Meet Tim Redman | Photographer and Videographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tim Redman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tim, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I think a big part of my success has been always trying to keep a “customer service” mind. As creatives, as much as we hope to be hired for our talent and our vision, it’s also important to remember that we must be easy to work with and reliable. The creative industry is all about relationships, and your reputation is everything. If you’re known for being a being a good collaborator, that goes a long way. I’m always trying to think of what it’s like to work with me from the perspective of my clients, and how I can make the process painless. From communication during planning and pre-production, to how things flow on the shoot, to post-production and delivering the final product, I want create a process that makes my clients’ lives easier.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have a bit of an unusual career trajectory. I grew up with the aspiration of becoming a musician, a trombonist in a symphony orchestra. I was very good! I went to music school at Georgia State University here in Atlanta, which was a fantastic experience that made me fall in love with this city. I was busy playing gigs while I studied and I got a lot of professional experience on the side. I was even a substitute player for the Atlanta Symphony, and I won a job as principal trombonist of the Macon Symphony while I was a junior.

But in my senior year, just as I was about to finish my degree, I suffered an occupational injury. I tore a muscle in my lip and was unable to play. I watched all of my aspirations and the things I’d worked so hard for vaporize in a matter of months. It was the beginning of an identity crisis, to say the least. I had a degree in music and couldn’t play. I bartended for a few years and tried to figure out what my next steps would be. In my spare time, I bought a camera to fool around with. My dad owned a photo lab in the ’90s when I was a kid, and I’d always been fascinated with photography. As a kid I would hang around the lab, and in 5th grade I even built a working pinhole camera. I would process the images in my dad’s machines.

Eventually, I decided I wanted the training to become a professional photographer and pursue a career. I enrolled in the photography program at the Portfolio Center, which is now called Miami Ad School Atlanta. The faculty there consisted of real pros working in the industry, and the education and network connections I received there were invaluable. It was there that I learned to shoot and edit video, which has become a huge part of what I offer to my clients and a significant asset to my career. A creative career takes a while to snowball and gain its footing, but within a year after graduating I quit my bartending job and went full time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have kids, so I don’t get to go out as much as I used to and I feel like I’m less up on the current stuff! But if I had a few nights with a friend visiting town, here’s what I’d propose…

Rent bikes to ride the Eastside Beltine and take a spin up through Piedmont Park. Come back to check out Ponce City Market and grab some drinks, then continue down to dinner at Two Urban Licks. Maybe go see Blondie later at the Clermont Lounge.

Spend a weekend evening in East Atlanta Village and see a show at the Earl, then bounce down to 529 to see who’s playing there. Late night bite at Octopus Bar when the shows are over.

I live in Decatur now and I LOVE it here. Hit up Inner Voice Brewing, have dinner at the Iberian Pig, then see a late show at Eddie’s Attic. Get a nightcap at the one and only Brick Store to close out the evening.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shout out to my mom, who always encouraged me to follow my interests without questioning my choices. Also, the photography teachers like Michael West and Jerry Burns who I studied with at the Portfolio Center. I would not have this career without the foundation of knowledge they gave me. Finally, I have to thank Dr. Tom Gibson who was my trombone professor from when I was a music student way back. I think I carry a lot of what I learned from him into my photo and video work, from dealing with people to the creative process.

Website: http://www.redmanphoto.com

Instagram: @redman.photo

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/redmanphoto/