|
Bry Cox:
The Art of Jazz Photography
By CharMaine Beleele
Eleven years ago when Bry Cox opened a studio in the basement of a rented house, he did not
dream that his photographic work would decorate the magazine pages of American Photo or
TV Guide. This Utah-based imagemaker had no idea that within a few years he would be a
frequent speaker at photographic workshops and a member of Fuji's Talent Team. He had no idea
that a Kodak Gallery Award and three Fuji Masterpiece Awards would adorn his bookshelf. Today,
with his studio and grounds on the outskirts of West Point in the Utah countryside, this
photographer's resume is full of photographic honors too numerous to mention. Eleven years
ago he did not suspect that his image gallery would display photographs of celebrities like
Natalie Cole, Steve Forbes and Ann-Margaret.
His success began because of two main passions he has had since his high school days--photography
and jazz. These two arts might appear totally dissimilar, but they blend together perfectly within
Bry's photographic style and philosophy. Following one of his recent speaking engagements, Bry
explains that the energy and passion of jazz and photography have much in common; both arts must
"come straight from the heart." More importantly to Bry,improvisation is an integral and
emotionally charged part of what jazz musicians and photographers create.
But just because a jazz photographer thrives on unpredictability, does not mean he
is unprepared. Bry says, "I want to be one with my equipment. I want to be free to let my mind
create while my body just follows along. I want my creation to be led by feeling and intuition
rather than the classical ideas of perfection and tradition." It is the unpredictability and
excitement of photographing a wedding, an event or a family, that gives Bry the most satisfaction.
In his workshops and lectures, he shares ways to practice his unique style, which he has deemed,
"jazz photography." First, he advises photographers to "see images on a regular basis." This
correlates directly to the musical advice of trumpet player Bobby Shoe, who formerly played for
Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. When Bry, as a student musician, asked him how to
practice his improvisational skills, he said, "We learn to play jazz by listening to
jazz. The phrases and syntax of improvisation can only be learned by lots of listening." Bry
applies this rule to photography. "I am constantly immersing myself in great images--the type of
images that I want to shoot. This means that I subscribe to a lot of quality image magazines
(fashion and bridal), attend photography competitions and workshops, read books and watch a lot
of movies." He adds, "I fill myself with good, creative things so that when I photograph, great
and creative things come out naturally."
Part of this improvisational approach means he will "go for the unexpected" at a photo session,
and reject "the trite or static." Like Richard Avedon, who was known to leap about his studio to
evoke more energy from his models, Bry does not hesitate to provoke his clients, which prevents
them from feeling stiff and posed. "I aim for the fresh, the interesting and the unique." This
maverick photographer even provokes himself: "I am constantly changing things to disrupt myself
as well as the client. When I am out of ideas, I disrupt the environment and everything around
me and start shooting some more. I change locations, I mess around with lights, I get the
client laughing and moving, running and even jumping, I change lenses and cameras. I shoot
at night with headlights and spotlights, and I use my computer to paint and try new things."
Developing a creative environment is particularly important to Bry, though he finds that doing
so requires a conscious effort to set up his business just the way he wants it. "When I'm shooting
for clients, I shoot what I want to shoot in the way I want to do it, rather than what might be
expected," Bry says. He adds, "I keep better business hours for myself so that I don't get
burned out." He is also selective about the people he works with and how he works, asserting,
"I have to work with happy people and distance myself from things and people that drain me.
I also shoot at the best times of the day, when the light is magical and things just seem to
work out better."
Bry elaborates further on building a creative work environment, "For me, it means filling my
creative reservoir and getting out of 'work mode' when I feel stressed out or like the work is
draining me." Bry continues, "I set up shoots at least once a month that are only for my own
enjoyment, outside of a photographer/client situation, where I can try new things and be totally
free." Being young and single, he readily admits, "Sometimes these are of cute girls I know,"
but adds that just as often these improvisational sessions are of "random people that I meet
and think are interesting, or sometimes a photo safari with my friends, photographers and
non-photographers alike."
Despite his seemingly freewheeling approach to work, Bry also recognizes the importance of good
business sense. Prior to deciding to become a professional photographer, he noticed, "Many
professionals who were excellent went out of business, while others that I felt had an average
appeal stayed in business for years and years. I realized that there was more to succeeding in
business than being good at what you do." Upon this realization, he changed his major from art
to business, and earned his degree with an emphasis in information systems and technologies
from the John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics at Weber State University in Ogden,
Utah. His studies prepared Bry not only for business, but also for the dawn of the digital
age and the importance of the website as a marketing tool.
When he first opened his studio, Bry made a list of his strengths and weaknesses so he could
determine strategies to shape his success. He had two weaknesses that he could not change--he was
much younger than any of the other photographers in his area, and his studio was off the beaten
path. He says, "When people would come to my studio, in my rented basement out in the country,
they not only complained about the drive but would look around and ask what I was going to do
when I grew up." Bry took a cue from Bill Gates, who utilized youth to his advantage as a fresh
thinker. Bry changed his marketing technique to showcase himself as a young, hip
photographer with fresh ideas. Likewise, he transformed the perception of his rented basement
into an oasis of serenity away from the city, "in a quiet area with a wooded landscape, where
families could relax and enjoy having their portraits taken," says Bry. Unlike metropolitan
photographers, he did not have to charge extra for on-location work. In these two short
steps he empowered himself by turning his weaknesses into positives.
As Bry traveled around on the lecture circuit, he found that his students always wanted notes or
booklets. His mother, Janet Cox, the best-selling author of historical novels such as Valley of
Fire, encouraged him to consolidate these pages and his jazz photography philosophy into a
book. He wrote a book and his mother edited it. He self-published it under the humorous title
Professional Imaging Secrets I Don't Want Them to Know About. The 150-page book is crammed
with Bry's secrets and tested techniques for everything from "seeing the light" to the
step-by-step five-minute Photoshop watercolor image. It is cover-to-cover inspiration balanced
with practicality. So if you have been playing the same old tune in your studio, enrich your
repertoire with a little of Bry's fresh jazz-style photography.
|
