PHOTOGRAPHER PATRICK BERTOLINO

This Didn’t Happen Overnight

I’m a native Houston photographer, and I’ve been around photography since I was 8 years old – enlarging photos in a homemade dark room in Sharpstown in the early 80s. Once I decided photography was my path, my Uncle Chris gave me an ounce of gold and told me to trade it for a camera. I did. True story.

I started out working in photo labs at Eckerd’s Express Photo, learning the craft from the ground up. Early on, I was the ultimate yes man – weddings, events, portraits, jewelry, and food – if it involved a camera, I took the job.

A big break came working with local legend Evin Thayer. I spent eight years with him as an assistant and second shooter, learning how to handle real assignments and real clients. From there, I moved on to Gittings, where I spent time in the digital darkroom retouching images on early versions of Photoshop. That experience still pays off.

Around that time, a friend of mine who was teaching at the Art Institute got a call from Heritage Texas Properties. They were looking for someone to shoot listings exclusively as digital photography was just getting started. He thankfully referred me. The next thing I knew, I had 70 realtors hiring me to shoot their listings. That changed everything.

Today, I’m still based in Houston and working out of Idylwood with my wife Sonya. That same mindset – show up, figure it out, and deliver – is still how I approach every shoot.