It’s fitting that William Bragg’s studio would be located inside Guitar
Castle because his photography is representative of the honesty, rebellion
and vulnerability of rock ‘n roll music. He started out shooting live
music in New York City and some of his pictures retain the metropolis’s
soul. That’s about the only part of Bragg’s self the images contain; by
getting to know his subjects before portraying them, his lens perfectly
captures the expression and surroundings that best describe their
personalities, and he can do this within an hour.
“We talk, I shoot, trust starts to build. We get to know each other,” said
Bragg. “People are exhausted after a two- to three-hour photo shoot. One
hour is enough to do location and clothing changes.” Bragg doesn’t take
hundreds of photos to come up with a few good ones; ten or twenty will do.
“I’m confident. I learned how to shoot on film media format,” he said.
One of Bragg’s customers is the Salem band Hundred Dollar Jayhawks. “If you’ve seen [guitarist] Chris Hooper play live, I’ve captured him really well,” said Bragg.
Hooper was pleased.
“He just takes photos of me while I’m just usually doing whatever I do. That’s what I like about him. He goes more for the natural moment rather
than the pose, which gives it a sense of realness,” said Hooper.
Bragg enjoys promoting local bands with media kits, posters, CD covers and
live shots. A promo package runs $150 but he works with low-budget clients
and will trade for CDs and other merchandise, or take payments. “We figure it out. I do whatever I can do to support the local music scene,” he said, though he admitted photographers have bills and families too.
“Salem is not a good market for photography,” he said. However, his reputation is growing and his clientele has expanded to include Grand Duchy, featuring the Pixies’ Frank Black and his wife Violet Clark, as well as commercial clients, the field of photography Bragg is most interested in at the moment. The many local businesses he has shot include Andaluz Tapas Bar, Slab Soap Company, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Normandy Guitars, Venti’s Cafe and Coffee House Cafe. He also snapped the Cherry City Derby Girls.
But his work is not limited to marketing; he’s being sought out by individuals and groups for a photo among Salem’s urban or natural settings, the subject’s home, or a studio portrait with a bright white, “high-key” background.
“I mostly do location shooting,” said Bragg, whose range includes senior, family and wedding photos.
“I like to capture the creativity and passion of a chef, musicians, people, anyone who is passionate about what they do,” he said, adding that he feels an urge to photograph everyone he meets. While social media and the availability of digital cameras have flooded the market, this has also increased demand for professional images. “More people are sharing their experiences and would like to have their photo taken to capture a memory of a place or time,” he said. “Anyone can have a camera, but a nice camera doesn’t make you a photographer; it’s the eye.”
Bragg relies on his diverse experience to connect with just about everyone he might portray: he grew up in Rhode Island, has a degree in political philosophy, was a rescue diver in the Coast Guard and a commercial fisherman. He lived in Japan for five years, was forced out of the Philippines for his involvement with labor organizing and backpacked through China by himself. He is also a father and a husband, as well as the Associate Director of the Willamette Academy, a non-profit branch of Willamette University helping under-represented youth attain a higher education.
“I ask what they want the photos for, think of a location and keep the conversation going. My pride is that I make people confident and comfortable in front of the camera,” said Bragg, whose creations have a strong narrative, becoming life illustrations with a certain motion, telling a story like a photojournalist might.
That’s not to say Bragg can’t do a quick headshot or a traditional photo.
“Just a headshot, anyone can do that. That’s not why I do photography. I have the urge to take this picture, capture something,” he said. “But I also can do it fast and right away. I do shiny happy pictures but I also do a little less traditional ones.”
He continued, “The people who use me are usually looking for something different, more than a typical walk through Bush Park. I have a style.
People should look at the general style of a few different photographers to see what they want to go with.”
He recommended potential clients to meet their photographers beforehand. “I’m not a small guy, I have tattoos and I have an accent, but I’m very outgoing,” he said, reassuring his ability to make people feel comfortable in his company, even those who hate having their picture taken.
“I’ve never had anyone complain. The style and the relationship with the photographer is what’s going to make a picture you like, an image that makes you happy.”
Bragg will remain in Salem, documenting its moments, its downtown, its culture and its visitors as they stroll through downtown looking for the right souvenir. “Salem is a pretty interesting place. It takes a little bit longer to know people but there’s a huge population of caring and smart people living with passion and purpose and that’s pretty important to me … Photography is definitely my passion. I’m always keeping up with new things, I enjoy it and I’m good at it.”
Personal rates start at $100 for a one hour photo shoot. For more information, go to WilliamBragg.com, visit the studio or call 503-400-2324.
