A Wonderful Event Speaking at Plaza +ART, Taylorsville Utah

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, Photography WorkshopsPosted on No Comments

Thank you to everyone who came out and attended the Plaza +Art event and helped make it wonderful. Thanks to the organizers Janean Toone and her team, Mayor Overson, and everyone involved in helping the event go so well. The turnout was great, the facility was spacious and beautiful, the food was great, and I met a lot of great people. I think it’s great and inspiring that the city of Taylorsville puts on events like this regularly.

Knowing there’d be a mix of artists at the event (painters, sculptors, photographers, musicians, and more), I decided to talk on creativity and share some tips for anyone who’s creative.

I also shared various portraits and told stories about how the images were made, and how I worked to make them better. I talked about balancing the two halves of the creative brain (organization and chaos), controlling what you can while also allowing some chaos for personality to shine through, and how to add light continually to truly capture a person’s inner personality in a portrait.

At the end of the evening, I donated some art prints from my Italy collection for the raffle. We had three winners and I had each winner pick their favorite set of three images each. I wanted each winner to have a set of three that would look great together on their walls. So we ended up giving away nine matted prints that evening.

Thanks again to everyone who came out and made the evening so great. (Photo with Mayor Kristie Overson.)

And until next time, America.

Bry Cox to Speak at Plaza +ART Event in Utah

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, Photography WorkshopsPosted on No Comments

Taylorsville City is hosting a Plaza +Art event where I’ll be speaking on art and photography on May 20th, from 7:00-8:00 PM.

A good photographic portrait can captivate and draw you in, but many things need to come together to make that happen. The secret is light. Lighting sculpts a person, creating highlights and shadows in just the right places to bring out the best in someone. And to truly capture emotion, that person’s inner light needs to shine too.

Come for an evening of art and inspiration, and hear how Bry Cox uses techniques of a Certified Master Photographer to make all of his clients look as good as his many famous ones.

Meet artist and Master Photographer, Bry Cox at Plaza +ART’s next Evening of Art scheduled for Tuesday, May 20. All are invited, and the event is free. Cox will speak about his work, love of art, and show some of his art pieces.

Bry Cox’s Bio:

Bry Cox is a Gold Medalist out of 25,000 international photographers, and has owned a studio in Utah for over 25 years. He’s taught lighting and photography workshops throughout the United States and abroad. As a Certified photographer, he’s on the Adobe Software Evangelist team, and is a PPA Master/Craftsman 15 times over.

The name of his studio is “BryCox.com – Celebrity Style Imaging” because he photographs everyone the same way he photographs his VIP/celebrity clients – including families, children, weddings, and headshots.

Bry’s work has been featured in various magazines and on covers in the U.S. and abroad. His photographs are used by record companies, VIPs, filmmakers, TV anchors, and musicians including Capitol Records, CMT, Billboard Magazine, TV Guide, American Girl Magazine, American Photo Magazine, and Professional Photographer Magazine to name a few.

He has photographed prominent people such as LeAnne Rimes, Olivia Newton-John, Dennis Prager, Larry Elder, Natalie Cole, Kenny Loggins, Linda Ronstadt, David Archuleta, Steve Forbes, Mitt Romney, and four of the last five Utah Governors.

Italy Collection Raffle

There will also be a $1 raffle drawing for your choice of three of my Italy collection art prints. If you win, I’ll have a number to choose from at the event.

Large Family of 24 People

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, FamilyPosted on No Comments

This family portrait turned out so beautifully, I’ve been wanting to share it for a while. With warm weather coming, and people thinking about familiesI thought it’d be great to showcase this beautiful family portrait.

As families grow in size, it’s hard to get everyone together. Often people live in different parts of the country, and with little kids and multiple schedules, it seems impossible for everyone to all be together at the same time. Such was the case here. But because of a family event, everyone was going to be in town for one day. We took advantage of that opportunity and scheduled this portrait.

