Today we’d like to introduce you to Casey Bowman.
Casey, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I got started in camera work on accident. I had purchased a $70 point and shoot camera after I graduated high school in 2005 since we didn’t have camera phones like we do now and I wanted to just be able to share what I saw with friends when I told them stories. I was running a merch booth for a band I was friends with and shot some pictures of them one night and they loved them and told me to pursue it. I was very hesitant but continued shooting other bands and BMX when I would go ride bikes with friends. Soon I found myself using my camera to shoot photos of friends at contests who had big sponsorships so I could sell the shots to pay my way to the next contest. I continued to shoot BMX photos and videos for a few years while working a 9-5 desk job until injuries finally caught up to me and I had to stop competing. I continued to work in the corporate world for a few more years until I just couldn’t stand the cubicle life anymore. About 6 ½ years ago, I quit my data analyst job in Austin, moved back to the DFW and started grinding in the A/V world. I’ve now worked for numerous production companies for live and creative productions and have shot everything from documentaries, a TV series, a Wu-Tang Clan tour and Howie Mandel standup to weddings and graduations.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It certainly has been a bumpy road filled with self-doubt, misdirection and failures. I’ve had people underpay me, not pay me at all, use me for free until they have some money and hire someone else, and all sorts of other silly things along the way. I was working for and A/V company on contract until covid shut everything event-related down and I was really struggling to make my way while I was there. I was overworked and underpaid severely to a point I couldn’t find time or energy to work for myself, nor did I have the money to fund my own equipment. I took a huge risk when everything shut down and spent a lot of money to get my own business launched in the middle of a global pandemic and it’s been paying off to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do a lot of different things from directing, shooting video and photos, editing and much more. My specialties are in the world of advertising/branding, music videos, event recaps and in the last year, I’ve been doing a decent amount of wedding work. I’d say the look of my work speaks for itself as far as what sets me apart from others. I love deep dark blacks and vivid popping colors.
Since covid shut everything down and I had a lot of time to explore creatively, I’ve fallen in love with hyperlapses and they have definitely grown to become part of who I am as an artist and I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate them into my work whether it be unique wedding boomerangs or long tours of places showing off all sorts of different locations blended into a long seamless loop.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up in the small town of Alvarado, Texas off IH35W just south of Fort Worth. Even though it was for the most part, a typical country town in Texas, we were still exposed to enough of the city life that it bled into several aspects of my childhood. I was into rodeo, hockey, soccer, aggressive inline skating and eventually landed on BMX and music being the two hobbies that stuck around to this day. I began riding BMX at 11 and ended up following that dream to become a professional in my early 20’s which allowed me to hone in my camera skills. I still ride today, just not at the professional level or in any competitive aspects. I played bass and sang in a punk/metal band in high school while at the same time being an active member in the FFA (Future Farmers of America) showing goats and even took 6th place at both the Houston and Fort Worth Stock shows my Sophomore year in 2003. I did have a rough time growing up as my parents divorced when I was only seven and the youngest of four. I missed out on a lot of things my older siblings experienced and always felt a bit left behind. That lead me to get into a lot of trouble in my early teenage years and I even was thinking of joining a local gang I ran around with for a while. Luckily I saw some things that turned me off and by the time I was in high school, I was overall the misbehavior issues and just wanted to enjoy my life.
Pricing:
- Standard videos start at $2000
- Standard photoshoots start at $500
Contact Info:
- Email: caseyjoebowman@yahoo.com
- Website: https://shineboyproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseyfrigginbowman/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Officially24K
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/shine-boy-productions-mansfield
Image Credits:
Casey Bowman Quentin Taylor
