Meet Preston Bolyard | Automotive Photographer

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

Hi Preston, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
One of the main reasons I chose to pursue an artistic career is because I love to focus on the details of life. Especially on cars. Being able to capture the little details that make up a car is really special to me. Some of my favorite cars to shoot are Classic Cars. Cars really aren’t made the way now like they used to be. I also decided to do automotive photography because I have a love for both cars and photography so I combined my two passions and started bringing my camera to car shows which helped me meet so many people who have helped me get to where I’m at today.

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.
One of the things that sets me apart from others are my detail photographs. When it comes to my automotive photography, I love to focus on classic cars because cars aren’t made the way they used to be. I love focusing on the smaller details that people may not notice on a day-to-day basis.

Some of the things I’m most proud of would have to be being a part of an automotive related charity and being their photographer sponsor. The reason I am so proud of this achievement is because we give back to the community and do car shows which are two of my favorite elements to combine. Another subject I am very proud of was being able to photograph a Pontiac Trans Am that was themed after the Smokey and the Bandit movies and was even signed by Burt Reynolds. The fact that I love classic muscle cars and being offered to shoot such a prestigious car such as this one was a big honor and a big milestone in my photography career.

To get where I’m at professionally definitely hasn’t been easy. To get where I’m at took a lot of hard work and dedication. Not only that but, it took a lot of reaching out to individuals and groups to try to network and meet new people to get more shoots. At first, I was super shy, and it was hard for me to go up to people to ask them to do photoshoots but over the years, it’s definitely been getting easier and more fun to do. The best way I overcame this was because I learned to be more confident in myself and my photography. Not only that but, since I share a love and passion for cars, it really helped me connect with the owners of the cars I’ve photographed. Another one of my challenges that I am still currently facing is trying to stick out in a very competitive market. When it comes to automotive photography, anyone with a phone could really do it if they wanted to but, what sets me apart is the experience I deliver. A big lesson I’ve learned along the way is that if you’re passionate about something, then it makes talking to people a lot easier.

When it comes to the brand of Unleash Photography, I want the world to see this as my way of unleashing my vision of automotive photography to them. The way I may edit my photos or the types of cars I photograph may not be for everyone but, I love what I do and enjoy every second of it.

