We were lucky to catch up with Brittany Short recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brittany, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I have but it hasn’t always been easy. I worked at a full-time photographer at a women-led startup in San Francisco for 4+ years before diving into the world of freelance which was extremely daunting. I was lucky enough to have contacts in the area and started reaching out and making connections and finding work. Each month was and is so different depending on the season so it’s always been good to schedule out shoots far in advance and often times taking last minute gigs. It’s all about being flexible and sometimes you start off photographing things that don’t seem as interesting to you to get to where you want to be.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I first picked up a DSLR in high school through a photojournalism class and immediately fell in love with taking photos, telling stories and creating art. After I graduated with a degree in photography I decided I needed to get out of Texas for a bit and so on a whim I made a book with my portfolio in it, flew to San Francisco and walked into the doors of Brit + Co- a female founded women’s creative agency dropped it off and hoped for the best-and luckily landed an interview that day with their Co-Founder and Creative Director. I got the job and moved to San Francisco 3 months later. I worked at Brit + Co for 4+ years as one of their photographers making my way up to Senior Photographer + Editor and worked with dozens of brands from Adidas, Google, Nike, Target, Sephora, Disney and countless others. I transitioned out to try my hand at freelance photography in the Bay Area and was able to build up my repertoire there and worked with some incredible small businesses and big name tech startups. After my husband and I got married we moved to Austin, where I am now and I immediately started freelancing with magazines and brands in the area and far. Most notably I’ve traveled for work for a shoot with Texas Monthly, I’ve worked regularly with Tribeza and EastSide Magazine and worked with Bunkhouse Group, several landscape and interior designers in the area and done a studio for Method Products under Johnson & Johnson. I really enjoy having a wide variety of photographic interests.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The simple fact that I get to do what I love for a living. It’s incredible to think that I picked up a camera 15+ years ago and now I get to make a living taking photos. I love being able to meet others in the area and in different fields. Recently I’ve worked with a few jewelry designers and landscape designers and have gotten to meet restaurant owners in Austin and other creatives-it becomes like a crash-course in all the fields and I feel grateful that i get to learn about all kinds of different things with my photography.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
I’m definitely intrigued by NFTs and think they’re a great way for artists and non artists to get together to appreciate the creative space. My husband is actually the one in our household who is most interested and he’s always showing me new artists and new pieces of work and the discussions we have in our home would not have come from my photography alone. They’ve sparked his creative juices and I’m a huge fan.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brittanydawnphotography.com
- Instagram: @brittanydawn
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/brittanydawnshort