Meet Chris Dickinson | Professionally Trained Observer aka Professional Photographer

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

Hi Chris, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
I remember having a conversation with someone very close to me and they asked, “do you feel like you’ve made it?”. It took me by surprise. I thought about it for a moment, then pulled up an image from a branding I was at many years ago. The image shows a young boy on the ground with his feet up, jokingly fending off his great-grandpa as he’s chasing him with the branding iron and his grandpa is sitting horseback with his rope around his grandson’s ankles. The boy’s mom and dad are standing in the background near each other, laughing. It’s a moment, a brief second in time of families sharing their laughs and love.

I replied to my friend, “if I’ve made anything, it’s this image”. It would define my favorite quote, “It’s not just a snapshot, it’s a story.®” – As most of my work is in the editorial space for the western lifestyle, it goes without saying that I get very close (literally and figuratively) to those I cover. Whether this is on assignment for a magazine, or out covering the ranch life of those that work hard every day to produce the food we eat, they’ve allowed me unprecedented access, acceptance, and trust to create the iconic images I have over the years.

My quote reminds me that our work and the images we produce are not simply snapshots in time, they’re stories of lives lived, relationships, emotions, traditions, values, and friendships. That’s what we want to capture in an image.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Sharing details about myself are really broken down into several categories; 1) Business Owner, 2) Creative and, 3) Educator.

One of the first things that set us apart is that we are completely self-employed and have been for nearly 15 years. It’s not something we do casually, this is, in fact, our lifestyle. It’s not a journey that many will be able to follow because it comes with so many significant risks. In other words, it’s not easy, and it shouldn’t be. For those that are willing to face those risks, there isn’t a greater lifestyle that you’ll lead. You’ll experience the highest of highs and, yes, the lowest of lows…and you’ll do it all over again! This has led me to work for some of the most regarded publications in the Western world like Western Horseman and American Quarter Horse (AQHA), to large global brands like KFC, Amazon, and Virgin Airlines.

To me, a professional photographer isn’t someone that does this for a living, that’s a business owner. My definition of a pro photog is someone that has the experience, expertise, talent, and most importantly, the troubleshooting ability to create a great image regardless of the situation they find themselves in…which leads to the creative side.

As a creative, my senses and emotions drive my image-making followed closely by the experience and troubleshooting over many years. My images tend to be serendipitous as I gravitate to light, color, foundational composition, and movement. Editing for me is a secondary source of creativity, akin to a painter’s canvas…where the traditional photograph is subtractive, I find editing can be a bit more additive to the overall impact of an image. I’ve been able to distill my routines into a fine process where I’m able to efficiently turn images prior to self-imposed deadlines.

Educating and mentoring are a major part of what I do in the creative space as well. From authentic western photography retreats where we’re out covering the cowboys and cowgirls as they work, to one on one mentoring, I’ve been able to play a part in helping others discover their own creative styles while opening the door to new creative techniques and styles. I’ve also been very fortunate that one of my mentors, Canon Explorer of Light, Bruce Dorn, has hosted some of these retreats with me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First thing, we’d take some time on the ranch here and just absorb the sights and lack of noise that we get to enjoy here being out of the city. After a day, we’d head to hike in the mountains and explore there. A road trip to some of the hot pots would be a must too! Ironically, it wouldn’t include photography – I’m very deliberate when I leave the camera home, this is my time to enjoy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Getting to where we’re at right now and in the future doesn’t come without recognizing both the good and the not-so-good times. I certainly wouldn’t be here without both. Easily the one person I’d not be here without is my wife, Joe. She’s the risk-taker! We started our business together nearly 15 years ago, we’re 100% self-employed, we don’t run off to second jobs pretending to be something we’re not.

We’ve always worked back to back, always. I’ve heard from many people that they don’t know if they could do that, for us, this is how we’ve always been and it’s the magic to our success. Building off each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Website: www.cdphotog.com

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