Professional Spotlight: Bo Bridges

Photographer Bo Bridges didn’t really know what he was going to do for a living until he was already doing it, he said.

The man whose shaggy blond curls frame his friendly face told Patch that in college, "I switched my degree to photography after my freshman year… just because I thought it’d be fun. I didn’t think I’d be able to make a living out of it."

But he has—now the renowned artist owns and runs , a 3,000-square-foot gallery and studio on Hermosa Avenue in Hermosa Beach.

And it has all come from following his passion. 

Even though Bridges earlier earned his EMT certification, pilot’s license and minored in marine biology, he continued to pursue photography (which he had picked up from his mother and grandfather.)

Bridges moved to Vail, CO in 1996 after graduating from college. When he arrived in town too late to be considered for a photojournalist job at the local paper, he found work at a small one-hour photo shop, snowboarding and taking pictures during his free time. 

He spent almost two years learning how to shoot an array of images—from weddings to downhill ski races.

"I made minimum wage, rented a closet for 150 bucks a month and just did it," Bridges said about never putting down his camera.

Just doing it eventually led him to shoot for ESPN, Sports Illustrated, NBC, Pepsi, Remi Martin and Target, among many other clients. He then moved to Hermosa Beach in 2001.

"I picked this spot because I liked the small beach community, but I also liked that I could access LAX and fly anywhere in the world in a day," he said.

Bridges opened in 2008. As a business owner, figuring out what people wanted to buy was a struggle at first, he said, but he was able to learn.

For example, "people think the action sports stuff is cool, but they don’t want to hang it on their wall," Bridges said about his work.

So after selling a large photograph of the sunset on Hermosa Beach, he began shooting and selling more landscapes. "A lot of times I’m out shooting for a client for sports, and it’s really just turning around and seeing what’s behind me," he said. "I call it the playground."

As his work evolves, Bridges has produced large custom art pieces for homes and businesses, such as local restaurants and , and started to host events in his gallery, as well as rent the space.

Bridges offered his gallery space on Aug. 3 for a business owner panel discussion hosted by the newly formed  (HBYP) group. He also participated in the discussion as one of the panel speakers.

"It’s a lot to deal with from day-to-day," he said about being a business owner. "I’ve got a family, three kids and I travel a ton, and, of course, I always want to be shooting."

But "I love it," Bridges said.

Coming up—Patch will profile Spyder Surf co-owner Richard O'Reilly, who also spoke on the HBYP business owner panel this month.

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