INTERVIEW BY: SETH MILLSTEIN (HYG) SF 

When talking with Grady Brannan, you get the impression that he would have been successful regardless of what field he pursued. Brannan is a talented photographer and there is no doubt about it. This past summer, he was brought on by Billboard Magazine to help shoot the Outside Lands music festival, but that’s just part of the picture. Amateur skater, part-time promoter, and full-time college student as well, Grady has a natural ability to sense and secure promising opportunities around him. Equal parts skill, enthusiasm, and drive, Brannan’s path to success has wandered through many avenues while remaining both inspiring and hard-earned.

We are in tough economic times. These days, it’s impressive if you can convince a promoter to give you an internship; it’s almost unheard of to be requested to intern. Yet this is precisely what happened to Brannan. Many artists struggle to find job experiences in the ‘real world’ that are in line with their creative talents and passions, but Brannan does not approach his craft in this way. Brannan has a knack for setting his sights high and taking decisive steps in that direction. He began as an aspiring skateboarder in Santa Cruz, but the convergence of two chance events gradually led him to a successful career as a photographer.

While skating under AT&T Park, Brannan suffered an unfortunate career-ending knee injury that put an abrupt halt to his dreams of skating professionally. This was upsetting to say the least, but far more tragic was the untimely accidental death of Eric Costello. A local skater, teacher, and icon around town, Costello “helped the kids out,” Brannan states. “After he passed away, I realized there weren’t many photos of him.” This realization led Brannan to photography. “I was thinking, I’m going to lose a whole lot more friends in my lifetime,’ so I just started shooting photos of everything.” he explains. 

Brannan started photographing his close friends at the skate park, many of them were competitors in the professional and sponsored circuits. His immersion in SF’s skating scene led Brannan to Justin Gold, marketing manager at Sessions Outwear in Santa Cruz and a prominent figure in the skateboarding industry. Gold was impressed with Brannan and offered him his first marketing internship, an offer that Brannan readily accepted. When Gold moved on to Thrasher Magazine in San Francisco, he brought Brannan along as a web contributor. From that point, Brannan enrolled in college in SF while continuing to refine himself as an artist. A hub of creativity, San Francisco was the perfect place for him to do so. Brannan took advantage of San Francisco’s endless photo opportunities, using his unique perspective to capture the city’s distinctive energy. Brannan’s undeniable drive and open mind are evident in his diverse portfolio. It was only a matter of time before his ability caught the attention of Tom Roche, a well-known promoter in San Francisco. The success of an event promoted and photographed by Brannan led Roche to bring him on as a full-time promoter for his new company, Institution SF. After a long period of sustained success in that capacity, he earned his current position: Head of Promotions/In-House Photographer for Institution SF.

On top of all of these successes and achievements, Brannan maintains a personal blog that gets an average of 10,000 hits a month; and did we mention that he only recently turned twenty?

For some people, “networking” refers to a conscious mindset, a decision to enter a social situation with the intent of meeting valuable contacts. For others–those who are ultimately more successful at it–networking is passive and subconscious, the byproduct of an organic, sincere interest in other human beings. Grady Brannan falls into the second category; his desires to hold genuine relationships and to help others pursue their passions is honestly a breath of fresh air. Timing, subject matter, and vantage points are crucial elements that collectively make up a photographer’s distinct ‘eye’. Despite the competition that exists in the profession, Brannan has stayed true to his selfless nature, always willing to share advice and knowledge he has gained through his experiences. Unfortunately for his competition, though he may offer advice, Brannan’s eye can neither be imitated nor replicated. His growing portfolio and professional networks are a testament to his knack for living life to the fullest and capturing every moment along the way.

The world is watching Grady Brannan.

Get it, Grady — it’s all yours.

IN.GRADY’S.MIND

AN AD LIBITUM COLLOQUY WITH GRADY BRANNAN 

If I had a choice, I’d take pepperoni. I am a picky eater.

Hustling is a standard procedure.

Don’t wait, because if you wait, someone else will do it first.

The best businessman doesn’t jump on the first offer thrown on the table.

If I could wake up tomorrow in 1967, living on Haight Street would be MUCH different!

Growing up in Santa Cruz assisted my outlook on life. It taught me not to take things too seriously.

I need an entire day to do my statistics homework.

SF life can be crazy and overwhelming or slow and boring depending on the group of people you surround yourself with.

