Check Out Scott Bradley’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Bradley. 

Hi Scott, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
So, I’ve only been living in Denver for about three months now, but the path that led me here was an intersection of my two biggest passions in life. My interest in photography started back in high school, oddly enough thanks to football. After getting a season-ending concussion in the first week of Freshman year, I took up the camera and became the team photographer. A love of both the still and moving image led me to pursue an art degree at MICA in Baltimore. It was there where I became an avid cyclist as a means of discovering my surroundings and finding new photographic inspiration. I was hooked on the sensation of the wind blowing past me, and the all-encompassing sensory awareness of darting through space. The urge to explore further out from the city (and the weight of camera gear) played a huge role in my desire to switch to a motorized two-wheeled experience. After getting a 1979 Honda Hawk as a college graduation, bikes quickly became one of my main photographic subjects. Each ride was an experience, whether it was around the corner or across state lines. Documenting it was about beauty of the machine itself, but also about the memories it created and the landscapes it took me to. I started an Instagram solely for it, which ended up yielding some exciting client work. I worked on a marketing campaign for BMW Motorrad, was able shoot a cover story for the American Motorcyclist Association, and product shoots for brands in the industry. One of the most high-profile and impactful projects came about from my partnership with Progressive Insurance. I became a Brand Ambassador for them making content highlighting the community-driven aspects of the motorcycle scene. In 2019 I was given the opportunity by them to plan my own route through maritime Canada and create a photo/video/editorial package to document my adventure. I made my way from the shores of the St Lawrence to the easternmost tip of Newfoundland. It was a blissful month on the road with a tent in tow and my camera gear at the ready. I met some lovely strangers, had a tinder date that was two years in the making (and involved a falcon), and saw the best sunset of my life. While the east coast had always been my home, I was yearning for a more adventurous landscape. Mountain roads are a motorcyclist mecca, and the beauty of the west were calling my name. As luck would have it, I applied for a job at the Revzilla store opening up in Denver and a couple weeks later I was moving my entire life into a new time zone. Now I’ve been spending every weekend exploring a new off-road trail and turning my camera towards fresh landscapes. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Moving halfway across the country and starting fresh seemed like a daunting task at first, I accepted my job offer the second week of August and left the east coast on the 28th. When I left my old home, I had put all my largest possessions in a shipping pod and loaded up the rest onto my motorcycle. To make matters more complex I hadn’t secured an apartment yet! Trying to hunt for housing remotely with no knowledge of the city was a bit daunting to say the least but I was, fortunately, able to find a welcoming community quickly that helped everything fall into place. Within two hours of rolling into Denver, I ended up at the local moto meet-up night with my camera in hand. Snapping shots of all the bikes roaring up Walnut made me new friends quickly, one of which helped me land the perfect one-bedroom apartment right by Cheesman Park. My next goal is to find more freelance work in Denver, and as of now the best way to do so is to keep shooting! 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
It can be a real challenge these days to separate yourself from all the other photographers out there. With how far camera technology has come, even someone with an iPhone can create an objectively “good” image. I found my best path to success so far is being versatile. Before moving to Denver, I was shooting a wide gamut of freelance work including real estate photography, food photography, portraiture, event work, dogs, and motorcycles. I was known for my Instagram account solely devoted to my dog photography, taking portraits of people’s beloved pups. Motorcycle photography is still my biggest claim to fame and has the biggest social media following. It’s taken me on some life-changing adventures such as my sponsored trip through Canada and helped forge new friendships when I moved here. It’s also helped shape my career path, writing editorial spreads with my photos to tell the tales of my adventures for Revzilla (which is now my current employer). One of my proudest moments was photographing my friends and I riding up Argentine pass in the snow. It was a grueling ride and 25 degrees up at the summit, but it was worth it for the stunning snow-covered peaks at the top. The strongest photographic footprint to my work is the treatment of shapes. My work is geometrically motivated and uses the arrangement of shapes and forms to guide and sometimes trick the eye. My more abstract personal work plays with texture and shadow to turn the mundane into something mystifying and transformative. 

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The photography field is in a constant state of flux and development, with progress being a double-edged sword. As much as I love some of the advancements that have been made, some of it is taking the craft out of photography. Fully automated cameras, portrait mode on the iPhone, and push-button Photoshopping techniques have made some of the hallmarks of professional photography far more obtainable. While I’m all for making artistic expression available to the masses, it does flood the market with imagery and in some ways lessens the demand for hiring a pro. With such over-saturation in the field, I feel that developing your tell-tale aesthetic is really going to be the key to success. 

Contact Info:

• Email: scott@scottbradleyphoto.com
• Website: www.scottbradleyphoto.com
• Instagram: scottbraaplyphoto