Bradley Quinn facts for kids

Bradley Quinn, born in 1976, is a photographer from Northern Ireland. He lives in Holywood. He is well-known for being the main photographer for the famous Northern Irish band Snow Patrol. Bradley is the younger brother of Jonny Quinn, who is the drummer for Snow Patrol. Bradley started his own photography business, Bradley Quinn Photography, in 2005. He takes pictures for businesses, advertisements, and music groups. He uses Sony Alpha cameras for his work.

Early Life and Learning Photography

Bradley Quinn was born in 1976 in Bangor. He is the younger brother of Jonny Quinn. His aunt is the actress Patricia Quinn. Bradley's cousin, Debbie Armstrong, is married to Gerry Armstrong, a former assistant manager for the Northern Ireland football team.

How Bradley Started Photography

Bradley's father introduced him to photography when he was young. He began taking amateur photos and used a darkroom at home to develop them. When he attended Belfast's Campbell College, he chose photography as a subject for his Arts GCSE.

Studying and First Job

After Campbell College, Bradley went to Belfast Institute to study photography at A-level. While he was there, an in-house photographer named Geoff Hannon chose him to work. This was Bradley's first job, and he worked there for six months. He had planned to go to university, but he decided to take a chance to work with a commercial and advertising photographer instead.

Learning from Experience

Bradley worked for this photographer for ten years. He found this experience very helpful. He learned how to develop film and set up lights for photoshoots. He also learned important business skills like managing money and marketing.

Music Photography Work

Bradley started taking pictures of bands his brother Jonny was in. He was sure that one of these bands would become successful. He photographed groups like The New Brontes, Skintflint, and Watercress. He also photographed bigger bands that were on tour.

Getting His Work Noticed

At first, Bradley worked for free. He sent his photos to local newspapers. He worked with a music journalist named Colin Harper. Together, their work was shown in local newspapers and magazines. Bradley has said that it is hard to make a living only from music photography. This is because there are not many music magazines in Northern Ireland.

Working with Snow Patrol

When Bradley was at Campbell College, he had a classmate named Gary Lightbody. Gary later formed a band called Shrug while studying in Dundee. Bradley told Jonny about Gary's band. When Shrug needed a drummer, Jonny moved to Dundee to join them. This was the start of the band Snow Patrol.

Bradley began taking photos of Snow Patrol. He had a "good feeling" about the band and decided to "chart their history," meaning he would document their journey. He had photographed Jonny in five different bands before Snow Patrol. He also worked with another Northern Irish band called File Under Easy Listening. One member of that band was Nathan Connolly, who later joined Snow Patrol.

Behind the Scenes with Snow Patrol

Since Bradley is friends with Snow Patrol, they feel comfortable with him around. He can go on stage when they play. He also photographs the band relaxing backstage or working in the studio when they record albums. The band trusts him to choose and edit the photos that are sent out or put online, without needing to ask them first. His pictures of Snow Patrol are often on the band's official website.

Bradley's favorite Snow Patrol songs to photograph are "Run" and "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It". He says the way the band moves on stage during these songs gives him the best chances to take artistic pictures. Besides his work with Snow Patrol, Bradley is also the main photographer for the Belfast band Cashier No. 9.

Other Photography Projects

Bradley Quinn is based in Holywood. He started his own business, Bradley Quinn Photography, in 2005. There, he does commercial photography for businesses.

Photography Exhibition

His work with Snow Patrol led to his first photo exhibition. It was called "Crack the Shutters" and opened in July 2009. The exhibition was held at the Waterfront Hall during the Trans festival in Belfast. It stayed open until the end of the month.

The exhibition showed 45 pictures from the band's history. It also featured two large canvases, each about 6 feet (1.8 meters) wide. One of these canvases was made from 3,000 of his photos of Snow Patrol. The band Cashier No. 9 played music at the launch of the exhibition. The exhibition was shown again for three days in December 2009 at the same place, when Snow Patrol was touring in Belfast. Bradley plans to show the exhibition in more places around the United Kingdom.