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   

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.

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! Your browser does not support the audio element.