It was a cold day, and due to where everyone would be passing through, we chose to use the Utah Capitol. I called ahead to make sure we were okay to shoot at that time, and we lined everything up.

I always bring studio lighting with me. No “natural lighting” (which of course is just another way of saying, “haphazard lighting”). Nothing is left to chance when creating a family portrait. The lighting must be perfect so that when all the kids are smiling and laughing, the shot will be perfect too. No dark faces, no muddy skin-tones, everyone’s eyes glowing, and perfect poses and expressions – all captured without having to repair the image in Photoshop.

Then, while everyone is together, we photographed all the smaller individual families. These are great as a wall gallery for the parent’s house, but also work for each family if they want something for their own family home. Again, great lighting and cute expressions on all the little kids’ faces.

We met and measured walls, determining the perfect size of each print. When the order was completed, I delivered and hung the biggest portrait.

The perfect spot was in the dining room, where all the family spends time together. Measuring the wall, it seemed a 60-inch wide canvas was perfect. Once it was finished, I came and hung the portrait, and it looks beautiful from any angle. The faces are big enough that you can enjoy the image from a comfortable distance, but up close you can enjoy the small details too.

Spring is here, and it’s a great time to capture a new family portrait. Contact me and let’s plan when we can get your family together.

Until next time, America.

Little 3 Year Old Lyla’s Portraits

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, Children, Babies, MaternityPosted on No Comments

This week I did some portraits of this little cutie in my studio. She’s just turned 3 years old, and is so full of personality. Her name is Lyla, and some of my favorite images are on the dark painted canvas background with some soft, close-up portrait lighting.

She’s got her lipstick on, her hair done up, and has big eyes and big expressions. I quite like this thoughtful, serious portrait of her.

Here she is smiling and glowing after a little laugh. I love getting kids to really smile genuinely, without the fake smiles. And she really sparkles in this one.

These three images are great displayed together as trio wall collage, as they’re both similar enough and also different enough to tell a story about Lyla.

I also did a series of quick expressions with her too, and seeing them in a series like this just makes me laugh.

Of course we mixed in some full length and close ups of her too.

I’ve got even more great portraits from this fun session, but I just had to share a few of these early favorites, as they’re just so cute!

If you’ve got some kids that are growing up fast, now’s the perfect time to capture who they are and what they look like. Great portraits are so powerful and meaningful later in life.

And with indoor studio portraits, I can use master lighting techniques to make your child glow.

Give me a call at 801-728-3317 and let’s plan some beautiful new images of your kids.

And until next time, America.

High School Senior Portraits for Davis

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, Senior/GradsPosted on No Comments

It’s getting time for high school senior portraits, so I wanted to share the images I did for Davis. I like incorporating the personality and interests of seniors in their portraits. Every senior shoot, I create a custom art piece, just like I’d do for a commercial magazine design. For Davis however, I created two of these pieces. These two collage designs show off who he is and what he loves to do.

Davis loves golf and track. He’s a top golfer and javelin thrower, so I created two different pieces for him. These final designs went in his senior portrait album.

Notice how they incorporate different portraits, his awards, and even his name in the background. To create this effect, various layering techniques are used as well as shadows have to be painted in. The result is a 3D feel that keeps your eye moving throughout the piece.

From there we also did a series of images both color and black & white, as well as inside the studio and outside. First we started with his iconic black t-shirt.

Then moving out into my studio gardens, I still use studio lighting so skin tones and values look amazing. When newer photographers say they use “natural light,” it really means they don’t do any lighting at all. That sub-par approach creates dull skin tones and washed out backgrounds. A more expensive look requires a knowledge of custom lighting so that even outside, the portrait has punch, and people look amazing without excuse.

In this image we have a deep background with rich colors. Davis is brighter than the background, so the attention goes to him. Plus the lighting makes his eyes pop and adds a defined shadow on his cheek for dimension. Finally, his skin tones are perfect, so the image will print perfectly.

