Bryan Farley Photography Educator

Last month, I photographed Skinny Lister during their current United States tour. Will Varley opened at The Independent in San Francisco.

Photo Gallery Here.

This was my third time seeing Skinny Lister. Before the show, I asked people at The Independent how they had become fans. Many people had similar experiences to my own. We had seen Skinny Lister perform as an opening band or at a music festival. One person saw Skinny Lister play during the 2012 SXSW in Austin; the played on the sidewalk.

I first saw Skinny Lister in the Summer of 2012 during the Vans Warped Tour. I photographed about 30 bands that day. At a festival known for unusual performances, Skinny Lister was different. I wanted to see them again. In 2016, I saw them in San Francisco. I photographed their show and wrote an article.

Despite the dark venue, I took some decent pictures.… Read the rest

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One month ago today, I spent the morning in Reedley, California with my children and some of our good friends. We visited four generations of their family. The oldest is about one hundred years older than the youngest.

February 19th is the anniversary of Executive Order 9066 signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. More than 100,000 Japanese Americans were “relocated” to camps during WWII. Some of my friends’ family were removed from their homes and sent to camps. Aunt Thelma, who is almost 102 now, was one of those people.

I met Aunt Thelma four years earlier at a weekly card game. I realized that she was short, but she was full of life. Life’s circumstances had not appeared to diminish her enthusiasm for life.

Thelma helped raise her niece and nephew, so Thelma is closer than an aunt.

All the relatives seem closer when they are around Aunt Thelma. (I feel closer when I am around her too.)

Even my son wanted to discuss Thelma’s energy afterwards.… Read the rest

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Last Friday night, I traveled to my old home town to photograph Brad Paisley‘s Weekend Warrior Tour. In addition to photographing Paisley, I also photographed Dustin Lynch, Chase Bryant and Lindsay Ell. I reviewed the concert for Stereo Embers Magazine, so this post will mostly include photos with links to photo galleries.

In the concert review, I mentioned that Paisley included a visual tribute to Salvador Dali on one of his album covers. The Time Well Wasted cover was inspired by Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory.” The Dali album also included a duet with Dolly Parton and, for surrealism, excessively corny outtake tributes to Hee Haw.

Paisley is married to the actress and author Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Kimberley wrote the best-selling book “Where the Light Gets In” that discusses how her family struggled with her mother’s rare form of dementia. When Brad Paisley performs, it is easy to forget that he is part of a family too.… Read the rest

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New Year’s Eve, 2017

Pt. Richmond, California

“A day is a span of time no one is wealthy enough to waste.” – from my son’s fortune cookie after our photo shoot

This year is the fourth year that I have photographed Christine Findley and her daughter. Each year I photograph them around Christmas. It has become our tradition. The first year, we met in Clayton, California on Christmas day. The last three years, we have met in the East Bay. I create a photo book and give it to them.

2017 Findley Family Photos

I am pretty sure that I get more out of our outings than I give. This year my son Mason joined us, and in the spirit of New Year’s Eve, I began creating resolutions.

I often look at the world through my camera. Some people question if I am missing out on something, but when look through my camera, it’s as if I am viewing the world through a kaleidoscope.… Read the rest

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Winter, spring, summer or fall… but mostly fall.

The 2017 Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California’s annual Candlelight Gala was last weekend. This year, EFNC held the event at the Four Seasons in San Francisco.

I have had epilepsy for more than thirty years. I have been photographing epilepsy events for almost ten years. Those of us with epilepsy have been searching for ways to communicate what we experience. Besides writing and speaking about epilepsy, I give pictures.

Here are some of those images from the candlelight gala.

Another person with epilepsy created a virtual reality experience. People without epilepsy could “take a first glimpse into the world of Jane.” As I understood the experience, Jayne says what she feels, thinks and hears after a seizure. Participants could see how Jane struggled to make sense of some of her surroundings.

I would like to create a virtual reality experience application for smartphones that we could install for each season.… Read the rest

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People often contact me and ask me questions about photography, but a couple weeks ago I received an unusual phone call about some of my photographs. A woman found pictures of the 2011 San Marin High School basketball team’s North Coast Section championship season.

She wanted the pictures for a memorial service.

That’s how I learned that San Marin’s basketball coach Craig Pitti died. Craig had been diagnosed with Cancer this September. He died last month. San Marin High School held a memorial service last week.

I attended the memorial and brought my camera.

I taught at San Marin High School during the 2010-2011 school year when SMHS won it’s first section title. For the five year anniversary, I created a photo book and sent it to Pitti. I neglected to include my name, but he responded with a beautiful message that I plan to keep as long as possible. During the playoffs last year, I attended one of San Marin’s games when they played at another one of my former schools.… Read the rest

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