Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bri Burns. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Bri , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I do a collaborative Pride series every year that means a great deal to me. As a queer person myself I know how important it is for people, especially kids and teens to see themselves represented in media. I work with all identities and orientations throughout the year but I really love taking the month of June to celebrate my queer peers. This past year I also gave them the opportunity to share what their journey has looked like or what queerness means to them. It’s so wonderful to see that everyone has their own separate journeys but at the end of the day we are all very similar in our very human experiences.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Bri Burns and I’m a freelance Photographer and Makeup Artist located in Richmond, VA. My photography journey started when I couldn’t find any local photographers to collaborate with. I always had all of these creatives ideas buzzing through my head and no way to execute them. I decided to ask for a camera in 2020 during lockdown. Tinkered here and there but was too intimidated to actually use it. So it sat in my closet until the spring of 2021 when I asked a friend if she would model for me. She said yes and the rest is history. We still work together to this day under my brand Sweetwater Photo Co where we specialize in creative portraits, fantasy, and boudoir photography.
I think something we provide that sets us apart from others is the environment. We encourage play. We love to be silly and weird, and allow others that come into our space to do the same. Something remarkable happens when you allow others to truly embrace who they are. Which allows us to capture them organically and authentically.
A huge part of why I love photography so much, especially the genres that we do, is because we get to change people’s ideas of themselves. We lift the veil that’s been obstructing their view of themselves. We get to be a part of someone’s healing, Its a very delicate and intimate thing we provide and we are so incredibly lucky and grateful to be a part of it.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
A huge part of being an entrepreneur or freelancer is being resilient. It wasn’t something that I even really thought about at first but it’s true. It takes so much work, effort and consistency to do this job. It can be really frustrating when you don’t feel like you’re being taken seriously, or if you feel that you’re being taken advantage of. Even more so when your work is your art. You have to try not to take things personally. Remember that not every client is your client. Everyone’s opinion doesn’t matter, and if it brings you joy keep going. Even on days when you don’t want to. Consistency isn’t every single day till you’re burnt out and lacking inspiration. It’s showing up in every way that you can when you can. Resilience comes with time.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Being authentic. It’s so important to show people who are really are. That doesn’t mean tell everyone your business and not set boundaries. It means that across the board everyone is going to know who you are because their experience with you has been genuine. Are you going to vibe with everyone? Probably not, but if you know that you’re being true to who you are and contributing to this world in a positive way then at the end of the day your people will find you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sweetwaterphotoco.com
- Instagram: main: https://www.instagram.com/burnsbphoto/ second: https://www.instagram.com/sweetwaterphotoco/
Image Credits
Images by Bri Burns @burnsbphoto