The Midwest, 4x5 Photo, Instinct, & Portraiture with Bryan Birks
Produced by Worlds Through Minds founder, Macy Castañeda Lee.
- Name, age, where are you from, what format you like using, what are you currently working on if you are?
My name is Bryan Birks. I'm 33 years old and currently reside in St. Louis, Missouri. A couple of years ago I fell in love with using a large format camera, and that has been my main camera for the past three or so years. I've tried various other mediums, but I always come back to 4x5. I try my best to use it on assignment work, but sometimes I have to use digital for ease of use and the ability to turn around work much quicker. I am currently working on a long-term project called Articles of Virtu that is based in the Midwest and explores the relationship between people and the cars that they own. It is a color project that I've been working on for four years now, and I'm not sure when it will be done. Every time I think it might be done, there is always something that tells me otherwise. I also just started working on another project that is loosely based around the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. I don't want to give away too much because it is in the very first stages. But I am very excited to see where that goes. That specific project will be all in black and white.
- What about your surroundings/environments and upbringing interested you?
I have always been interested in the Midwest and specifically the more rural communities of the Midwest. I grew up in a town called Festus just north of a small town called Bloomsdale. We had to drive to a local convenience store to meet the pizza guy whenever we would order takeout because they wouldn't come all the way out to our house. I tend to gravitate towards smaller towns and places where I can strike up conversations with people. Walking around a town with less than 1,000 people is a lot more interesting to me than going to a big city of a million. I feel like in the latter the possibilities are endless, and I already have enough trouble picking what to photograph half the time.
- When was the first time you met photography? How did you feel when you met it?
My main job is a wedding videographer, so I knew how to use a camera long before I found photography. I would always say photography was easy compared to filmmaking because it was a snapshot and not a moving picture...I knew very little at the time. The first time I thought about getting into photography was when I randomly stumbled across an image shot on medium format film. The halation from the Cinestill film was so new to me. Why was it glowing red? Is it a filter? I did a deep dive that day on film, and then I came across the work of Alec Soth, Bryan Schutmaat, and Joel Sternfeld. I was hooked. I began researching cameras and bought a Mamiya 645. I quickly went up in formats and bought a 4x5 in 2020.
- Tell us about your B&W photography, specifically when using 4x5. How does it differ from other mediums you have used?
Black and white is such a joy to use. Not only is it cheaper than color film, but it allows you to focus on the subject and composition a lot more. You're not worried about the colors of a scene and which ones are going to stand out. I also think that large format black and white film is extremely hard to replicate. There's just something about it and the way the light transitions from the shadows to the highlights. I've used a lot of different film stocks, but the gold standard for me is TMax 100 processed in HC-110. It just sings in a way I can't describe.
- How did you find your visual literacy? Why are you attracted to certain images than others?
Honestly I am still working on my visual literacy. I think I started photographing by going with my instincts, and that led me to where I am now. I did my fair share of experimentation and copying other photographers. I feel like that is a necessary step for a lot of people to find their own style and language. I am mostly attracted to portraiture, and I'm not exactly sure why. I think it has a lot to do with me being a very introverted person and deep down wanting to know people on a deeper level. Portraits allow me to do that in a brief interaction. Rarely do I photograph someone and leave with just a picture.
- Feel free to share any photographers that has had a huge impact on your career.
This list could go on for many paragraphs, so I will keep it short. Alec Soth showed me that you can be world-renowned but also be vulnerable. Joel Sternfeld taught me to be patient and wait to get the shot you want. Don't settle for anything. Bryan Schutmaat showed me that you can display someone's soul in a portrait. I aim to try and do that every time. Judith Joy Ross taught me that it is okay to have a brief encounter with someone, photograph them, and potentially never see them again. I know these answers are not specifically tied to my career, but they are the most influential lessons I have had thus far.
- Imagine meeting someone who is picking up a camera for the first time. what do you tell them?
I would tell them to have fun. Not take it too seriously. Don't spend too much time on social media. Always overexpose. Get a good photobook collection going. Photograph your loved ones. Don't be an asshole. Help people whenever you can. Don't eat yellow snow.
