bradley hanson

November 23, 2023 by Bradley Hanson

Abbey and Mitchell started their day near their Mississippi River apartment at the lovely Hewing Hotel in North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis, with their wedding ceremony and reception at Bauhaus Brew Labs in Northeast Minneapolis. They were very sweet and obviously very connected to each other. Abbey’s dress was one the best I had seen in a while.

According to Abbey: “The North Loop and northeast being near and dear to us. We’ve lived in North Loop the entirety of our relationship and spend a lot of time making memories with friends in NE (Bauhaus in particular being our favorite spot), so incorporating those spots was important to us. We wanted our wedding to be authentically us, and laid back in a way that made our guests feel they could be themselves.”

“After meticulously researching wedding photographers, we landed on Bradley given his documentary style, natural editing, and his professional training and experience. Unlike many photographers we considered, Bradley is a true student of photography and a master of his craft. He was a pleasure to work with, making sure to understand our vision, needs, and plan for our wedding day. We adore our photos, received them (over 1,000 of them) within one month. Our guests continue to comment on how impressed they were by Bradley and that our photos are the best wedding photos they’ve ever seen. We don’t disagree.”

-Abbey and Mitchell

bride and groom at hewing hotel in downtown minneapolis minnesota hewing hotel wedding

Preparation Venue: @hewinghotel
Reception Venue + Bar: @bauhausbrewlabs
Coordination: @mavenevents
Hair + Makeup: @ladyvampartistry
Catering - Food Truck: @butchersalt
Catering - Food Truck: @centro_twincities
Entertainment: @transmission_music
Photography: @bradleyhansonphotography
Florals: @notherly.flora
Ice Cream: @lildippersoftserve

If you want to follow me on Instagram, I have two accounts: @bradleyhanson is my personal one, all square images from my iPhone since 2008. @bradleyhansonphotography is my professional portfolio, a mix of weddings, family and portraits, as well as black and white and color landscape images. If you are still reading this far, you’ve already figured out how to find my website…

I am a Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota based wedding photographer, specializing in documentary style weddings, elopements, and Indian/Hindu weddings all over the world. To see more of my wedding work, click the wedding galleries under the portfolio heading.

To inquire about my rates and availability, call me at 206-393-8292, email me at bradley@bradleyhanson.com or fill out the contact form (click the “contact” link on the top right of the page).

Christina And Trevor's Elegant Summer Wedding At The Van Dusen Mansion In Minneapolis MN / October 9, 2023 by Bradley Hanson

After photographing Christina and Trevor’s engagement photographs at Cedar Lake a few months prior, I felt very much at ease with them and the feeling seemed to be mutual as I quickly evaporated into the background while beginning with photographing them getting ready on the morning of their wedding. The entire day unfolded in one location, the timelessly elegant Van Dusen Mansion in south Minneapolis, just outside of Loring Park neighborhood.

Just after the outdoor ceremony, the couple had their first dance outside in the courtyard, which was a romantic introduction to the reception.

Despite monsoon level rains moments after the wedding ceremony outside, all of my memories of the day are of Christina and Trevor laughing and having a good time, and the photographs from the day reflect that joy. This was one of those weddings that left me feeling optimistic about the world. It was also one of those events were everywhere I pointed my camera, a photograph revealed itself.

“Bradley was the absolute GREATEST. He completely understood our vision for our engagement and wedding pictures and they turned out better than we could have ever imagined. He is a pure joy to work with and made every step so much fun. he captured our day perfectly and we are so thankful that he was part of it. Thank you, Bradley, a million times over!!!”

-Christina Bartingale and Trevor Becker

I am a Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota based wedding photographer, specializing in documentary style weddings and Indian/Hindu weddings all over the world. To see more of my wedding work, click the wedding galleries under the portfolio heading. To inquire about my rates and availability, call me at 206-393-8292, email me at bradley@bradleyhanson.com or fill out the contact form (click the “contact” link on the top right above this paragraph).

I Was Featured In This Interview In Rangefinder Magazine About Silhouettes At Weddings / July 20, 2023 by Bradley Hanson

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I was just interviewed as a featured photographer for this article in Rangefinder Magazine about silhouettes at weddings. Apparently, they are now trending, so I was happy to share images from 2005 to today for the article. Full text and photographs in the link below.

While using a flash is the most reliable way to shoot silhouettes, it isn’t always required. Minnesota-based Bradley Hanson relies on available light and an eye for strong graphical elements. “I think I’m kind of wired to see things more abstractly,” he says. “I like things that are simple and clean, and exposing to turn people into shapes and make the background hot white is a way to simplify the composition.”

Hanson finds the graphical style of silhouettes especially useful in less than photogenic locations. “It’s those windowless basements where you have to push yourself to try to see things like silhouettes because the lighting is not good in a conventional sense,” he says. “You can take what could be perceived as bad light and make something out of it.”

There’s another kind of magic that promises to open up the possibilities of silhouette making even more. Though he hasn’t used it for any silhouettes, Bradley Hanson says he’s been experimenting with Lightroom’s new AI tools, which make it quick and easy to select subjects in an image and dial their exposure down to silhouette level.

The nice thing is that despite the brand spanking newness of the technology, the silhouettes it can be used to retain their timeless look. Hanson speaks for many photographers when he explains why silhouettes will remain part of his repertoire, whatever tools he may use to make them: “I want things to look classic and timeless and not to be screaming out the year that they were shot.”

https://www.rangefinderonline.com/wedding-portrait/weddings/trending-silhouettes/

Payal And Dave's Majestic Hindu Indian Wedding At The Intercontinental Hotel In Atlanta, GA / May 29, 2023 by Bradley Hanson

Some of my favorite moments from this magnificent wedding of Payal Shah and Dave Praharaj at the Intercontinental Hotel in Atlanta. One of the most beautiful and satisfying weddings in a long time!

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Payal & Dave

May 26-27, 2023

Intercontinental Buckhead

Bride: @payal_cshah

Groom: @drpnsince92

Venue: @intercon_buckhead_atl

Planning/Coordination: @desaidesigns

Catering: @madraschettinaad

Catering: @baps.atlanta

Decor: @mandapworld

Photo: @bradleyhansonphotography

DJ: @m1sounds

Dholi: @dholisaag

Hair: @gunnglamour

Makeup: @bogartbeauty

Mehendi: @manasisart

Choreographer: @dancin.gandhi

Photobooth: @buttonitup

Mara And Andrew's Backyard Mini-Wedding At Turtle Lake In Minnesota During Covid-19 Outbreak / July 31, 2020 by Bradley Hanson

It seemed like years ago when I spoke with Mara and Andrew on the phone about the details of their wedding. Mara’s parents are both experienced photographers and her father had an impressive gallery of framed images and a strong, longtime love of black and white images. They were drawn to the black and white and abstract images in my portfolio.

Originally scheduled for June 27th of this year, a few months ago we discussed rescheduling for the complications of the Covid-19 virus, which prevents a “normal” wedding because of the risk of transmission from being in close quarters, especially indoors. As it became clear that their original plans wouldn’t work in their original location(s), they rescheduled the full wedding with the originally desired guest list for next summer. A couple months went by, and because of some personal things, they wanted to have a small wedding with 12 guests in their parents backyard at Turtle Lake in Minnesota.

They quickly pulled together a very cool DIY wedding with sanitizer and masks available for guests, had all guests seated outside in couples, about 8 feet apart, and the parents, family and guests who couldn’t be there in person because of travel restrictions and health concerns were able to join via Zoom, thanks to the iPhone on a tripod and the laptop on a table near the couple during the ceremony. Mara’s sister played cello and it was beautiful. Each guest was given their own glass to keep.

Although my first love in photographing weddings is real, candid moments that happen between the seams, I thought it would be timeless to get a photo of all of the guests with their masks on, something to mark this historical moment in time that has already affected 5,000,000 Americans with no immediate end in sight. I only photographed for 2.5 hours, but it felt a lot like a full wedding. There were no getting ready photos as they were ready when I arrived, there was no cocktail hour or formal dinner, and no reception aside from a first dance just after the wedding ceremony.

Because of physical distance and logistics, there was no formal reception, but they did have a first dance and Mara’s parents danced with them, along with most of the guests. I was honored to be a part of their day and happy they were able to pull off a small gathering safely without undue health risks.

Images below chosen more to give you a sense of the short wedding, rather than my usual approach of strictly posting favorite images.

Click any image to see it at a larger size.

Holiday Trip To Amsterdam, Rome and Naples / January 1, 2020 by Bradley Hanson

Happy New Year!

Our son, Oliver is 6 and is obsessed with natural disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis and volcanoes. Of particular interest to him was the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius on the city of Pompeii in year 79. We love travel and decided to spend the holiday season traveling to Italy, focusing on Rome but spending a day in Amsterdam on the way. People seem to like to go to warmer spots in the winter, but Italy has been on our list for a while and we found a Black Friday deal we couldn’t pass. My wife also found tickets for a day tour of Pompeii with some time in nearby Naples.

Once we purchased tickets for the trip, we excitedly prepared by getting a couple travel books about Rome (Rick Steves book is the best), as well as watching Rick Steves 3 Rome episodes on PBS and watching as many documentaries about Rome and Pompeii as we could. We even watched Gladiator.

We arrived in Rome on Christmas day, which was, as expected, unusually quiet for the city. After a great dinner in our neighborhood with homemade pasta carbonara, a heavenly Italian red wine, a Neopolitan pizza and a perfect tiramisu, we found a huge neighborhood playground and Oliver immediately starting making friends. You can see a frame from this moment at the very last image below.

The weather was lovely and mild. The highs were in the upper 50s, but somehow with the sun and the euphoria that accompanies exotic new locations, it felt more like 70. The timing was perfect as we had been watching the weather in the weeks leading up to the trip and arrived just after a week of straight rain.

It was immediately apparent was that the light in Rome was unusually lovely. Like Los Angeles, but even softer. There is an amber haze that seems to flatter everything and mysteriously, there was no harsh noon light. It always looked like the sun was low in the sky like morning sunrise or evening sunset. We saw the sun every day and this pattern of beautiful light remained throughout the trip.

The next day we spent at the Colosseum, also walking around nearby neighborhoods. We had the best gelato we’ve ever had (tip: avoid the bright artificial colors and make sure it’s not whipped with air as it often is in the US) and some of the best espresso, pasta, pizza and wine in Rome and Naples.

Oliver is also a Lego addict and a great builder, so it was a happy find to see “I Love Lego” exhibit at Palazzo Bonaparte, one of the many art museums in Rome.

We tried one of the “hop on/hop off” bus tours, which was a painless way to get around the city and get one’s bearings, but we still walked an average of 8-9 miles a day. We checked out the Pantheon, the Vatican, the ruins of the Roman Forum, and countless other sites. While all major European cities are old and have a rich history, Rome is unique in the sheer scale and volume of it’s 2000+ year old sites, a remaining byproduct of a former empire that covered Europe and part of Asia and northern Africa.

The bus tour to Pompeii is 3 hours each way, with stops in the middle to stretch and get a snack and a local espresso. The tour guide on the bus, Valentina, was truly amazing and the other guide once we got to Pompeii, Giuseppe, was hilarious. Oliver was gathering “treasures” during the tour, finding old stones, actual pieces of ancient terra-cotta pottery and some of the 2000 year old volcanic ash from the Vesuvius eruption. Oliver showed his finds to the tour guide, who referred, sweetly, to Oliver as “the bambino” and confirmed that he did actually find a piece of terra cotta pottery. The tour guide comedically and strategically made the Pompeiian brothels kid-friendly an even told a few funny jokes for people paying attention. He would often punctuate his sentences with “Okey dokey artichokey.”

On the way back to Rome, we stopped in Naples for an hour or so. Naples is definitely a much denser city and requires greater fortitude and strong elbows to brave the heavier crowds. From the edge of town, Mt. Vesuvius is visible (you’ll see a color photo of this below).

I highly recommend both Rome and Amsterdam. Naples was good (and I do recommend Pompeii tour), but I’ve heard Florence or Venice might be a better pairing with Rome. PS. Wear comfortable shoes that are already broken in. It was a wonderful trip. I would have loved to spend more time in Amsterdam, but we were grateful for every minute.

In the spirit of traveling light, I brought one camera with one lens.

Click the first image (or any) to view it at full size, which will also allow you to scroll through the entire gallery with the full frame, un-cropped images.

I am a Minneapolis, Minnesota based wedding photographer, specializing in documentary style weddings and Indian/Hindu weddings all over the world. To see more of my wedding work, click the wedding galleries under the portfolio heading. To inquire about my rates and availability, call me at 206-393-8292, email me at bradley@bradleyhanson.com or fill out the contact form (click the “contact” link on the top right above this paragraph).

