When Kevin Bradshaw was 12 years old he was already doubling up on career ambitions - as an aspiring young businessman and a photographer.
It was the beginning of a three-pillar strategy that would ultimately take him across the world to Africa and back to Canada where he is now aiming to become one of the most respected portrait photographers in the country.
The building of the first two pillars began more than four decades ago in the far northwestern corner of Alberta in the town of Rainbow Lake, a community of less than 900 citizens and hardly the centre of the business and art worlds.
And in those pre-digital camera days, Bradshaw, who could not afford to shoot colour, had to send his black and white film to Edmonton for processing. His clients had to wait up to three weeks to get their prints but the eager and young entrepreneur/artist made it work.
“I made a $25 a week profit in 1968,” said Bradshaw. “My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic X25 that used the old flash cubes. It was their mid-level model at the time. But really they were all junk, but I thought at the time they were pretty good.”
That daring early ambitious foray lasted for three years until he decided to leave home at the age of 15 to join an aviation company where he had the opportunity to learn that business as well. What his new venture also did was to offer him the opportunity to travel, which for many years took him to all corners of the Canadian Arctic. It was then that travel became the third primary pillar that would determine his future.
For the next four decades Bradshaw achieved significant success in the business world. He acquired decades of business management experience in the newspaper industry in Ontario, with photography companies and First Nations groups. During this time he kept up his photography, doing freelance shoots of news, including former prime minister Jean Chretien and the late federal NDP leader Jack Layton, as well as wildlife and portraits, with the latter becoming more and more his niche.
“What I have always enjoyed the most is when people look at my photography portraits and seeing the joy and satisfaction they get,” said Bradshaw, adding it was important for him to find his own style and process. “I had one lady look at my work of her and said while she loved it she didn't recognize the person she saw. That made me feel pretty good.”
Meanwhile, Bradshaw's business career eventually took him to South Africa. After more than four years working there, and with his own photography becoming more and more of a priority, he made a decision to pack up and come back to Canada – specifically Innisfail.
“I left South Africa with just two suitcases and two cameras,” said Bradshaw, who grew up in the Central Alberta communities of Eckville and Alix during his earliest preteen years. “My heart has never left Central Alberta. I am not sure why but it is the best community I have ever lived in. It has been good to me.”
For the past year, Bradshaw has still kept his fingers on the business world but his primary passion has moved more and more towards portrait and sports photography, most notably with the Innisfail Eagles. His work has increasingly earned more and more demand, particularly for his breathtaking portraits that combine art and journalism, telling a unique story through each assignment.
“You are telling a story but you can also be artistically creative at the same time. A portrait is usually more creative than journalistic,” said Bradshaw. “Any good photo tells a story. I try to do that as much as possible, even getting all the right expressions to go with it.”
Bradshaw is now settled in Innisfail. The three pillars of his career – business, photography and travel – have all been utilized to get him to where he is today. He's hoping that package will continue to propel him towards achieving each new challenge that comes his way.
“Life is about the journey, not the destination,” said Bradshaw philosophically. “I would like to become known as the best portrait photographer in Canada, and I am going to rebuild the biggest company (visual communications) of its kind in Canada. I may never achieve that but it is the goal and objective I have.”
And at the age of 58 he believes his life experience and continued energy will give him the boost he needs to achieve his goals.
“I am one week older than the Innisfail Auction Market. Jack Daines told me that at this year's Innisfail rodeo,” said Bradshaw with a big laugh. “But I believe in what I do and how I am going to do it, and I still want to do as much for Innisfail as the town already has done for me.”
For more information on Bradshaw's photographic work visit his website at www.kevinbradshaw.ca
