Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Bradley.
Hi Paige, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been surrounded by cameras since I was a kid; both my mom and grandma are photographers. Growing up I thought that it was normal for family members to always be carrying around camera bags with multiple lenses inside. When I was in middle school my mom let me play around with her old Canon Rebel but it wasn’t until my Junior year of high school that I started taking photography seriously. I started that camera she lent me to tennis matches when our summer/fall season started just so I could get candids of my friends, but when I was injured a little after the start of the season, my coaches were the ones pushing me to get out onto the court to photograph my team. It became my passion to capture the emotions and movement during matches, while also capturing the little moments shared off the court. Once I graduated high school I didn’t know where to go creatively. I grew up painting as my main form of art, but it wasn’t satisfying me anymore. I eventually bought a Canon Ae-1 my sophomore year of college and started teaching myself how to shoot on film and push my creative limits through photography. In April 2023 I went to my first show in Denton and I made sure to bring my camera. My pictures were atrocious but I knew that was the area of photography I wanted to pursue. For the past few years I’ve spent a lot of time and money documenting the local music scene here in North Texas. I just graduated from UNT back in December where I got to study photography and film development. I’m lucky I did because I was pushed outside of my comfort zone to try new skills and express myself through this art.
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?
I think lack of motivation will always be my biggest struggle when it comes to photography. I could blame my hesitation to go out and shoot on the equipment I have and don’t have, but some of my favorite shots have come from just a tripod and camera. Generally though, my ride with photography has been pretty smooth. I do it for myself and can move at my own pace and go whichever direction I want. It helps having a photographer and editor as a mom who lives nearby that has always helped me out every part of my journey. Armand at Denton Camera Exchange has also helped me out tremendously. I I will always have the rest of my life to be able to document which excites me so much.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m most known for my film photography documenting the music scene in Denton, and from the countless shows I’ve shot I’d say that’s what I specialize in as well. I’ve been moving away from that though- the last time I brought my camera to a show with intentions to fill the roll with music was sometime in the fall last year. My goal with my film photography is to have endless amounts of photos and photo albums to show my grandkids one day, so I’ve been focusing more on documenting my personal life for myself rather than for the whole collective. Now when it comes to digital photography… I love taking self portraits to express myself for others to see. I take inspiration from the music I listen to (mainly just Cocteau Twins) and try to photograph the feelings it evokes within me, and then use Photoshop to create a collage of colors and images to express what words can’t explain. Each camera has a purpose for me and I rarely ever change my intentions around for them. I’m most proud of how I found a way to create visuals that can tell my story and really just how I’ve grown over time. Photography opened a door for me to breathe and gave me a purpose.
What’s next?
I am actually starting my career in early education with a goal to teach art down the road. I hope as well to display more of my work in more shows soon and to grow within my art. I think what I am most looking forward to though, is what I can have to look back on when I am 80 years old. Photography as a form of documentation has been a huge part of my life since I am now the third in a line of women to take it seriously. I understand majority of the world’s population has ways to document every part of their lives, and I am not saying I am any different than the rest, but I have seen the personal importance it is to have these physical images to look at as time goes on. There is something so special and gentle about choosing which images to display, for a future viewer, in a photo album or a book. I know this because when I look through my mom’s albums I’ll see an image that to anyone might look like it has lesser significance that other photos, but because my mom printed it out and took time to put it in there, she gave it meaning and it gets to live on forever- constantly being reborn anytime someone views it. This power is so kind and beautiful and inspires everything I do with a camera. I am so excited to see my life and family grow in photos.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://paigebradleyphotography.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: fiftyfiftypaige
