Bryan Russell Fine Art Photography

My photographic career all started from one unique job opportunity. In 1991 through 1993 I took a job with Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey circus. I was hired to drive all the equipment on and off the circus train and into the many different arenas. I was 28 and never shot a camera in my life.

Before venturing off with the circus, I figured I really should get a camera and teach myself how to use it and that's what I did. I traveled all over this country and some of Europe blowing through film getting about 20% of o.k. pictures. After the first year of traveling I got promoted to assistant animal trainer, working with the Bengal Tigers and Russian Horses.

I constantly homed the technical aspects of the camera, understanding film speed and how the "F" stops affect an image. I mostly shot in black & white because I felt that once you understood how light plays with B/W it would be easy to jump to color, color can trick the eye, shooting B/W forced me to shoot an image as it was in the light at hand.

After my travels, I constantly used my camera; mostly shooting nature where my love for the camera really lies. I would stay out in the woods for hours just stumbling upon things to shoot; it is a never-ending palate of subject matter and with the camera at hand I could capture some of it's beauty.

I really didn't do much with my photos at this time; they mostly sat in boxes piled in my closet. After some encouragement from many people who saw some of my work, I decided to venture out into the world of semi-professional photography.

Today I shoot as a freelance photographer for everything from galleries, stock agencies & some weddings. The camera has become a very special companion and tool for me, with some determination and some artistic flare, I continue to learn and grow as a photographer.