when I share and give. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak in Tacoma for the Professional Photographers of Washington, and want to thank Lexi for being a model for me at the last minute.

If you need some updated portraits, give me a call. Spring is here and it’s a great time to get in. And if you’re a photographer and want to improve your skills and attend one of my photographic workshops, please visit my upcoming schedule on my workshop site at BryCoxWORKSHOPS.com. Until next time, America.

Creating An Iconic Image, Artist of Light

Posted March 13, 2014 by BryCox (Admin)

This week I realized that I needed a really cool and iconic portrait that screamed, lighting is my specialty. It needed to be an image that could be used in a magazine, used for promoting speaking events, and used on my studio’s opening web page for all my clients to see. It had to be colorful and catch the eye and be completely different from anything else out there.

As I thought about it, the idea came. Being a specialist of light, I needed an image that said, “artist of light.”

I could envision the complete image, the location, the time of day and exposure I’d need for the right kind of blue sky, where the lights would be in the frame, and how I’d mix different lights with different color temperatures to create the right depth and mood. It would be a vertical image ready for a magazine, and I’d be holding the main light with one hand and firing off the camera with a remote in the other hand. And the kicker would be that the main light would be my flash-on-a-stick idea that I’ve been speaking about for the last few years (which is ideal for quick, manual, and very controllable custom lighting, and can be used a number of ways).

That was my idea; very detailed. So the next night I packed up my truck with all the gear I’d need and I headed out to my location. The end result not only matched exactly my idea, but turned out even better than I imagined.

The key to any great image is lighting. I’m a PPA Master photographer and I speak all over training photographers on how to problem solve and create exquisite lighting using whatever gear you may have with you. It’s not about brand, or auto-settings, but about know-how.

There is a philosophy out there with photographers that lighting is just about exposure, making sure an image isn’t too dark or too light. People with this mindset think of adding a reflector or a flash only when someone’s face is dark or backlit, and even then no care is taken in terms of using light to flatter or sculpt people. Angles of light, choice of modifiers, and color temperature are not even thought of.

I want to be different. I want to create images that stand out from the crowd. I want images that pop with vibrance and emotion and that flatter people and look amazing, that feel three-dimensional, and are created on purpose with repeatable, controllable, manual settings.

I’m sure you need a really cool iconic image to promote you or your business. Let’s talk and create that for you. Or maybe your a bride or a mom and need something beautiful and timeless of your family or upcoming wedding. In either case, give me a call, 801-728-3317.

And until next time, America.

Invest in Forever. Art is Forever.™

Photography Workshops

Bry Cox at Photo Beijing China & Inner Mongolia (Part II)

Bry Cox at Photo Beijing China & Inner Mongolia (Part I)

The Story Behind My Birthday Portrait, And Our Love/Hate Relationship With Photos

No One Likes Being In Front of the Camera

Our Ancestors Valued Portraits

A Good Professional Portrait IS Good for the Soul

Testimonials From Mothers and Single Women

My 2015 Birthday Portrait

Teaching Fashion and Creative Photography for a Week in Texas

Bry Cox on Faces of PPA

Abby’s Studio Shoot

Fun Spring Portraits of Heather on Location

Stephanie’s Studio Shoot

McKenzie Fashion Shoot On Location

Preview of Images Created While Teaching Fashion Lighting/Posing in Texas

Photographic Workshop in Tacoma, Washington

Creating An Iconic Image, Artist of Light

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Types of Shoots