We were lucky to catch up with Paul Bivens recently and have shared our conversation below.
Paul, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I learned what I know now through the great and powerful YouTube University haha, My father was a hobbyist photographer competing in photo contest in Charlotte, North Carolina. I grew watching him take photos and seeing his prints on our walls at home, I took photography class in high school but I truly learned the skill years later. From using YouTube videos to learn the technical accepts of photography and shooting every chance I got to learn the art and honing in on my particular style. I grew up in a smaller town in the Carolinas and moved to southern California in 2013, having seen new landscapes for the first time and being exposed to surfing, I quickly ramped up my progression and started shooting anything I could and producing free shoots for small businesses. I completed a fashion photography internship in 2014 and have had a camera in my hand ever since.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I guess I already answered most of this question, having been around photography my whole life and moving to a new state and traveling got me very interested in taking photography more serious and to the next level. This was also the time instagram was getting popular so it provided a place to display photography and other arts like never before. I shoot a lot of lifestyle scene with mostly natural light so I will pitch a shoot idea to a business owner then chose a subject/talent and pick a location to shoot the scenes in depending on the product or concept we are going for. Travel/landscapes and my original love for photography so when shooting for a company I will combine landscape photography and product/fashion to create stunning imagery that tells a story about said product or outfit.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Being able to make an income doing something that I actually enjoy, even if your working for another business or client I am creating and enjoying my time.. for the most part lol. I never saw myself following the norms put on society ie going to college, getting a desk job for some company I don’t care about in an industry that bores me to death. I dropped out of community college and moved to California to pursue living a life that suits me. I was originally pursuing a career in fitness training and health and wellness. at the time I was working in the prepared foods department at Whole Foods Market and teaching classes in fitness studios.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I grew up in a working class family where both parents worked hard and often helped my mother with work after school so I learned the value of money quite young, I was always conscious of where I was spending my money and was able to save better than my peers. Having a full time job at Whole Foods and teaching classes gave me the funds to spend on my first real camera and other accessories involved. My first camera I bought was a Nikon D3100 in a bundle with two stock lenses and a camera bag for around $500, I have of course upgraded multiple times since then but have stayed in the Nikon family. I spent all my days off work playing with the camera, making mistakes and developing my style.
Contact Info:
- Website: paulbivensimagery.com
- Instagram: @paulbivens
- Youtube: Etsy.com/shop/mountaincoastco