Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brian Kaldorf. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Brian, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I find that the best way for me to keep my creativity alive is to be decadently indulgent within the context of the process. My best ideas come when I ignore practicality and logistics and just follow whatever passion and excitement the idea may hold. There’s plenty of time to figure out all of the tangible things later on. I like to spur creativity just by trying new ways of expression and learning what works and doesn’t work for me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Sure, my name is Brian Kaldorf and for the last 17 years, I have been a professional product photographer. I got into photography as a second career in my late 20s. At that point, I was most interested in learning the fundamentals of film photography and I couldn’t get enough of it. Eventually, it progressed to the point where I started seriously considering going further with it and maybe looking towards it as a possible career change. I enrolled at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and I never looked back. I primarily enjoy studio work with an emphasis on beverage photography. I love the way I can bring out the character in a wine bottle or the nuance of a brand’s packaging through the use of lighting, it’s just something that really does it for me.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would say a certain amount of tenacity, creativity, and passion helped. When I was in art school, I would be in the darkroom constantly fine-tuning my printing skills or I would be pestering my instructors to allow me to have extra time in the studio to try out new ideas and concepts. I think this drive and dedication to the craft benefited me later in my career. Photography is a very difficult career to make a living at and it’s important to have the self-discipline to keep moving forward.
With most small businesses, it’s important to be creative across all aspects of your brand. A lot of the time I need to wear many hats to get the job done properly. It’s not uncommon to do photography, graphic design, videography, and logistics work all for the same client. If you can show them that you are capable and proficient in handling all of their needs, you are more likely to get a callback.
Lastly, I think passion more than anything, is the underlying drive to create to your utmost abilities. Passion is what got me to seek out how to do photography in the first place and it’s what still drives me almost 20 years later as a profession. Without it, I know I’m not delivering the best product to my clients.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I’m a believer in going all in on your strengths. Too often in photography, I see people who say they specialize in portraits, landscapes, product, food ,etc. and when you look at their work it often comes up lacking. I think to create to your highest level, you need to play to your strengths and not try to just cover all of your bases. If all of your focus is geared toward the one thing you are most passionate about, you can’t help but create visually engaging work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.briankaldorf.com
- Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/bkaldorf/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkaldorf/
Image Credits
Brian Kaldorf
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