Meet Cameron Bickley | Videographer & Photographer

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

Hi Cameron, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
As I got older, I began to notice that there wasn’t much archival footage or photos available at my home in Alabama of me growing up. None of my first steps were caught on film, not many birthday photos, etc, and as I began to discover my passion for photography and videography, I noticed that I had the power to fix this for other people as I saw fit. What really got me started in pursuing my creative career was the opportunity to help people. I wanted to be able to help people capture their most amazing memories on camera and as well as video. I wanted to help others create and cherish their memories forever in the forms of videography and photography so they’ll be able to look back on the fond memories they’ve created and remember those feelings of that particular event or moment. I also realized the opportunity to tell stories through photo and video and found it very interesting to be able to tell an interesting and riveting story through video more specifically. Once I realized these things I began to throw myself into learning as much as I can about the ins and outs of photo and video to become the best I could be.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I currently create long and short-form video content for brands. I also produce short-form documentary work, produce my very own podcast, create viral TikTok content, and do portrait photography. I think the thing that sets me apart from others is my approachability and ability to connect with people. I’m a people person, so people are always comfortable asking me more about the inner workings of photography and videography. I also find humor when creating content as well which makes it more relatable and easier to digest. Right now I think I’m the proudest of a documentary I just completed. The documentary highlights an educator/entrepreneur who has autism, dyslexia, and esophageal cancer. Despite all this, he still has managed to reach an amazing amount of success.

As far as getting to where I am today, it hasn’t been an easy trip. I’m a firm believer in the 10,000-hour rule and when it comes to perfecting your craft you HAVE to put the time in. I’ve spent a lot of hours working on my craft. Gaining a deeper understanding of camera specs, learning new editing techniques, learning how to pose women and men, and so many more aspects have helped me to become the professional I am today. It was in no way easy, but it was fun, to say the least. I consider myself a lifelong learner and I find joy in learning information that will make me better each day.

I’ve also learned along the way to not be too tough on myself. I have a perfectionist mindset, but when it comes to photography, every photo won’t be perfect. I’ve gone on shoots where I’ve taken upwards of 500 photos and so many of them weren’t good, but this taught me a lesson. They all may not have been perfect, but because of my skill set, I most definitely got some quality shots so I didn’t get discouraged. Things may not always be perfect, but if you’ve put in the work up to the point where you need to use your skills. You’ll be fine.

As far as my brand and story are concerned, I want people to know that I’m focused on well.. people. What I mean by that is I’m laser-focused on helping people achieve their goals when they come to me for a service. Whether it be a photo shoot or a video, I want them to rest assured that quality work will be done. Not only will quality work be done, but it’ll be done in a fun and welcoming environment.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Sunday – We would take a nice trip out to Wakulla Springs on to visit one of the biggest freshwater springs in Florida and of course take some very solid photos.

Monday – We would grab lunch at one of the most well-known pizza places here called MoMo’s where the pizza slices are as big as your head! Then after we’d visit St. Marks lighthouse which is a historical lighthouse here in the Tallahassee area and catch the sunset there.

Tuesday – We’d visit Sugar Rush cafe here in Tallahassee where there are some of the best milkshakes in town

Wednesday – Visit the beautiful Lake Ella park where there’s plenty of marine wildlife to look at

Thursday – Visit Florida State’s amazing campus and visit the iconic Westcott Fountain to get some pictures

Friday- Visit College Town to visit some of Tallahassee’s best restaurants to drink and eat

Saturday – Visit the storied HBCU campus of FAMU and later hit one of their most well-known clubs, Top-Flite.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost I’d like to give God a shoutout for blessing me with my skill set! I’d also like to thank all of my friends who continued to push me and make me better by being VERY critical of my work. At the moment it was a bit frustrating, but I can’t thank them enough for their honest feedback. I’d also like to shout out to THE Florida State University and all my Digital Media Production family, especially Dr, Brian Graves! In undergrad, I majored in Digital Media Production and all of the hands-on work and experience gained there was priceless. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience

Website: www.camthecreative.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/camthecreative_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-bickley-582022171/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf5a5B8F4Up12OlbnoczViw

Image Credits
All images taken by me (Cameron Bickley AKA Cam The Creative)