Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Carleton.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started taking photos as a hobby 10 years ago at car shows because I grew up loving cars. I started taking photography more serious 6 years ago when I was hired by a friend of mine to take photos of his band he was just starting. That’s when I fell in love with portraits and documentary style photography. Then out of the blue I started to get hired more often for proposals/engagements and I realized that a lot of men need help with capturing an important moment in their life. I also saw an opportunity to start helping more men get comfortable with having their photos taken and more comfortable and less anxious about proposing. I also found that a lot of couples in general have never had professional photos done and are often afraid to get them done because they aren’t professional models. My niche is making people more comfortable with having photos taken whether it’s for a proposal, engagement, couples, or just family photos. I’ve come along way from taking photos of cars to building amazing connections and relationships with people. I often have my engagement photoshoots turn into wedding photoshoots at a later date. My goal is to become one of the top proposal photographers in the greater Nashville area.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s definitely not been smooth at all. I’ve had memory cards go corrupt in the middle of the photoshoot. Ive even had my camera batteries die and forgot back up batteries in the middle of my photoshoots. Some of the hardest obstacles I’ve dealt with is having clients ghost me or cancel last minute because they found a family friend to take their photos on a phone. I think phone cameras are great but for something as special as a proposal I recommend getting a professional photographer.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Im known for being a proposal/ engagement photographer, I am proud to say I’ve never had a proposal gone wrong where the person getting proposed to says no. What sets me apart is I use my surroundings and even random people to hide in plain sight. I also am really good at making people feel more comfortable during photoshoots.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I am actually a trained mechanic and still love getting dirty and working on cars, forklifts and all types of equipment. Im also a father to twin boys.
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