We also did some portraits of Davis in his Layton Lakers team golf shirt, inside the studio and outside with his clubs.

These are just a sample of some of my favorite images, but these and many more were compiled into his final senior album. I love creating finished art pieces like albums. Time is spent to make sure every page prints perfectly, then the pages are coated and mounted so that the final product can be enjoyed and passed down to future generations. They are amazing to hold and look through.

If you’re a senior, now is the time to get your portrait session booked. Give me a call at 801-728-3317 and let’s talk more about what makes you unique, and how we could create some beautiful art pieces that capture that. Let’s make you and your family some portraits you’ll love for a lifetime.

And until next time, America.

7 Month Old Baby Megan

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, Children, Babies, MaternityPosted on No Comments

I love photographing little kids and capturing their personality artistically. Often after I photograph a wedding, the new couple will have kids and continue to come in for portraits of their new babies over the years. It’s really neat photographing families and seeing them grow over the years.

And with little babies, because they change so fast, my favorite way to photograph them is to create an album of them growing up. I start with a newborn shoot, then continual shoots for the first year so that by one year old, I have a series of beautiful images to design an album. The design is a beautiful collection of art that shows personality. I know these albums will be cherished for decades.

Little Megan is one of these babies I’ve been able to see grow, and photograph all along her journey. I have to share her 7 month old shoot because I’ve been enamored by how cute and adorable she is.

Megan came in with wavy, wispy hair, cute round cheeks, and a big smile. We set her up in the studio with high-key, white on white. The above portrait with her propped up on her arms, is one of my favorites of the shoot. Her expression is perfect.

As you can see, she had a great time wiggling around, smiling, and pulling faces at me.

I did a series of her sitting in my white chair too, and these various expressions worked really well together as a series. Aside from capturing her personality, you can see her little feet and toes,

I love creating beautiful portraits of little babies and kids. If you have a child and would love beautiful portraits, give me a call at 801-728-3317. It’s the perfect time to come into the warm studio where I can use perfect studio lighting to capture their personality. Let’s create something magical that you can enjoy for decades to come.

And until next time, America.

Salt Lake City Weekly Features Portraits by Bry Cox

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, Commercial & Headshots, PublishedPosted on No Comments

I was interviewed by Salt Lake City Weekly about the portraits I created for the Faces of Salt Lake County.

They quoted me as saying:

“Everybody comes in as a stranger,” Cox says. “I start with, ‘Tell me about yourself,’ and they share some aspect of themselves, and they light up. I like to have conversations with people as I’m photographing them. … These were stories of gratitude, and they love living here.”

Cox also notes that, as much as the interview subjects were able to tell their stories through their words, his goal is also to tell a story through the portraits. “You have all these unique people, unique stories, unique faces, and how do you present it so it feels like you know a person?” he says.

“I sculpt people with light to capture their emotion—powerful, split-second moments frozen in time to tell the story of an individual,” he adds. “In some people I see strength, others excitement, and in others apprehension. But overall, I experienced their gratitude for the opportunity to live here in Utah.”

Here’s a link to their story.

The printed version had a beautiful layout. Here’s the article below too, with my mentions and quotes highlighted.

I’m excited how the gallery show turned out. If you need a new portrait, give me a call, 801-728-3317. It’s a great time for family portraits before Christmas.

And until next time, America.

Fox 13 Showcases “Faces of Salt Lake County” Book and Gallery Show

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, Commercial & Headshots, PublishedPosted on No Comments

Fox 13’s show ‘The Place’ talked about the portraits, gallery show, and book of portraits I did for Salt Lake County, called “Faces of Salt Lake County.” They interviewed Chris Jones, Communications Director for the Salt Lake County Mayor’s office about our project. He does a great job explaining what this is all about. Here’s that interview.

Here’s a direct link to the story on Fox 13’s website.

