When I think of Father’s Day, I obviously think of my photographing father, Eric, but I also think of Academy of Art (AAU) MFA classmate Brian Reda and his #dadlife project. Based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, Reda is a formally trained photographer specializing in wet plate collodion images—the polar opposite of today’s smartphone digital photographic experience, but he is also deft with the aforementioned smartphone. While a stay-at-home dad a few years ago, Reda started to document moments with his son, using his ever-present phone.
Photographs © Brian Reda
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Adding himself to the photo, Reda introduced his own hand into the frame using the sign of the horns and the #dadlife project was born. This horns symbol has many meanings in different cultures, but, for Reda, the horns, popular in the heavy-metal music scene, meant “metal.” And being a dad is pretty metal in Reda’s world.
Initially, some viewers found the horns offensive, but, with Reda’s explanation, the photo project went viral.
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B&H: The #dadlife series… how did it start? Did the metal hand make its appearance from the start? Or was that added?
Brian Reda: There was a moment near the start of my life as a stay-at-home that felt like the farthest thing from being metal. I think I was in my slippers with a hot drink and I was wrapping Christmas presents while my son was listening to some kid’s song as he sat in his swing. I mean, it was as domestic as it comes. I thought it would be funny to toss out the "metal hand" in the moment and poke a little fun at myself. Well, family and friends on Facebook thought it was funny so I did a few more the next few days and realized how perfect it was to document this newly commenced life as a stay-at-home dad.
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B&H: Did you have a plan for the series, or did it just evolve organically?
BR: No plan at all. It was completely organic. I was simply noticing moments of #dadlife and snapping them.
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B&H: Did you have any “rules” for the images? I see that your head appears in a few. Did you over-think the consistency of the project or just go with the mood/flow?
BR: The only rules were that I had to have the hand in there and it had to show moments of what the #dadlife is all about. I broke from the normal structure of the hand in the bottom left a few times simply because the photos weren't possible otherwise. At first I was very strict with myself and wouldn't share a photo unless it had that consistency. Over time I loosened up and thank G-d I did, or images like the one with the Blue Angels wouldn't have been possible.
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B&H: How did Buzzfeed and Huffington Post and others find the project? Were you surprised by the interest and reception?
BR: So, four years ago [May 29, 2014], I had Livingston at the Minnesota Zoo and he was just learning to walk. We were at the grizzly bear exhibit and he went toddling up to the glass. The bear saw him and apparently thought he looked like a snack and started furiously clawing at the glass. It all just happened in a perfect little sequence. I was planning on snapping the image but then this moment happens. Liv's looking back at me unaware and there's this huge beast trying to eat him. It was a great shot. Did my normal share with family and friends but also thought it was worthy of a post to Reddit. So, I tossed it out there and said something simple like, "Took my son to the zoo." Well, it took off and reached the front page of Reddit. Then the weirdos came out. People telling me it was stupid, those are devil hands, I'm cursing my son, I had to make it all about me, etc. You know, the normal Internet downers. I doubled down and made a post with an album of all my shots, and that's when it really blew up. Front page again and then the emails and messages started flowing in from Huff Post, Buzzfeed, Ellen, The Today Show, The Daily Mail, etc. I was absolutely amazed at the reception it got. I certainly got a first-hand experience in going viral.
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B&H: What is your “regular” type of photography? Does it relate at all to the #dadlife series?
BR: It has nothing to do with my professional work. I'm currently a practicing tintype photographer/artist. I have a studio in northeast Minneapolis and have been working primarily in still life pieces. Farthest thing from it!
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B&H: How did your formal education in the art of photography impact the project?
BR: I had actually started the #dadlife stuff during my final semesters at AAU. There's no question that my perception of photo-making had changed over those few years. I could anticipate so much better. I could see the potential for an image and knew when/where/how that decisive moment (à la Cartier-Bresson) would happen.
You can see more of Reda’s work at his website and on his Instagram.
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