We were lucky to catch up with Brett Bell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brett, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

In learning the craft of photography, a lot of my journey has been trial and error. I have been very bold in trying new things whether I succeed or fail. My failures have taught me a lot of necessary techniques that have helped me seek knowledge of how to become a better photographer. At the time of starting my photography journey, I was early in my marriage and a young father. I didn’t have the finances to invest in classes or mentorship towards gaining knowledge in the craft. I sought out training online and in books to understand the craft better & applied what I learned out in the field. The two most essential skills that I learned and what I teach others are to learn your camera and how it works & to understand the basics of lighting whether that be natural lighting or controlled lighting.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I, Brett am an internationally published black photographer specializing in Fashion and Headshot photography behind my signature light shaping techniques. Throughout the years, I have built a multifaceted portfolio in beauty, boudoir, senior, commercial and wedding photography.

I have 9 years experience in the field of photography. My journey began by purchasing at DSLR to film music videos for friends. I took a serious liking towards videography and had no interest in photography at all. Over time, my interests shifted as I began to see the creativity in photography and I made a pursuit towards the understanding of it. I have since merged to two skills to build my brand, J Bell Visuals providing bold, unique conceptual visuals.

I find my style to be unique in I push the limits on what I create. I enjoy utilizing vibrant colors with heavy shadows & contrast from obscure angles to create a unique, unmatched image. I pride myself on when a client books me for an artistic session, they know that they will receive a style of image that you won’t typically see amongst the masses. I can be quirky and strange in my creations but I love how our differences set us apart from others.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

What drives my journey is being a creative. I absolutely love to create and I enjoy the aspect of art. Art is subjective, not everyone is going to enjoy my art but there are many that do enjoy it. Overall, I want to create timeless art that isn’t held to a time period but nevertheless stands the test of time.

How did you build your audience on social media?

There is a comedian that I follow which has a very dark style of comedy. He’s funny, but he’s not for everyone. He has an incredible following. I learned over the years from this comedian that there is an audience for what you create. Everyone won’t like or understand your art but there are a lot that will. Once I’ve been able to wrap my mind around this concept, I’ve been able to build a following for my brand.

Using this concept has given me the confidence to build the following that I have and continue to grow. My approach is to tell people through my social media channels what is cool and what is Art. My biggest piece of advice for those starting out is to be bold in your approach, don’t be afraid of your concept of art. There is a following for you, you just have to find that audience and tap into it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jbellvisuals.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbellvisuals_art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jbellvisuals/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-bell-jr/

Image Credits
Maya Reyes James Roy Cheney McConnell Qwineja Erb Arianna Scott Kenny Davis Don Hales Eric Brown Jess Lauer