Meet Ladd Forde

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ladd Forde.

Ladd, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I got my start in photography through skateboarding, taking pictures and filming my friends. However, it was until college when I took a photography class as an elective, that I considered it could be my career. I ended up switching my major, and my teacher in that first class, David Patterson, quickly became a mentor to me. I worked and assisted under him for 5+ years. I really have David to thank for everything from learning lighting to the ins and outs of the business.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In some ways, it may have been smooth, I got lucky a lot. But there were and still are a lot of bumps in the road. I still struggle with the business side, and switching to full time freelancing was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. Lots of panic moments about making bills on time, but it has worked out so far.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m a commercial and editorial photographer specializing in lifestyle, portraiture and automotive work. I’ve worked pretty hard to learn the lighting side of photography. I think it is actually what made me take photography seriously, and the part I enjoy most. To me, it’s really fun to take a concept and figure out what that situation would look like and shaping light to make it look the best it can.

Is there a quality or characteristic that has played an outsized role in your success?
A debatably healthy (or unhealthy) obsession with photography and having a great team to work closely with has been very important… and Assisting. Anyone trying to make the switch to full-time photography, assist, assist, assist. I can’t stress how much it has helped me and how much I’ve learned while working under other photographers. Its something I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing, because it’s so easy to get stuck shooting things in the same ways you’ve shot before. Seeing other photographers work can give a refresher, and put new ways of doing things into your routine.

Denver has an amazing network of creatives to reach out to and work with, and I feel like they are much more willing to share their knowledge here than most places. Find some artists you admire, reach out and offer a hand.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.laddforde.com
• Phone: 9703193145
• Email: hello@laddforde.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forde_photo/

Image Credit:
Ladd Forde

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