Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad DeRuntz.
Brad, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started getting into photography in high school when I took a film photo class that taught us how to shoot and develop our own film. My enjoyment of the art form led to me getting my first digital camera and taking photos as a hobby and sort of an escape from my daily responsibilities. Photography stayed with me through high school but became much more of a serious endeavor once I reached college. I attended Columbia College in Chicago and was traveling into the heart of the city about three or four times a week for class. The city held so many opportunities for taking photos, so I regularly found myself running around Chicago after class taking photos of everything I could. I was photographing architecture, working with models, and overall capturing Chicago in a way that represents me.
After graduation, I decided to pack up and move down to Florida, both for the nicer weather and to be closer to one of my favorite places, Walt Disney World. Bringing my camera to the parks became the norm for me, and the photos I captured here gave me feelings of joy I haven’t felt through my photography before. I think there is so much to capture at the parks between all the beautiful design and the smiling characters that no day of shooting is ever the same. I am rarely in the parks without my camera equipment because you never know when the perfect shot may present itself. There have been plenty of times where I miss the shot I was looking to get, but there’s always another day to try. I am always looking to expand my photography skills and grow, and plan to start shooting more portrait photography and astrophotography in the next year.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. I have given up on photography many times in the past. Photography started out as something for me, to express myself in a way that allowed me to escape reality. However, once social media really started to become a necessity for artists, specifically Instagram, things changed for me. Posting my work on Instagram was exciting at first, and my page started to grow with more attention to my photos. However, posting those photos that you are super excited about just to ultimately see not many others enjoying it can be discouraging for sure. I think when you’re excited about your work but you don’t see that reaction out of others, you start to question yourself a bit and try to figure out what you’re doing wrong. These situations have led to me putting down the camera for weeks or not posting any work on my social media for a bit, but somehow I always find my way back. I think I am starting to get to a point of understanding that my work is more for my enjoyment, but if others end up liking it than that’s just a nice bonus.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My day job is as a graphic designer, which I started in college. I have done freelance work for businesses, musicians, artists and have spent time employed at marketing agencies. My design work is very modern and clean, and I enjoy doing a lot of branding design. I think my design experience and knowledge has played a big part in my photography, both visually and through editing. I’d say right now I specialize in Disney photography, and because Disney was such a big part of my childhood, I am really proud of the photos I capture at the Disney Parks.
To be honest, I’m not sure there is much that separates me from others, the way I see it is we are all photographers capturing the world as we see it. I think photography is often looked at to often as a competition and not as much as a collaboration. No two photographers see things the same or will capture photos the same, or edit photos the same. I have several photographer friends and when we shoot together, I love seeing how the end photos all will turn out differently. However, I’d say my style of photography is often very bright, and I love to make the lighting in the photo feel like it is glowing.
What are your plans for the future?
In 2021, I would like to get back to taking more portraits and working with other creatives. With the pandemic, most of us have been distant from others and stuck inside but I’m looking to the future to start working with others again in a safe way. I also plan to start shooting more astrophotography or even making regular trips to the rocket launches on Space Coast to try and capture those. I can’t wait to look back on the photos I’m currently taking and seeing how I grow throughout 2021.
Contact Info:
- Email: bradderuntz@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.bradderuntz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradderuntz/
