Growing up on an avocado orchard in Southern California, Bret was always fascinated with the shapes of nature and the way light plays on them. His first camera, a Kodak Instamatic, was used in crude attempts at capturing what inspired him. In high school, he got his first real camera, and equipped with a set of close-up tubes he would spend hours in the early morning light, crouched in the dewy grass photographing the intricacies of flowers, plants and the bugs that crawled over them. It wasn’t long before he was stealing his mom’s best tablecloths to use as backdrops for his photographic creations and his career as a still life photographer was off. Bret went to Brooks Institute and afterward moved to NYC. Soon he started his own studio, and has been creating work for major advertising and editorial clients ever since. His work has been recognized by Communication Arts, Graphis, Archive, and The One Show. His editorial work for Sports Illustrated and House & Garden Magazine have garnered many editorial awards.
With a sculptural eye, and an ability to see both the big picture and the small details, he loves taking on complex projects and putting his problem solving abilities to the test. Bret lives in Westchester, New York with his wife and three small children, along with his five year old daughter’s (at last count) 57 imaginary pets. He spends his free time working on his various projects, doting on his kids and flying, building and restoring old airplanes and gliders.
Bret Wills's Blog
