Meet Casey Wilson | Photographer – Food/Beverage & Parkour

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

Hi Casey, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
It’s difficult to begin working for yourself, especially as a creative, but there’s a fool proof method that anyone can utilize. And I think this quote encompasses it fully: “A wise person knows that there is something to be learned from everyone”. This means so much to me because it’s truly led me to where I am and I know that it will help me get even further. When meeting someone new, you have no idea who they are, and this could blossom into something much greater. For example, I’ve met so many professional food photographers, however I never knew that was their career until I dug deeper and got to know them. From these conversations, I took the opportunity and asked to assist them, which has grown and now I’m able to work for myself in the same profession. On the other end of the scale, if there’s somebody that you don’t like, take the time to think about why it is you don’t like them. Yes, this is summarizing another quote, but most of the time “the toxic traits that you see in other people are just a reflection of yourself”. Therefore, you can improve so much by taking note of the negative traits in others, which are most likely deep inside of you. Overall, everyone that you meet throughout life will have something to teach you. Whether it’s learning a skill from someone knowledgable or improving yourself through reflection, all of these conversations can bring about new opportunities and improve your life.

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.
The world will always need photography and seeing how nearly everyone has access to a camera, even if it’s a phone, artists need to set themselves apart. I think the best way to do this is by focusing on your passions and understanding the industry that you want to work in. I’ve done parkour for around 15 years and been a part of the coffee industry for over 10 years, so I feel as though I have a clear insight into what people love about these industries. On the other hand, I’ve never been married and haven’t been to many weddings, so I know that I wouldn’t excel if it came to wedding photography.

I’m always excited to create new photographs because I love seeing my improvement. It’s one thing to show up and take photos for a client, but I think it’s far more important to show up as if you know nothing and try to capture new images to allow your portfolio to expand. Fear will always be present and it’s the most difficult challenge to overcome. One day, before a big photoshoot, I told my friend that I was nervous and he responded with, “your nervous because you care and want to make quality work,” which is exactly what I needed to hear. If you want to get somewhere, it’s not going to happen without working hard, taking opportunities, show up, and caring about your art every single time. If there’s one thing I want the world to know about me, it’s that I care so deeply for every opportunity I’m given no matter the reward.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Through food photography, I constantly search for new restaurants I haven’t tried, while parkour photography has forced me to explore architecture all around the city. Every time my friends come to Boulder, I always try to make sure they have one of the best trips they’ve ever had in this beautiful city. We would start every day with Boxcar Coffee Roasters, although I may be biased seeing as I’ve worked there for quite some time. However, there’s a lot of other amazing cafes that I try to frequent on my days off, such as Dry Storage, Beleza, and Alpine Modern. After getting coffee, it’s incredibly relaxing to enjoy the early hours of the day up in the mountains. Driving up Flagstaff, Canyon, Mapleton, and Eldorado all provide incredible views whether you want to stay warm in your car on a winter day or take a long hike to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. If the dry climate and burning heat of the summer sun are too much, it’s perfect time to swim around in the creek and let the air dry you off before coming back down from the mountains. Finally, at the end of the day, there’s a huge number of dinner spots that I’d recommend, but it really depends on the mood. Whether it’s a nice, ambient restaurant or a filling meal after a long day, some of my go-to’s are: Pizzeria Locale, Illegal Pete’s, Curry-N-Kebab. However, 90% of the time, my friends and I pick up ingredients from the grocery store and cook whatever we’ve been craving.

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?
I’m so thankful to be supported by friends that help push me to take opportunities and follow my passions. As far as parkour photography goes, I wouldn’t be successful if it weren’t for my parkour team TryHard Collective. They’ve always been willing to do flips over and over until I get a photograph that I’m happy with. And they always seem to be pleased with the final result. With food photography, I have to give an immense shoutout to Mike Thurk. When I first asked to assist him on a restaurant photoshoot, he immediately said yes and then within a month he trusted me to cover one of his gigs while he was out of town. Ever since then, my food/beverage photography career has grown so much and I can’t thank Mike enough.

Website: caseywilsonphoto.com

Instagram: instagram.com/caseywlsn

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxCmqkYusbnSysLg2LF7W-g