Home » Interviews » Gregory Reed: Photographer

Gregory Reed: Photographer

Introduction to Gregory Reed. 0:45 min. Interview with 20 ArtSpeak students. Video Editing: Carolina Calderon. Editing & Production: Brea Jones. Music: Carmen Cicero. Recorded: 1/13/2020, FIU.

GREGORY REED is an editorial, event, and still life photographer who has been praised for his remarkable eye and ability to capture once-in-a-lifetime moments.

The son of musicians, Reed uses music, art, and literature to inspire his work. A recipient of the inaugural Black Owned Media Alliance Photo Journalist of the Year award in 2017, Reed’s work has appeared in the Miami Times, Legacy Magazine, the Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel, and international publications. He was a featured photographer with the prestigious 2016 side-by-side exhibit of official Obama White House Photographer Pete Souza. Appointed in 2010 to the Broward County Cultural Council by Commissioner Barbara Sharief, Reed currently serves as First Vice Chair. He is also a member of the Board of the Sandrell Rivers Theater and Old Dillard Foundation in Broward County.

Reed has worked with local, national and international luminaries including 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton, Democratic Vice-Presidential Candidate Tim Kaine, VicePresident Joe Biden, Congresswoman Carrie P. Meek and the Carrie P. Meek Foundation, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Broward County Commissioner (Mayor) Barbara Sharief, City of Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam, nationally-recognized Haitian-born singer Emeline Michel, and Haiti’s First Lady Elisabeth Préval. As an authorized, credentialed photographer, Reed has captured images of Michelle and Barack Obama and other national figures during the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, and other national and local events. His photo of Clinton and Kaine during the 2016 election took second place for Best News Picture at the NNPA Black Press Awards in Washington, D.C. Reed has also been honored by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime with the 2018 Black History Month Lifetime Achievement Award.

He is a principal photographer for the New World Symphony, the Miami Children’s Chorus, Peter London Global Dance Company, the Miramar Cultural Center and the City of North Miami. He also does extensive work for Miami-Dade County’s Children’s Trust. Some of his other notable photography credits include: Miami Dolphins Playoffs (2016), Capital One Orange Bowl (2016, 2017), Miami Music Project (2017, 2018), and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (2018).

Reed earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology (2009) from Barry University and a Master of Fine Arts (Film) from Miami International University of Art and Design (2011). He has over four years of post-secondary teaching experience in information technology and film production. He is a Shutterstock contributor and a member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP).

— gfrphotography.com

The videos below are organized by topic and run between 30 seconds and 5 minutes. Click on any video. You must be connected to the Internet to view the videos.

EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 0:55 min.

Where did you grow up, and what was your first awareness of art of any discipline?

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 1:04 min.

Where did you go to school and what did you learn that still informs you today and helped you with your career?

EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 0:32 min.

Have you ever met Tyler Perry?

COLLABORATION: 2:45 min.

When you photograph important people like President Obama at events, I assume you are part of a large scrum of photographers that are herded into specific areas. What is that experience like?

PERSEVERANCE FURTHERS: 1:02 min.

Does the PR team allow you space to roam around so you have a chance to capture images that are different from the other photographers?

SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES: 2:06 min.

Tell us how you got started as a professional photographer.

Critical Thinking: 1:06 min.

In your biography on your website, you say that “you love the power of images, still and moving.” Please elaborate.

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 0:49 sec.

What kinds of subjects do you enjoy photographing most? Do you prefer photographing politicians or artists?

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 1:12 min.

How did growing up in a family of musicians influence your career?

UNDERSTANDS ARTISTS’ NEEDS: 0:55 sec.

You were an information technology major in college. How has that influenced your career as a photographer?

UNDERSTANDS THE AUDIENCE PERSPECTIVE: 1:37 sec.

Looking at your photographs, I am drawn in by the diversity of the people and their expressions of enthusiasm. Why are those the moments you decided to capture?

DEVELOP A VOICE: 1:04 min.

How should artists adapt to the constant evolution of what is considered art?

OVERCOMES CHALLENGES TO SUCCEED: 2:23 min.

What are some memorable surprises or challenges you have encountered?

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 1:40 min.

As the technology of photography continues to improve, almost anyone can take a decent picture. How will professional photographers distinguish themselves?

OPEN TO CHANGE, FLEXIBILITY: 0:43 min.

Just like vinyl audio records have become trendy, some photographers shun the latest photographic technology. What are your thoughts about that?

CRITICAL THINKING: 1:29 min.

On your Instagram site you wrote, “From the president of the United States to the fashion runway, to the homeless — I’ve shot it.” Why is subject variety important?

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 0:45 sec.

How does your approach and mindset vary for different kinds of assignments?

COMMUNITY VALUES: 0:44 sec.

Do you feel like you are acting as a witness or archivist for the African-American community when you photograph so many African-American events

DEVELOP A VOICE: 0:33 sec.

Instead of focusing on one topic with your camera, what inspired you to cover a wide range of events

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 0:43 min.

Do you feel that photography is underappreciated as a form of storytelling?

CRITICAL THINKING: 0:41 sec.

Do you think that the use of photographs to call attention to social media posts will change how photography is perceived?

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 0:46 min.

Do you remember the first photo you took that inspired you to become a photographer?

OPEN TO CHANGE, FLEXIBILITY: 0:30 min.

What was the first professional camera you owned?

COMMUNITY VALUES: 1:27 min.

How does documenting local people and events positively impact your community?

UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS OF ART: 1:16 min.

Do you think a photographer’s affinity for the subject affects the quality of the photographs, and if so, does that matter or should photographers be impartial at all times?

UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS OF ART: 1:19 min.

What is the process for somebody becoming the official photographer of a prominent person? For example, Pete Souza for President Obama.

CREATIVE FLEXIBILITY: 1:36 min.

When you are given an assignment do you develop a storyboard or plot ahead of time?

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 1:29 min.

If you don’t know a lot about your assignment, how does the story evolve when you’re shooting photos?

SELF-CONFIDENCE: 0:25 sec.

Among the photography gadgets that you own, is there something you wish you hadn’t bought?

SELF-CONFIDENCE: 0:36 min.

What lenses do you prefer as a default?

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 0:17 min.

What are the characteristics of a great photograph? What makes a perfect shot?

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 1:22 min.

Which photographers have influenced your work the most, and how have you incorporated their techniques and philosophy into your work?

SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES: 1:00 min.

Do you have “pinch me” moments when you photograph someone of world renown?

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 1:16 min.

Do you use tools like Photoshop to edit your images, or do you prefer raw images?

SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES: 0:28 min.

Have you ever photographed big events, such as the Superbowl?