When describing Blair Bunting’s photography there are few way to approach it. First of all there is the website bio version, which starts:
“Blair Bunting is an advertising photographer based in Phoenix, Arizona specializing in portraits of professional athletes for commercial sports campaigns.”
That’s such an understatement, accurate yes, but it doesn’t begin to cover what Blair creates. While known for his portraits of athletes for commercial photography, Blair also creates amazing art from subjects ranging from celebrities to trains.
Blair’s career began back in high school with his father teaching him about photography, and early on there was passion for the art. It was his father that gave him his very first camera, a 1972 Nikon F, a piece of history that still sits on Blair’s desk at home.
Blair has had the good fortune to shoot campaigns around the globe for a diversified list of clients that range from television shows shot for The Discovery Channel to athletes photographed for Muscle Milk. That early passion for the art still exists today, and leads to opportunities at every turn. In August of 2008 he decided to have his hand at photographing autos, not out of a quest for work, but in an attempt to create some images to put on his walls… He began shooting for Chevrolet two months later. All of this has led to Blair being named as a Canon Explorer of Light, putting him at the absolute top of his field. That early beginning learning photography from his father, for a career that has seen so much success, is mirrored by a quote from Blair on the Canon Explorer’s of Light page:
“I am grateful everyday I can go out and take photos, and I consider myself fortunate to have made photography into a career”
Even with the success and recognition that Blair has received in the photographic world, he still holds true that his most important legacy will be helping other photographers to be successful in their careers. This is one of the many reasons I am so excited to have Blair on the show. Before recording, or even scheduling the show, we chatted on the phone for a bit. The plan was to discuss picking the image we would talk about, but the conversation was about all things photographic, and talking with Blair felt so natural, like we’d known each other for a while.
On set he constantly pushes the idea that everyone is equally important, from the assistant to the photographer. This demeanor and approach towards comfortable shoots has made for clients that return for years. Often describing his own life as, “quite a random existence,” many of his accomplishments have come outside of the photographic field. From being chosen as the honorary commander of a US Air Force fighter squadron to being recognized as an ambassador in the watch industry, his life has been anything but ordinary. However, he says his greatest honor is that of marrying his wife, Erin.
Join Canon Explorer of Light Blair Bunting and me as we discuss how he sculpts with light, his image of boxer Mike Tyson, lighting ratios, and a favorite drink recipe of his, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with Blair
Website: blairbunting.com
Blog: blog.blairbunting.com
Instagram: @blair.bunting
Facebook: @BlairBuntingPhotographer
Twitter: @blairbunting
Canon
Explorer’s of Light: usa.canon.com
Blair Around the Internet
FStoppers: fstoppers.com
Profoto: profoto.com
Adorama: adorama.com
Blair’s Photographer Picks
Ami Vitale: amivitale.com
Robert Capa: magnumphotos.com/photographer/robert-capa
Show Mentioned by Blair
The Genius of Photography, Episode 3 – Right Place, Right Time: archive.org
Blair’s Old Fashioned Recipe
Maker’s 46 – 3 Shots
Carpano Antica Vermouth – 1/2 to 1 Shot
Luxardo Cherries
Orange Slice
Hand Pressed Sugar
Muddle it all together