Growing up in Santa Cruz allowed me to surf the best waves, skate the best parks and grow up with some of the best friends I could ask for. Thursday Club, TDMC, Boardroom, the boys at So Fresh, the groms at the skatepark: you guys always have a couch to crash on.

In-N-Out is a California staple, but I would take a burrito from Los Gallos over a Double-Double any day.

The MUNI should have a train down 19th Ave. I’m over the 28 and I believe every SF State student will agree with me.

Within the last year, I accomplished things I never thought I was capable of.  Living in San Francisco has allowed me the opportunity to do things that I never imagined I would do. The foundation of connections that I have established has opened so many doors. What’s great is the fact that I can share it all with the circle of friends that I surround myself with.

Twitter is now something to do on the bus… I seem to do about 80% of my tweeting on the SF MUNI.

When in doubt, don’t make sh*t up. Don’t speak about things you know nothing about. You’ll just look dumb.

Seeing your name in publications is rewarding and humbling. The idea that someone else wants your photos to be showcased in a publication is a huge compliment and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

‘Hella’ got kinda played out.

If Spotify is the new Pandora, then I should accept the invitation email I got from Brian Ball.

Google+ makes me annoyed. Now I have to learn a new social platform.

I’ve been on Facebook since you had to have a college email to be a member. After I visited UCLA as a sophomore in high school, one of my friends linked me with a UCLA email address and from that point on I’ve had a presence on Facebook.

The more Facebook friends, the more you hear “I’m your friend on Facebook” in awkward social scenarios.

The last time I went to Vegas will never be topped. Scope this - EDC Vegas.

Institution SF is here to stay.

My favorite spot in SF is the Haight House.

Things may seem shitty,  but there is always something to learn. The glass is always half-full – but I’ve always paid my water bill.

I always send my little sister photos and videos of her favorite bands when I’m shooting.

Living in the Sunset District couldn’t have been any more destructive. We partied so hard that  the neighbors blamed lowering property values on us and our “rebellious” antics.

The three items I always have on me are my camera, my iPhone, and a beanie in my back pocket.

Trust is everything. If you don’t have trust, how are you going to rely on anyone to get anything done?

Mixing friends with business can be either the best thing for a relationship or the worst thing ever.

Art can be an escape from the stress that builds up from everyday activities. If I’m ever super stressed out, I’ll grab a roll of film and hop on a bus. Different human emotions produce different perspectives on the world around you. Take advantage of that.

Once I’ve worn an outfit, it gets tossed into a basket for about a month until I do my laundry next.

The best Friday night comes with no plans.

Moving to the Upper Haight so far has changed my perspective on San Francisco.

The difference between friends and associates is that friends drink out of the bottle whereas associates drink out of the glass.”

The best Sunday night occurs with no plans.

NYC seems like my downfall. When I came to San Francisco, I went crazy. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I lived in New York City.

The last time I dreamt,  I got mugged in the Tenderloin… Not chill.

Sleep is for the afternoon.

Yesterday is over, today is not far from it and tomorrow is gonna rage.

Blogs are the newspaper for adolescents. Sometimes I can find more information on blogs than watching the news.

On any given Saturday you can probably catch me kickin’ it at the park or kickin’ it on my rooftop.

There are not enough people who tell you exactly what they think about you.

Photography has been something that has preserved so many random and crazy moments I would never want to forget,

from days shooting at the skate park and time spent in the press-pit at concerts to bus rides to Bay-2-Breakers.”

CONCERTS/FESTIVALS

Coachella 2011 – Indio, CA

Sahara Tent

(EDC) Electric Daisy Carnival 2011 – Las Vegas, NV

Steve Angello – Steve Aoki – Skream & Benga

12th Planet – Skrillex – Jack Beats – Doctor P (1st US performance) – Avicii – Swedish House Mafia -Afrojack and Datsik

Outside Lands 2011 - San Francisco, CA

Arctic Monkeys – Mavis Staples & Win Butler – Major Lazer – Deadmau5

The Joy Formidable -The Black Keys – Foster The People -The Stone Foxes, The Vaccines, Beirut and STRFKR

Rock the Bells 2011 – San Francisco, CA

Common – Cypress Hill – Ms.Lauryn Hill – Nas – Mos Def – Talib Kweli – Murs

PUBLICATIONS

7X7 Magazine – Billboard Online Magazine -Transworld Skateboarding Magazine

Lowcard Magazine – Thrasher Magazine

Confusion Magazine