Intimate Winter Elopement At The St. Regis Hotel In Downtown Atlanta Georgia / December 2, 2019 by Bradley Hanson

I got a call out of the blue to photograph this private elopement in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The bride was born in Turkey and the groom is from my neck of the woods (Minneapolis, MN). The couple now live in Los Angeles, but got married in Atlanta because the bride’s family is still there. Like the Hitchcock movie “Rope,” most of the wedding took place in one room. In this case, the lovely and regal St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta. There were only 9 family members lucky enough to be there. I was only there for 2.5 hours, but we packed it in. There was a 5 minutes ceremony and a small dinner, with toasts and even a little dancing. We enjoyed some time at sunset on the rooftop deck of Restoration Hardware, which had a uniquely beautiful view of downtown Atlanta. Never one to hesitate to leave snowy Minneapolis in the winter, it felt good to enjoy 73 degree sunny days, if only for 48 hours…

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Brittany And Ted's Backyard Wedding On The Mississippi River In Northeast Minneapolis / July 21, 2019 by Bradley Hanson

Brittany and Ted got married at film director Phil Harder’s Minneapolis Air BNB on the Mississippi River in Northeast Minneapolis, next door to The Sample Room. They did everything themselves and the rustic setting was augmented by golden sunset off the Mississippi River.

Gauthami And Moulin's Joyful 3-Day South Indian Wedding At The St. Paul College Club, Intercontinental Hotel And Landmark Center In Downtown St. Paul, MN / July 10, 2019 by Bradley Hanson

The next wedding in a series of Indian/Hindu weddings this spring was this one in three locations I love shooting at: The St. Paul College Club on Summit Avenue, the Intercontinental hotel on St. Paul’s downtown waterfront and the historic Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul.

I’ve photographed over 600 weddings (25-30 Indian weddings) and this was one of those weddings where everyone seemed to be smiling the entire time. When the bride sent me an email, one of the words that peppered her comments was “joy.” Looking over the highlights, that’s all I see: people having fun and a couple with a great connection, surrounded by loving and supportive friends and family.

This was a south Indian wedding, which has a few different customs. The ceremony is a little longer, and typically starts earlier in the day. The marriage ceremony takes place on the mandap (stage), led by a Vedic priest who chants ancient hymns and verses, recalling the names of three generations of ancestors of both, the bride and the groom before all who have gathered to witness the wedding. The bride and the groom are hidden from each other, then exchange garlands when they are lifted onto the shoulders of their respective uncles.

A little background into the bride and groom: Moulin and Gauthami met in college, taking summer organic chemistry. They were good friends for a long time, then started dating when they were studying abroad in Paris. After college they’ve been following each other from Chicago to Madison to New Haven, finally getting married in St. Paul and now living in Massachusetts. They are both physicians now: Gauthami is in Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship at Yale and Moulin is in Electrophysiology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.

To see more Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN portraits, wedding photography and weddings all over the world, visit my main portfolio on bradleyhanson.com or email me at info@bradleyhanson.com or call me at 206-393-8292 and we can discuss your wedding plans in detail. I have extensive experience with Indian weddings in Minneapolis, Seattle and even in Rajasthan, Udaipur, India.

Shruti And Erik’s Majestic Washington DC Wedding At The Andrew Mellon Auditorium / June 4, 2019 by Bradley Hanson

I’ve had a series of Indian/Hindu weddings this spring, so I wanted to get a few of them posted.

The day after the Mehndi at the bride’s parents house, Shruti and Erik got married at the majestic Andrew W Mellon Auditorium in Washington DC. As is typical of Indian and Hindu weddings, it was a 3-day event. It rained the entire time except for an hour before the ceremony. It did convert to a little mist during the Baraat, but resumed again during the ceremony. Unfortunately, the bride was feeling a bit under the weather, occasionally sneaking hits of some cough syrup during the day. You’d never know from her energy level, though…

I’ve photographed over 25 Indian weddings and this was probably my favorite Baraat (the processional with the groom on a white horse) of all of them. It began in the beautiful but wet alley of the historic Mellon Auditorium. The old stone building amplified the sound of the music, the drummers and the family and friends clapping in time. Erik, on horseback, really got into it and his gigantic smile was reflected by those around him. One never knows what is coming during the Baraat, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a very stylish couple on coordinated bicycles, watching the whole thing in the alley.