Biography

Tadson Bussey is a designer, photographer, and a creative thinker. Tadson has had a long-time interest in photography, and has been shooting environmental and fine-art photographs for 32 years. He enjoys traveling and making images of beauty, but also can find the beauty in things close to home. His type studies and neon imagery have appeared in printed publications, calendars, and in several online travel guides. He has also self-published several books of his work including Botanicals; Moments; Spirit of Patton; and 48 Hours.

 Tadson recently completed the 365 Day Photo Challenge where he posted a new image to Instagram everyday in 2023, a project he first completed in 2021.

Tadson served as the executive director of both the University & College Designers Association (a position he held for 23 years) and the UCDA Foundation. He also serves on the board of directors of the Julius Friedman Foundation. Embodying the spirit of the late photographer, designer, and artist Julius Friedman, the foundation seeks to find the good in all. A few days before Julius’ untimely death, Tadson received a text message from him: “Keep seeing how you do and making images of beauty.”

As an advocate for creativity in the workplace, Tadson has presented at regional and national conferences including AIGA, Case, CCCU, NCMPR, and UCDA, as well as many colleges and universities. His interests include typography, letterpress printing, and collecting interesting “stuff” that can be found in his home, studio, and office. Out of Context Postcards is an ongoing project using postcards from his collection: “A passing thought extracted from a postcard can say a lot. Or nothing at all. Taking these out of context we are left to create our own story.”

He lives near Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Linda, and their two rescued dogs, Roxie and McKenna.

Storytelling through Photography

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”   
—Ansel Adams

As a photographer and a visual creative, storytelling is an important concept for Tadson. It allows him to capture captivating moments and tell stories in a way that words alone cannot. Through the use of photographs, he creates powerful images that evoke emotion and convey meaningful messages.

By combining composition, lighting, and other elements, Tadson creates captivating images that draw the viewer in and take them on a journey. Many of his powerful images can evoke emotion and convey meaningful messages. When images are combined with words they can be used to tell a compelling stories.

“Tadson has such a deep relationship with his camera. It is “married”  in his hands, intrinsically, to the world around him, like the old great film photographers, as opposed to digital only shooters. The images arrest us, distilling a moment to an infinitude.”   
—Sharon Dodge

Photo credit: Jean Bevier