Hi, I'm Brad Sytten. My life’s work has been to reveal the beauty of the world. It has not been easy, as I have been in near constant pain since birth. When I was born in 1958, I was literally one in a million.

I had a rare birth defect known as exstrophy of the bladder, where the organ is outside the body at birth. My parents were told I wouldn’t see my second birthday, but when I was two, the doctors were able to put the bladder back inside. Still, I had to wear diapers until I was 12, when another surgery enabled me to attend public school for the first time. 

A year later, I received a bar mitzvah gift that changed my life: a camera.

Photography quickly became my passion and the creative focus of my life. Throughout high school I was able to create my own assignments, spending two and a half years in independent study where I took photography classes. At the age of 21 I was fortunate enough to meet Larry Lesser, a professional photographer who took me under his wing and showed me that I could make a living doing what I loved. Together we shot the biggest parties, weddings and bar mitzvahs in Los Angeles. My camera and I were inseparable.

Unfortunately, my health issues were a constant as well. Through the years I have undergone close to 30 surgeries, including construction of a new bladder out of part of my intestine. That surgery left me paralyzed in my right arm for six months. At 40 I had a blood clot below my heart that should have killed me, but it moved to into my legs. As a result, I lost my big toe on my right foot and had to have my left leg amputated below the knee. I now walk with a prosthetic.

The professional side of my life, however, has continued to thrive.

When Larry Lesser became Executive Vice President in charge of Creative Services for the Milken Family Foundation, he took me with him. As a freelancer for him (and others) I have traveled the world, lugging a large format camera with an even larger tripod everywhere. My travels have taken me from the Arctic Circle to South America, from altitudes of 14,000 feet to the beaches of all the Caribbean islands. I have worked extensively throughout Europe and America, visiting 49 states. Someday I hope to cross Idaho off my list.

Now, at the age of 53, my left kidney has shut down and my right one is only
60% functional. When people tell me they feel sorry for me, I remind them that I have lived an extraordinary life filled with laughter, love and purpose.  Thanks to the incredible doctors and nurses at Keck Hospital at USC, I am able to continue my life’s wonderful journey.

Yes, it’s a beautiful world.

I invite you to see it through my eyes. The eyes of Brad Sytten