Fairly easily
identified by his trademark cat ears and multi-colored contacts, Brandon Emerson
is the photographic talent behind FantasyPhotographs. No.... the pretentious
third person simply won't fit my bio. I've been photographing for somewhere
near 20 years now. At the young age of 5, my parents put their rangefinder in
my hand and I was instantly hooked. Since then, I've shot on many formats including
but not limited to 35mm, medium format, digital, video, and I've even done some
compositions with exposures using a pinhole camera. Currently my format of choice
is digital. I have become enamored with my ability to review photos as I take
them and ensure proper composition and bracketing while on location rather than
commiting to film then hoping for the best after processing. With my newer 12.8
megapixel equipment I have been able to rival the printed output of the highest
end 35mm film.
My formal
training began in high school with Mr Macke, perhaps one of the most influential
figures in my photographic training. He was the first to teach about the zone
system, but for him not everything was technical. He had an ability to wring
every bit of creativity out of me possible, and because I was pushed to achieve
all that I could, not only did my work improve, but my satisfaction with my
work shot up as well. When the work handed to me is trite and boring, my mind
stagnates, however, when I am given an assignment that challenges me, and not
just by seeing if I can finish it in the alotted amount of time, I put everything
into it I can.
My formal studies continued at Ohio State University, Glendale Community College, and Arizona State University. In photography, while you may cease to absorb further technical details, you never stop learning about yourself, and therefore every day is an opportunity for the discovery of another creation.