Meet Bryan Button | Photographer & Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bryan Button and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bryan, why did you pursue a creative career?
My whole life I’ve been making things, but mostly in my head. I feel like a lot of people can probably relate to that. Ask anyone in my family and they’ll tell you how regularly I am making up a silly song, idea for an advertisement, or looking at a scene thinking how great it would look with a subject placed just right. Having a “creative career” gives me a way to get it out. Though I do try to avoid the term “creative;” I feel like it can be a bit self serving if not used carefully. Creativity lives in us all, and we all share some affinity for the arts in our own way. I’m lucky that I found an outlet that I’m passionate about!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Honestly I never really thought that capturing images would ever be something I got paid for. I knew I COULD, I just didn’t think I WOULD if that makes sense. I have always been really good at empathizing with others. Even if I’d never experienced something, I always seem to be able to see things really well from other people’s perspectives (or so I’ve been told). When I’m working with a client on a photography session, I can usually tell what part is stressful, what they’re nervous about, or where they might be uncomfortable. If it’s, say, a family I’m working with, I’m usually good at reading what each parent is stressed about (it’s not usually the same thing!) and what the kid(s) are nervous about. Almost every client I’ve worked with has come away telling me some form of “I can’t believe you got the kids to cooperate” or “my husband says he’ll only take pictures if you’re holding the camera”. And that is a fantastic feeling!

Getting to this point hasn’t been easy and it’s still bumpy. I doubt it’ll ever be completely smooth. It’s easy to get in my own head about something that turns out to be unfounded. One of the best things I’ve learned is that you just have to put your best work forward and move on. If someone comes back to me and heaps on praise, that’s nice, but at the end of the day I have to be happy with my own work and that sometimes has to be enough. Which is hard because we are our own biggest critics.

It’s funny because coming up with my brand’s name, “Verbose Photography” was one of the hardest things so far for me. But in the end I felt it fit. I’ve always known I can be very wordy, and when I get done with a shoot I often bring my energy level down by talking it out. But it also fit because of the play on the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words.” I love making pictures because to do so is to remember, to make a memory that can last, to give us something to look at years from now that gives us that “oh look at that do you remember…” face we all make when we see a kid when they were little, or an old friend when they were still close, or a loved one no longer with us. If I can save a few more memories in this world, I’ve done my job. And that’s really what drives me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Haha, I feel like I can be such a boring person sometimes. And how easy is it to make a routine out of the extraordinary? Well, I would have to spend at least a day or two exploring different spots in the mountains. I’m happy to say that the drive up 36 where you crest the hill over Boulder Valley still never gets old. Frisco and Steamboat Springs are two of my absolute favorite places regardless of the time of year. Closer to Denver, I’d say checking out Golden and the Coor’s Brewery tour would be on the list. I don’t even like beer and I’ve been on that tour twice, it’s a lot of fun! In Denver the Botanic Gardens would be a must as well as the zoo. You’re NEVER too old to go to the zoo. And I love the Denver Art Museum. I might try to fit Meow Wolf in there, that’s an experience for sure. And of course, assuming we could get tickets, we’d have to do Casa Bonita. Having been before and after the renovations, I can solidly say that it’s’ worth it (even if it is a bit spendy).

For meals I’ll specifically call out needing to go to the Denver Biscuit Company (Denver), Blue Pan Pizza (Sloan Lake), and Lazy Dog (Westminster).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Since I’m a photographer, my Shoutout has to go first to my dad. He was a photographer long before I came around and I grew up around it because of that. But not just the photography side of things either; he has always been one of the most outgoing people in the world, able to become instant friends with anyone he meets it seems. Making portraits has definitely been the easier of those two things for me, so whenever I’m feeling a little timid about talking to someone I lean on memories of watching him be such a people person and try to do the same. It’s still hard for me though!

Website: https://www.verbosephotos.com

Instagram: @verbosephotos

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/verbosephotos

Facebook: Verbose Photography

Image Credits
Bryan Button – Verbose Photography