Click here for more photos by Chilson.

It was the real-world experience he gained at Webster University that Brian Chilson (BA, Media Communications, 1987) appreciates most … that and a required class that cultivated his passion and career in photography.

“Black-and-white photography was a required course when I was at Webster,” Chilson said, “but I didn’t want to do it. I tried to opt out. But when I was done, I think I took every photography class they offered.”

Today Chilson works as a full-time photographer at the Arkansas Times, a Little Rock-based newspaper dedicated to politics and culture. But his first taste of photojournalism started at Webster.



While an undergraduate student, Chilson found himself taking photographs for the Webster-Kirkwood Times and gaining invaluable experience. “We were covering real stories in the community and doing the sorts of things that real journalists do,” he said. “All the theory they talk about in the classroom doesn’t mean a lot until you’re out there doing your job and putting it into practice.”

After graduation, Chilson put the theories he learned into practice working for St. Louis-based commercial photographer Dan Dreyfus, who also works as an adjunct faculty member at Webster.

“(Dan Dreyfus) is one of the finest commercial photographers anywhere,” Chilson said. “He is a lighting genius. He taught me so many things, including the fact that I didn’t have the patience for commercial photography.”



So Chilson packed his bags and headed for Albuquerque, N.M., where he photographed weddings and portraits. He then moved to Baltimore, Md., where he continued taking portraits but added more freelance and sports opportunities. Looking to move back to the Midwest, Chilson settled in Arkansas.

“The thing about photography is that you can pick it up and take that skill anywhere,” he said. “Each and every experience I’ve had before I came here has helped me get where I am now.”

Now Chilson spends his time working for the Arkansas Times, balancing any number of photo opportunities.



“I don’t know if this is the area I would have picked given my choices, but Arkansas is a growing area,” he said. “The opportunities here are much richer than I expected. I wouldn’t have thought for a second that I would have had the opportunities I’ve had.”

In the past few years, Chilson has photographed fashion; minor league baseball; professional boxing; music concerts for Blues Traveler, Kiss and Aerosmith; and presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter at the opening of the Clinton Library.

The lesson he learned through his years of experience: “Don’t nail yourself down to a specialty area too quickly, because you may pass by opportunities that you me be interested in. Be willing to put yourself out there.”

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• Words from the Dean

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  … in Arkansas
  Brian Chilson Talks
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  Frank Popper Earns
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