Bradley Hanson Photography

My connection to photography began at age 10 when my parents brought back a beautiful Voigtlander Vitomatic camera from Germany. This little silver box was magic to me. Upon receiving my first roll of film back from the lab, I was instantly addicted to the alchemy of light coming through glass, hitting plastic film and becoming an image through a specific recipe of chemicals. A few years later, I began printing in the darkroom when I was the photographer for my high school newspaper and yearbook. I studied the photography of the Magnum Agency masters like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Josef Koudelka and Elliott Erwitt, but it was buying the Ralph Gibson "Tropism" at the Walker Art Center bookshop in 1988 that immediately electrified my imagination about the compositional and emotional energy of black and white imagery. I started photographing head shots for model portfolios and for promotional portraits and cover images for musicians, then shooting for the Seattle weekly papers, shooting everything from city council meetings and mayoral press conferences to restaurant reviews and local human interest stories. It was through these experiences that I realized I love photographing people.

I landed my first wedding in Seattle in 1999 somewhat by accident. After a couple loved the portraits I made for them, they asked if I would shoot their wedding. I said yes, but was secretly terrified. Fortunately, my naivety was inadvertently a bonus because I photographed that wedding the same way I photographed news stories: as discreetly as possible and recognizing key moments at the speed they are happening rather than directing the action or creating artificial scenarios. I don't have the preconceived notions of an advertising photographer. I prefer to work spontaneously. It's like a bell goes off in my mind when I see everything fall into place in the frame and the shutter is pressed at that instant of harmony. I am always looking and waiting for the next bell. Weddings are extremely personal events, and my travels have given me the experience with nearly every possible setting and lighting condition imaginable. Despite being 6'2", the ability to blend in to any situation and disappear into the background is what allows me to make the images that resonate most with me and my clients. I learned early on that showcasing a portfolio of images that speak to me will attract the kind of clients who share the same visual aesthetic. This accidental wisdom has served me well and I am always excited to work with couples who love photography. Every wedding is unique and while I never know exactly what to expect my goal is the same: to push myself to see the world in new ways and to create timeless images that both me and my clients will love, now and decades in the future. I am just as excited to see the final images as you are!