We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Paul Bearmon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Paul below.

Paul, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I have lived on the left side of my brain for the most of my life. .I have always had a scientific bent and pursued a 50-year career in clinical practice and teaching medicine.

When my sons were born 33 years ago, I started taking photos. When my youngest became interested in baseball, I would take photos of his team and games. I found myself interested in the people attending the games, those in the stands, and the coaches on the field. With time, I became more conscious of the lens I was using, the capabilities of the camera, and how best to take photos that contributed to a narrative.

I eventually became interested in exploring various genres. Street and nature at first, but then somewhat unexpectedly
became interested in attending and photographing events of various kinds, with an emphasis on fashion.
I had to learn how to flatter the models and capture the crowd as well. This required experience, time, and learning from others—through books and online.

I started doing studio work, which accelerated the learning process. You see your mistakes readily, and they can be painful.
I also taught myself various post-processing software and did this relying a great deal on teaching videos.

When I retired four years ago from medicine, I decided to use photography to “give back” to my community. I now do photography for several non-profit organizations, and my focus is on working with rescue organizations as well as those groups focused on children and families with difficulties. I will still do the occasional model shoot as well as events of various sorts. Occasionally, for instance, when shooting a model for her portfolio or adding something of some sort, I charge. Most often, I then donated the money.

The thing about photography is that each of the various activities requires expanding one’s skills. Outdoor work with animals involves a different skill set than indoor fashion shoots with models. Shooting children or families well in either open events or studio sessions requires different approaches and techniques. Over time, I’ve become more attuned to color and light and how to obtain results that I like both in the camera and then through post-processing. I’m more sensitive to lens choice and the “look” I want to obtain. This has required study and, most importantly, time and attention to detail.

There is tremendous teaching available online, most of it free, and most of it is shared readily by those who want to share.
the success they are having with their craft.

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

Being obsessive is both a curse and a blessing. As a physician, it is required. As an artist, it is maddening because there is rarely a clear end point. It is easy to fall down a “rabbit hole” in an effort to obtain an idealized effect.
better emulate fine work and accept one’s limitations.

I am rarely okay with an area unless I understand it well. And in photography, this involves cameras, lenses,
lighting, positioning, composing, and, of course, how best to work with people in certain genres. My time in medicine,
(I worked in ER and UC and taught), which meant ongoing interaction with the public; a great deal of learning was involved.
This has translated into photography, even when working with animals. Patience, compassion and a sense of humor are key.

Like Saul Leiter, one of my favorite photographers, I am rarely in a hurry.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I like play. Most sentient beings play or can play, and this is a gift. For decades I taught medical students,
and to do this well involves the play of learning, of discovering, and of hopefully of helping.

Art involves taking something from within our minds, tossing it around and applying filters. Why the end result
wants to see daylight is a question beyond my pay scale. But play in some form has a big role.

I like helping rescue animals and people having bumpy roads. Money is not much of a motivator for me – I was
the lowest “charger” among a large group of doctors during my career – and I disliked any efforts to create higher charging.

I do photography because I enjoy the process and art – and that is my pay.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Most every person has to be resilient. Being capable of feeling and thinking necessitates resilience of all sorts. Life is about facing fears and following your passions.

One lesson I take to heart when it comes to resilience is “you may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” Thatcher

The corollary—pick your battles—is also critical.

As a physician, I pushed the boundaries of fair charging and practice guidelines—boundaries that were “berlin walls” in nature. As a coach, I started a non-profit organization working toward fairer use of community resources for kids wanting to participate in sports, which also meant a different emphasis on how sports were structured. Again, thick brick walls of opposition were pervasive. There have been multiple other battles, each challenging and each requiring “resilience.” Not all battles can be won, and knowing where to put one’s efforts is important. Im still learning but still fighting when possible – and this requires resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.paulbearmon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulbearmon/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulbearmonphotography
• Other: Google Me https://www.momsteam.com/blog/april-national-youth-sports-safety-month/paul-bearmon-internal-medicine-fighting-balance-fairness reflects kids sports issue https://pbpics.smugmug.com/Brave-souls-22 event photography https://pbpics.smugmug.com/CCA-Talent event photography https://pbpics.smugmug.com/RuffStart-Transport-January/n-2NbSwC https://participatorymedicine.org/journal/opinion/commentary/2011/03/14/who-gets-to-define-quality/ -(see my letter – which reflects much of what I tried to bring to the table in a large clinic practice)

Image Credits
Tessa Torreano ( girl with lake as background) Erin Marie ( model with scarf) Maya Masters (model in front of construction) Cassie Albertin (model with dog – “Turbo” )