Meet Grayson Reed | Photographer/Videographer

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

Hi Grayson, why did you pursue a creative career?
I found my passion for photography and videography on my third combat deployment to Afghanistan. I am a prior Sergeant of the 75th Ranger Regiment and filmed/photographed our combat missions. After finishing my 4 years of service I went to Colorado State University to become a computer science major. When COVID hit, I decided my passion was elsewhere in film and photography, so I switched majors to Journalism and studied production and editing. I couldn’t get any organization at the school to let me take photos for them, except KCSU, where the video producer let me take all of the portraits for the radio station’s “DJ-Athon”. From those portraits I got hired into The Collegian Newspaper and College Avenue Magazine. Almost a year after my first shoot at the “DJ-Athon” I was shooting for the cover of College Avenue Magazine for homecoming at CSU and the video producer who had graduated and got me my first gig taking photos was performing with her dad. We caught up on lost time and I ended up putting her dad on the cover of the magazine. I luckily got her email to send her the photos and took her on a date from that same email. We have been dating a year and half now. While shooting for the newspaper I photographed a concert for a story and found my niche of concert photography and have shot many of the bands that play in Fort Collins and Denver. I have toured with a band as they went around the country as their lead photographer and have shot the entire Mask Exhibit for the Museum of Art in Fort Collins. I have traveled the length of Europe from Egypt to Norway photographing the experience. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of these amazing things without the help of my now girlfriend for giving me the chance to take photos of the CSU DJ’s. She’s the reason I pursue photography and videography so deeply, I want to make her proud and continue to do the thing I am most passionate about.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I love telling peoples stories, I am currently working on a Documentary for the “Do It Yourself” (DIY) music scene in Fort Collins and the best part of filming that was interviewing those who host these spaces. They are all so different and have so much character and passion for what they do and the community they support. I want to capture that feeling of learning about someone in all my work. The best compliment I have ever been given was when I shot for a singer at a Blast N Scrap show where after she had sent the photos, I had taken of her to their mother she said their mother cried because they were the most “her” photos her mother had ever seen. I’ve been chasing that dragon ever since. I want to make people feel cool but authentic. The best compliments can be direct but I like when people tell me the reaction of someone who has seen my photos of them for the first time and them getting super excited or feel really cool. I took photos of this saxophone player and I heard from a coworker of his that he thought the photos made him look so cool and I just want everyone to see themselves like that, in the best way possible.

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.
I would take the to Horsetooth reservoir and do a big loop before heading to Duncans ridge for a sit or to climb the face of that cliff. I would take them paddleboarding to the north end and jump off the cliff where the sketchy cable is. I would take them to Penrose for a burger and beer because I can’t get enough of their PB&J Burger. I would take them to the Mishawaka for the awesome drive through the poudre and see a show there. I would take them to CSU’s Mountain campus to hike up to the crashed plane up there. I would tube them down the poudre to get home and try to catch a drive-in movie near the reservoir.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well first I’d like to thank my mother for talking me out of chasing money for the wrong reasons and take the chance on my passion for photography and videography. I think I would be sitting at a desk pulling my hair out at a job I hate right now without her guidance. Second I’d like to thank my now girlfriend Taylor Sandal for giving me my first chance taking photos for someone, without that chance I wouldn’t be where I am today. Lastly I’d thank my professors at CSU for teaching and helping me become a better creator.

Website: https://www.graysonrobertreedmedia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grayborders/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grayson-reed-020260197/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grayson.reed.75

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0lYb30bNsTGM_HY2cknmwA

Image Credits
Grayson R Reed (@GrayBorders)