This gallery show turned out beautifully, and soon I’ll post some images from that event.

And if you need a new portrait, give me a call, 801-728-3317. It’s a great time for fall family portraits before the leaves are gone.

And until next time, America.

Art Portraits “Faces of Salt Lake County” Gallery Show and Book

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, Commercial & Headshots, PublishedPosted on No Comments

For a few months I worked on a series of portraits for Salt Lake County called, “Faces of Salt Lake County.” These images were showcased in a gallery show and accompanying art book.

The county had interviewed a number of people – mostly immigrants – and gathered their stories, then hired me to create the portraits. I did a number of sessions over a few months with custom lighting, setting up a portable studio at the county building. I individually photographed each person for about 5 minutes, custom lighting each one to quickly get powerful images that emphasized character and personality.

I custom printed 25 of the main portraits as 30 inch prints for the gallery show, and second set of smaller images as well. Plus the images were all printed in an art book along with the stories of each individual.

The images turned out wonderfully and I was excited to see all my hard work displayed at the gallery show in April, where we also unveiled the book. The gallery show was put on by Mayor Jenny Wilson’s Book and Media Club.

The portraits and art project was showcased by the TV news at the time, and I was interviewed by a local paper.

When the project first started, I scheduled three different photo days in Salt Lake over a series of weeks to make sure we could photograph everyone. I set up a portable studio which included a solid, neutral background and a series of studio lights and modifiers. As each person came, I looked for parts of their personality to bring out and highlight, and lit everyone with a unique artsy style using a tight, directional light to show character.

The results are fantastic. I can’t share how excited I am to have these images published in a book and on display for the gallery show.

I have more to post about this project, and will do so in the next article coming up. But in the meantime, it’s fall and the leaves in the canyon are perfect, and fading fast. If you’d like some beautiful family portraits in the fall leaves, now’s the time. Give me a call at 801-728-3317.

Until next time, America.

BlackRapid Photo-Moto Ride 2024 – Part 3

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, Photo-Moto RidesPosted on No Comments

Continuing with the BLACKRAPID Moto Ride for 2024. [Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3]

The next morning we took a nice ride up to Aspen, Colorado to stop for lunch and walk around.

After a while we got back on our bikes and headed up a beautiful, long, winding road to Leadville, Colorado to stay the night. As we rode, we continually dodged rain storms.

Eventually as the storm caught up with us and we got drenched us as we entered Leadville.

In Leadville, we got hotels and dinner. The next morning we walked around the tiny Main Street taking photos, when we stopped and talked to this man with a very interesting face. We asked if we could photograph him, and Ron, Mike, and I all took a few quick images. As a portrait photographer, I am always interested in people and love doing street portraits.

I also love taking iPhone closeups of abstracts as we walk around. Here’s a series of some of my favorites.

From Leadville we continued on to Golden, Craig, Steamboat, and other towns in Colorado for a few more days, weaving our way back to Utah. We got drenched for the next few days, continually driving through the rain.

We try to take the longest, curviest roads on our ride. While coming through Utah, we went up and over Guardsman Pass which was stunning.

Eventually we said our goodbyes as we each made our ways back home to our four different states. Thanks guys for another successful motorcycle/photo adventure.

And until next time, America.

BlackRapid Photo-Moto Ride 2024 – Part 2

by BryCox (Admin)Bry Cox Photography Blog, Photo-Moto RidesPosted on No Comments

Continuing with the BLACKRAPID Moto Ride for 2024. [Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3]

After leaving Durango, we took some winding mountain roads and ended up in a town called Silverton where we got some “old timey” cowboy photos.

But before arriving in town, we took a long and beautiful ride through some beautiful mountain roads. We stopped along at various overlooks to soak in the view and snap photos.

The windy road into Silverton makes for some beautiful mountain views.

The town of Silverton is an adorable old mining town with a lot of fun places to explore and photograph.