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?
When it comes to living in Colorado Springs, there’s definitely no shortage of activities to do. You get to see Colorado’s real natual beauty when you go to Garden of the Gods to get views from the Mountain Goats to the Kissing Camels Rock formations. You can also get in a nice walk or hike to watch the sunset. Not too far from there you get a nice warm funnel cake down in Manitou Springs while you are indulging and trying not to lick the powder sugar off your fingers while you take in the shops and nightly entertainment. While you walk up and down Manitou you can work up an appetite for some delicious Mexican food with one the biggest margaritas you’ve ever seen from the Loop. To the end of day one, you can take a nice drive up the mountain pass and watch the nature and the smell of the pine trees grow closer as you get closer to the top of the pass. On day two I would stop in Woodland Park to eat at the Hungry Bear for some homemade Pancakes and a nice fresh cup of coffee. From there we can take a nice quiet drive to Eleven-mile reservoir. We will find a good location to pull off to the side and listen the river flow so peacefully, soak up some sun and relax the day away. On the way home from Eleven-mile, we will stop at the Wines of Colorado to get some dinner and do a little Wine tasting of the Colorado local grapes! Colorado has some amazing history to see as well from the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Museum to the many trails of nature to see. There is always something to see or do. One of the best and easier hikes to see and do is Helen Hunt Falls. You hike up the many steps and once you reach the top you get to take in the breath-taking views and sounds of the water rushing down the mountain. It is a perfect spot to have a nice picnic at the top of the mountain. From there, just a couple miles north is another hiking trail called seven bridges. You get to walk across seven different bridges and get to take in the chipmunks running around your feet and the many different birds soaring the blue Colorado skies. The mystery of not knowing what the next bridge will look like keeps pushing you closer and closer to the top of the mountain to enjoy the ice-cold Colorado river flowing so effortlessly. As you come back into town down the mountain, there are two ways you can take, one way is paved, and the other is a long and twisting dirt road named Gold Camp Road. I love being able to take the dirt road back into town because of the scenic view looking onto the right-hand side of the car and seeing as far as the eye can see. People claim that the road is haunted as well and there are two tunnels you have to go through along the way. If you stop and turn off your car and lights sometimes you will hear the laughing of little kids and have handprints on your car when you exit. It is one of my favorite hauntings of Colorado. When you get back into town you will end up on a road called 21st street which is home to one of my favorite local restaurants for dinner, Colorado Mountain Brewery. From the venison eggrolls to the juicy salmon, you can’t go wrong ordering any food from them. On day four we would wake up extra early to go to arguably one of the best breakfast restaurants in town called Doug’s. They offer warm and tasty freshly made biscuits that are to die for as well as many other tasty treats. After having such a delicious meal, the best way to work off those extra calories is taking a drive up to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is so spectacular because of how it’s put right in the side of a mountain. The animals have some incredible habitats. Some of my favorites have to be the Penguins and the Hippos which are two of the zoo’s newest attractions. The way the revamped these habitats to help their animals be happier and have more space is really amazing. On the way down from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo we could stop in the Broadmoor to check out the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Museum. The Pikes Peak Hill Climb just had its 100th running this year which was one of the craziest years for inclement weather that I have ever seen. The racer’s goal is to drive up the 14,000ft mountain of Pikes Peak as fast as they can without going over. It’s definitely a very cool event to attend during the month of June. On my best friend’s final day, it would only be right if we did something somewhat car related and drove on over to Overdrive Raceway for some friendly competition around the go kart track. Racing can sure build up an appetite that only Mod Pizza can cure. Mod pizza is one of the best bangs for your buck pizza places in C0lorado Springs because you can add as many mouthwatering toppings as you want for one price and it’s always a great time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When it comes to my success, there are definitely so many people and groups I could thank. The first person being my father. Every time I took new photos, he was always one of the first people I would send my photos to because he also had a love for cars, especially Camaros. One of the biggest groups that have helped me in my Automotive Photography journey would have to be the team at Drift Colorado. I first started going to Pikes Peak International Raceway to watch these guys and gals in their drift cars and taking photos of them. I would take thousands of photos a day at their events and then post them to Facebook where they would all share them with each other and tag the owners of the cars for me since I didn’t know anyone at the time. The next person that has been a huge help in my photography career is an Oklahoma Photographer named Court Duncan. Court has been a mentor to me for many years now. I know whenever I have any questions about my photos, he will be there and give me great advice. One of my biggest first steps into the Classic Car scene was because of my Father-In-Law Keith Barilli. At the time he worked for a body shop that did a lot of repairs and restorations on very cool classic cars. He was always open to letting me walk around the shop and get photos of whatever I wanted to as long as I stayed out of his way. Shooting at his work helped me think outside the box and shoot in environments that didn’t have a lot of room. He then later opened up his own business and asked me to take the photos before, during, and after of the restorations him and his business partner worked on. I went to college and got a degree in Commercial Photography and if it wasn’t for the amazing professors at Arapahoe Community College pushing me to new bounds and challenging me to think more creatively then I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. With my most recent ventures I have been a part of, Mayhem Racing Charities, a local automotive charity, is and has been one of my biggest supporters when it comes to my photography business. I am their sponsor photographer for their events and their charity. They definitely love supporting small businesses and I am so glad to be a part of their team. Of course, the list could just keep going on forever, but these are just some of the people in my life that have really changed me for the better and have really helped myself grow as well as my business.

Website: https://unleashphotography.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preston-bolyard-07b803146/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnleashPhotography

Image Credits
Unleash Photography