CHUCK BRADLEY

About

To hear Chuck Bradley speak, you'd be surprised to learn that he's been working as a photographer in Australia for the past 27 years. His accent still strongly carries the sounds of Willow Street, Pennsylvania where Chuck was born and discovered what he calls his "love of the light".

Chuck got his first camera - a Canon AT1 - as a graduation present from his parents who were anxious over what he'd do for work. The gift worked. Chuck's first job was as a darkroom technician in a big studio, watching photographers there and learning the craft. It wasn't long after that Chuck went out on his own, never assisting for anyone, but shooting "shed-loads" of film to develop his style. "I love the light," says Chuck. "The lighting has always been paramount to me: the way it looks on an object or a person."

For that reason, Chuck loves to let the subject speak. "It's about the subject, not the post production," he says. It's a philosophy he takes both to his commercial work and his personal projects.

His current "Life Aquatic" work is a great example. Capturing fish, ducks, and jellyfish in almost lyrical studies, Chuck is striving to open up a world that no-one ever sees. "It's organic. You find your subject, you light it, it is what it is - minimal retouching. It's nice to escape overworked images and the trickery that's so prevalent in this CGI world."

Crossing the Pittwater in Sydney's North by tinny from hisstudio on Scotland Island, Chuck is always on the lookout for new subjects. And new inspirations.

Exhibitions:
Sole installation- Manly Aquatic Sanctuary Sept 2012
Group Show- Manly Regional Gallery Manly Sept. 2011
Group Show- Show Case Galley Sydney June 2011
Group Show- BSG Gallery Melbourne January 2011
Group Show- Gone Fishing Gallery Dec 2010

Awards:
Two Honorable Mentions IPA 2012 "A Day at the Zoo" "Streets of Vietnam"
SilverShotz Portfolio Selection 2011 (two bodies of work selected)
International Photography Award 2011 2nd place Nature Under water "Life Aquatic"
Finalist Olive Cotton Portrait Prize 2010
SIverShotz Portfolio Selection 2010
Three Polaroid transfers aquired by the Polaroid Collection in Cambridge Ma.
Finalist at D&AD and AWARD
Twice a finalist in the Folio Awards
Silver and bronze awards from AIPP
Numerous pieces accepted into the ACMP collection.

Chuck in front of his Island studio with Laika the dog.