Meet Bri Wilmerding | Photographer & Hot Sauce Business Owner

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

Hi Bri, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
There wasn’t and hasn’t ever been much of a conscious thought about starting my own business–it has sort of just worked out that way. I think personally my art is such an integral part of everything I do. It’s ultimately my voice, my way of expressing myself, much like anyone else. For example: this past year I started a hot sauce brand, which has been a really fun diversion for me, because it has given me a whole new avenue of expression, vis a vis creating weird, funny little commercials or spot ads for it. So for me, if I’m doing something, I’m going to find a way to incorporate the camera. So I guess it really just happened. I have a clear vision, and a clear voice, so I think things have just worked out that way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think my art is intrinsically weird. I grew up as a very awkward kid/young adult who always felt like a fish out of water. So I think my art is reflective of that–I think you could describe it as an outsider looking in. Growing up, regardless of the scenario was, I never felt like I belonged. So, for example, if I’m shooting a ceremony at a Buddhist temple, I feel incredibly privileged/grateful to be in that position, but I do occasionally ask myself how I got there. So I feel a little weird and end up with some weird compositions or framing for shots. So I don’t consciously take this perspective, it’s just how I see the world. I’m also very narrative-driven, so I’m always looking for a way to tie things together.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I take a lot of pride in showing people around Atlanta. It’s a very weird city and not a lot of people realize that. So personally, I like to show people the weirdness of Atlanta. I’m big on cycling, so usually I would take them on a bike group bike ride and then bicycle bar-hopping. I would probably take them by EAV, Church, some spots in L5P, and probably Larakin on 12th street. For food I would definitely take them out to Ok Yaki, maybe Delbar, Tio Lucho, La Semilla, Waffle House, Daddy D’z, and some hole in the wall Thai and Lao spots down near the airport or up on Buford Highway. I would certainly take them to Zyka or Honest, too. In regard to activities, I would make sure we see Dr. King’s childhood home and his mausoleum. I would probably go to Alleycat, the Clermont Lounge, or a drag show for late night festivities. I have a lot of Puerto Rican and Dominican friends from Boston. Whenever they visit they ask me to take them back to ‘that gay spot’ we went to last time, but it’s usually just MJQ or something lol. That’s how different Atlanta, and other major cities in the South are from elsewhere. Atlanta is a wonderful place to be in the Spring because of all the festivals, so more than likely we would end up at one of those.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would say my friend Edi Tingle has always been an encouraging voice to me. She’s an amazing actress, writer and director–So she’s someone I’ve collaborated with many times and also someone I look up to!

Additionally my friend Derek Evans helped me shoot my first couple of films and put me in contact with many of the professionals I work with today. He’s also the best editor I know, and one hell of a director!

Website: https://www.brianwilmerding.com/

Instagram: @_galleta__ @briwilmerding @dingsmagic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brianwilmerdingsshorts4448/videos

Image Credits
Edi Tingle, Christian Meier, Rebecca Thomsen, Ruhi Charania, Glad & Young Studio, Ursula Wiedmann Models, Caitlyn Duffy, Jordy Pope, Chloe Keiffer, Ryan Graham, Niamaka Pope, Xaire Hyslop, Chanda Panda