There’s an old train people can ride from Durango to Silverton. We saw it leave Durango as we were exploring the town in the morning, and it arrived shortly after we arrived in Silverton.

As we explored and photographed Silverton, we came across this old west photo studio. Being photographers, Ron suggested we all get suited up for a photo.

While getting ready, I used my iPhone to get this quick photo of Ron on the old west backdrop using an open door as a directional light source.

After a late lunch and nice rest, we loaded up and headed out towards the town of Montrose for the night. We continued to hit rain storms and dodge ominous clouds in the distance.

We hit rain at Ouray, so we continued on. When we passed that storm, we could see in the distance another rain storm in our distance so we pulled over at this awesome view to prep with rain gear.

From that point on, we had a rainy ride. I was able to snap a few of these images as we rode. As I mentioned in the last post, I shoot these photos one handed with a camera slung over one shoulder, using the BLACKRAPID Cross Shot strap. On a motorcycle I carry the camera on my left side so I can still steer and throttle the bike with my right hand. And I don’t look through the viewfinder. Instead, without looking I can reach down with my left hand, turn it on by feel, zoom the lens where I think it ought to be, aim it (again without looking through the viewfinder), and then snap a few photographs. Some of these photos of the guys behind me, are shot holding my camera over my shoulder.

Aside from the wet roads, you can see the heavy ran drops in some of these photos.

In the next post, I’ll share more from our adventure.

Until next time, America.

BlackRapid Photo-Moto Ride 2024 – Part 1

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The BLACKRAPID Moto Ride for 2024. [Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3]

We just finished this year’s BLACKRAPID Moto Ride for 2024. Each year my photographer friends and I go on a multi-state ride, and this year we rode the backroads of Utah and Colorado. Ron Henry of BLACKRAPID puts on the event, and he rode in from Washington state, meeting up with Mike Ridinger from Lewiston Idaho. We met here at my place and rode down through Moab to Durango to meet our friend Angel Cordova from Phoenix, Arizona.

The weather started off really hot. When the outside temperature is in the 90’s, the wind chill reverses and it’s actually hotter when you’re moving. For the first part of the ride, the temperature was near 100º, so it was a HOT but a beautiful ride as we rode towards Moab, Utah.

I shoot these photos one handed with a camera slung over one shoulder, using the BLACKRAPID Cross Shot strap. Normally I carry a camera on my right side, but on a motorcycle I carry the camera on my left side. That way I can steer and throttle the bike with my right hand and shoot with my left hand.

Now I don’t look through the viewfinder or screen at all. I carry a small camera that I’m quite used to. So without looking I can reach down with my left hand, turn it on by feel, zoom the lens where I think it ought to be, aim it (again without looking through the viewfinder), and then snap a few photographs – hoping I got the shot. Later, I go through my images and see if I got what I wanted. I definitely miss some, but the ones that turn out look great. I’m always happy with the results.

Once we hit the red rocks approaching the town of Moab, there was a distinct change in weather. It was as if there was a “wall of hot.” I love how the red rocks contrast against the blue sky.

Once in Moab, the three of us stopped for a photo with the mural in town, gassed up, and ate some Mexican food for a late lunch. It was a chance to get some A/C for a bit and cool off.

Angel was meeting us in Durango, Colorado, so we continued on through Moab and headed towards our meeting spot. Along the way we kept our eye on many storms to the right and left of us. Taking small roads is always the goal. Avoid freeways, and choose the smallest, windiest roads that go through the old small towns. It makes for a more fulfilling adventure.

This storm on the left was a beautiful one, and got pretty close to us.

Once in Durango, we found Angel and got hotels for the night to rest from about 8 hours of riding.

The next morning, we headed out towards Silverton and then Montrose. Again, taking the small, curvy roads through mountains makes for a beautiful experience.

In the next post, I’ll share more from our adventure.

Until next time, America.