Meet Nick Bruce | Photographer

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

Hi Nick, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is everywhere, risk is a part of life. I do my best to embrace it. A lot of the work I have done, what has led to my best photos and by best stories includes a lot of risk. In my early days of photography I was sneaking in and out of abandoned buildings and walking down dark alleys just in hopes of getting a unique shot. As I got more into the landscapes and hiking scenes, I found that going out in the worst of conditions, when no one else would dare to hit the trails, was what I loved and what challenged me the most to improve my skills. Nowadays, I do a few solo trips each year, a time of rest but also to really focus on what I love and am passionate about. I will backcountry camp or car camp during my travels, something that most people consider fairly risky or even dangerous. I remember many times being put in a bad situation where I was risking the safety of my camera gear or even my own personal safety to get the shot that I wanted. Luckily, it has always turned out alright. That’s what I focus on, all of that risk, when it is taken cautiously and with the right preparation, will all pay off. There’s the famous line, “comfort kills”. Without taking risk, without leaving your comfort zone, you will remain stagnant.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am 23 now and currently a student at The Ohio State University. I still have plenty to learn, I hope that the day never comes where I know everything about art and the path that I am on. I enjoy that sense of mystery in the future. When I picked up a camera at 17, no one showed me how to use it. I remember watching a few Youtube videos but mostly just going out into the world and experimenting with it. I took that camera with me everywhere I went. I learned through trial and error, both with the camera and with editing. It was not easy, but I never quit. I couldn’t quit even if I wanted to, I enjoyed it too much. That is something that I try to talk with others about. If you find something that you love and are so passionate about that you wouldn’t even be able to ignore it if you tried, that is where you need to go, that is what you need to do. I love taking photos and traveling but I don’t take the photos for people to stare and admire them. I take the photos in hopes that people realize that there is so much to see in the world, that there are so many incredible experiences to live and so much to do. If I can inspire others to travel the world and gain a new experience, that is the dream for me.

When I am not in class, doing school work, or working, I spend a lot of time teaching myself new editing techniques and trying out new programs in order to expand my knowledge. I also spend a lot of time taking photos, whether the photos are for fun or for building my portfolio. I enjoy the process of learning new things and challenging myself. I find it very important to work toward my goal as a full time photographer but I also try to create a balance of working on other aspects of my life. In the last year, I have been focusing more on my fitness. I ran my first half marathon and my first full marathon this past year and I now have started weight training. Although this may not be apart of my business or career, I do believe that it has helped me to push my art. Gaining that confidence and realizing your full potential can lead to amazing things that can then be applied to all parts of your life. 

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 spent a lot of time researching and visiting places around the country but Ohio is home. There are years and years worth of exploring what Ohio has to offer, but in my eyes, the Hocking Hills area is the place to be. I can’t begin to think of how many trips I have taken down there, it has to be well over one hundred. An early morning roadtrip down to Hocking Hills with a mandatory stop at Tim Hortons for some coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Climb the lookout tower near Ash Cave and grab a few photos of sunrise. Head over to Cedar Falls and take the hike over to Old Man’s Cave. Eventually hop back in the car and take the short trip over to Conkle’s Hollow, one of my personal favorites. If there is time, reserve a spot to do some zip lining near Rockbridge, a great way to spent the day. On the way back to Columbus, stop in Lancaster and climb up to Rising Park for sunset. I didn’t mention much about food because I prefer to pack a quick sandwich and a granola bar, there’s too much to see in Hocking to go and find lunch. Although Hocking does not have the mountains like out west, there are many incredible waterfalls and caves to explore.

Another area that I enjoy is Alum Creek, located just north of Columbus. On warm summer days, I will spend my time on my kayak. Playing some music, exploring the area, floating around and going for a swim, Alum Creek has it all. There are many hiking trails to see and even some mountain biking trails. Galena is a great place to stop, especially for food. There are not many options in that small town but you can’t go wrong.

Something I also really encourage is the art of wandering. It is so easy to get all tied up with an itinerary on where to be and what time, but that takes out all of the fun and mystery that an adventure is supposed to be. I used to just drive. My friends and I would just get in my car and go, who knows where we would end up or what we would do but we found a lot of neat places while wandering.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that I will forever be grateful for, I cannot even begin to name them all.

My number one is my dad. My dad is my rock, I think that he believes in me more than I even believe in myself. I know that I drive him crazy, especially with my solo journeys and constant travel ideas, but when it all comes down to it, he accepts me for who I am and what I am passionate about and he pushes me to go for what I want out of life. I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am now if it wasn’t for him and I just hope that one day I am half the man that he is.

My grandmother, Maureen. As a child, I spent lots of time with my grandparents, especially my grandmother. She was always taking me on new adventures. Walks through the woods, trips to the zoo and even fishing around the pond. She introduced me to painting, coloring and art in general. I was extremely close to her all the way up until her passing in 2021. I visited her as much as I could and we would have the best talks. The last time that I saw her I was about to leave on another solo trip. She was so happy to see that I was going on another adventure and I promised her that I would bring back lots of photos for her to see. As I was getting up to leave she grabbed my arm and explained to me that I needed to follow my dreams and what I was passionate about. She passed away before I made it home but luckily I spoke with her on the phone the night before her passing. When I get frustrated, exhausted, or think about how much easier it would be to give up, I think about her.

My other large support system is my friends. As much smack talk as we all say to each other, at the end of the day, I know that they have my back, and I have theirs. They have all accompanied me on so many amazing adventures, whether it be a mountain summit, the finish line of a marathon or a drive across the country.

Website: https://nckbrc.myportfolio.com

Instagram: @nckbrc