Bradley Quinn facts for kids

Bradley Quinn is a professional photographer from Northern Ireland. He takes pictures for businesses, advertisements, and music bands. He is most famous for being the main photographer for the popular band Snow Patrol. His brother, Jonny Quinn, is the drummer for Snow Patrol. Bradley started his own photography business in 2005.

Becoming a Photographer

Early Steps in Photography

Bradley Quinn was born in 1976 in Bangor. He was introduced to photography when he was very young. His father taught him how to take pictures. They even had a special room called a darkroom at home. This is where they developed photos.

When Bradley went to Belfast's Campbell College, he chose photography as a subject. He studied it for his GCSE exams. After that, he went to Belfast Institute to study photography at a higher level.

First Job and Learning More

While at the Institute, a photographer named Geoff Hannon noticed Bradley's talent. Bradley got his first job working with Geoff for six months. He had thought about going to university. However, he decided to work with a commercial and advertising photographer instead.

He worked there for ten years. Bradley says this experience was very important. He learned about developing film and lighting. He also learned how to manage money and market his work.

Photographing Music Bands

Starting with Bands

Bradley Quinn began taking photos of bands his brother Jonny was in. He believed one of them would become famous. He photographed many bands, including The New Brontes and Watercress. He also took pictures of bigger bands that were on tour.

At first, he worked for free. He sent his photos to local newspapers. Working with music journalist Colin Harper, their pictures appeared in local magazines. Bradley says it's hard to make a living only from music photography in Northern Ireland.

Working with Snow Patrol

Bradley Quinn went to school with Gary Lightbody. Gary later started a band called Shrug. Bradley told his brother Jonny about Gary's band. When Shrug needed a drummer, Jonny moved to Dundee to join them. This was the beginning of Snow Patrol.

Bradley started taking pictures of Snow Patrol from the very beginning. He felt good about the band and wanted to "chart their history." This means he wanted to photograph their journey as they became famous. He had photographed Jonny in five bands before Snow Patrol.

Behind the Scenes with Snow Patrol

Since Bradley is friends with the band, they feel comfortable with him around. He can go on stage when they play concerts. He also takes pictures of them relaxing backstage. He even photographs them working in the studio when they record albums.

The band trusts Bradley to choose and edit the photos. He doesn't need to ask them for permission. His pictures of Snow Patrol are often on the band's official website. Bradley's favorite songs to photograph are "Run" and "If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It." He says these songs give him the best chances for artistic shots. Besides Snow Patrol, he also photographs the Belfast band Cashier No. 9.

Other Photography Work

His Own Business and Exhibitions

Bradley Quinn has his own business called Bradley Quinn Photography. It started in 2005 in Holywood. He does commercial photography for different businesses.

His work with Snow Patrol led to his first photo exhibition. It was called "Crack the Shutters." The exhibition happened in July 2009 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. It was part of the Trans festival.

What Was on Display

The exhibition showed 45 pictures from Snow Patrol's career. There were also two very large canvases. One of these was made from 3,000 of his photos of the band. Cashier No. 9 played music at the opening of the exhibition.

The exhibition was shown again for three days in December 2009. It was at the same place when Snow Patrol toured in Belfast. Bradley plans to show his exhibition in more places across the United Kingdom.