Brady Kesner Landscape Photography

Yours truly posing for a quick snapshot with my trusty camera rig and tripod. (O.K., well, it wasn’t a quick snapshot. It took my wife and I about 37 shots to get one where I looked halfway normal). Extensive wrinkling around the eyes has been removed in Photoshop.

About Brady Kesner Photography

The Atypical Artist’s Statement

Artist statements tend to be stuffy, incoherent, and self-centered. I’d like to do something different here. If you really want to know about me, I’m flattered, and you should read the bulleted list below.

  • My wife and my daughters mean everything to me. I am most grateful for their patience while I’m busy taking photographs. Our vacations and weekend outings have been an adventure, and a true test of their patience, to say the least.
  • I am competitive to a fault.
  • As far as I’m concerned, there is only one flavor of ice cream and that’s chocolate. Don’t let anyone else convince you differently.
  • I get really excited by sunrises and sunsets.
  • I have a Barry Manilow playlist in my Spotify account. I’d really appreciate it if you kept that to yourself.
  • Photography is not my way of ‘expressing myself’ like many artists might say about their art. On the contrary, it’s not about me at all. Instead, I want to engage the viewer and ask, “Look at the beautiful creation that is Nature in this image; certainly you can find peace and joy in it. Do you agree it is important to be good stewards of the Earth to protect and conserve it?”
  • Or, “Look at these images depicting a Simple Lifestyle. Isn’t it a great idea to appreciate and respect the value of those in the past who chose to live a simple and productive life? Maybe a simple life is good for us, too?”
  • My photos are an appeal… an appeal to slow down, get outside, and discover some of the simplest of pleasures in life.
  • If I had it to do over, I would have chosen to work in the field of Nature Conservancy. And maybe someday I will.
  • Like a lot of folks, I crave a simple life… one that’s busy enough to be fulfilling, but not too busy to be stressful.
  • There is beauty in simplicity.
  • Minimalism is not a trend, it’s an answer to a happier life. Google it and get back to me. We’ll talk about it.
  • I play a mean game of Ping Pong.
  • Pet peeves: arrogance, cigarette smoke, litter bugs, and really loud motorcycles.
  • My wife says I’m a 75 year old man in a young man’s body. Maybe I am. I greatly admire our older generations and find myself agreeing with them all the time. And how I love wearing black socks with shorts!
  • I believe in saying “Sir” and “Ma’am”.
  • To make a good photograph, you have to know a handful of compositional rules and then have the vision and knowledge to break them.
  • Coffee; I love coffee. Think of all the great things you can do after you have a cup of coffee! Black, no cream, please.
  • Most people don’t know this, but I have played guitar in a rock band for a long time, over 400 shows, and still playing. Many a late night, and boy, do I have some stories.
  • I make a lot of Simple Life images because I am very attracted to that lifestyle. I believe we as as a society desperately need to re-discover a simpler way of living that’s less dependent on money and possessions.
  • Shiny things give me a headache. And so do fluorescent colors.
  • One of my favorite places as a kid was my Grandma’s Kitchen in Boyd, Wisconsin.
  • Something I wish I was much better at, but am not: Gardening.
  • I really want to live in the country someday.
  • I believe this to be true: God exists… and Heaven, well, it’s made up of every joyous experience with Nature you’ve ever had. And, Jesus is waiting for you and me.
  • If I spend an afternoon outside, looking for a good Nature image, and I come away empty-handed, it’s still a pretty darn good way to spend some time. As famed conservationist and naturalist John Muir said, “In every walk with Nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”

Artist Statement – For the Press

Brady Kesner, of Highland, Illinois, is a self-taught photographer specializing in Nature and Rural Photography. His Nature photographs reflect a belief in the power of Nature to sooth and heal our souls while his rural imagery celebrates the joy of living a simple life.

“Call me an artist if you must,” says Kesner, “but my photographs are not about me. Sure, they are my interpretation of the subject at hand, but I think their value lies in how they make the viewer feel.”

“It’s my desire to encourage people to love and respect Nature and our planet through my images. I believe comfort, healing and nourishment can be found in Nature if we would only take the time to experience it as we should. Beauty, color, joy… Nature provides it all. If you can’t get outside, maybe one of my photographs can bridge the connection for you,” he says.

“Likewise, we live crazy lives with pressures, schedules, and stresses that we create ourselves. We no longer understand the value of a simple, slower pace of life. But those folks who lived years ago did. Everything about their way of life should not be forgotten and should be considered as solutions to some of our problems today. That’s why I celebrate rural images in my photography.”

Kesner’s photographs are infused on metal for optimum brilliance and clarity and are for sale at art fairs near his home and through this website. They are also on permanent display in a number of hospitals, medical facilities, company collections and too many homes to count.

Kesner’s portfolio, photo journal and lots of other cool stuff can be found at www.bradykesner.com.