Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brooke Blane. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Brooke, thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I hope to be remembered for the impact I’ve made on my subjects during our time together. The moments and memories I’ve captured visually will accompany the narrative I’ve written as an artist, but the most important thing to me is my client experience. At the end of the day, I don’t want to just capture pretty images, I want to create meaningful connections with my subjects as I document life’s most precious moments. I want to be remembered for my passion, my cheerfulness, my desire to serve, and the ability to make people feel comfortable with someone they’ve just met. William James says, “The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it” and it brings me so much joy to know that I played a vital role in delivering heirlooms that will be passed down for generations to come.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I feel like I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I would hand-make these cards for my family, almost every day, and put it at their seats at the dinner table for them to read before the meal. I was also often found playing in my older sister’s color coordinated beads (sorry Britt) and getting extremely excited over new markers. I just always had this desire to create. I remember sitting on the floor in high school researching what “graphic design” was and thinking I wanted to do that in college despite ever even touching the adobe suite. My parents convinced me to go the Business Marketing major route as a “safe” option—we definitely had the whole starving artist conversation–so I obliged at the time to then later change my major in college to fine arts after getting involved in the design groups on campus. I’m extremely lucky to have had such great support from my professors in college. They really pushed me to grow as an artist. My major was visual arts and I concentrated in graphic design (my full-time job) and photography (my greatest passion). I know my spark started there in those core classes and in the creative groups I got involved with during my 4-year term and it has grown into what it is today.

I found such a love for photography, and I know that my professor, Ginny, was a huge part in that. I cannot thank her enough for pushing me outside of my comfort zone. If it weren’t for her, I would still be shooting on automatic, haha. I would often practice on my family and friends for fun, and even had the honor of documenting some of their greatest milestones (proposals, engagements, first born children and family portraits), but the thought of starting a business never crossed my mind. Then somehow, I went from shooting family, to friends of my family, to friends of friends, and I then realized, wow, I think I have a business…I should probably figure out how to do this. I was generously gifted my first professional, full-frame camera on my graduation in 2017 from my mom and dad, and I began taking online courses on business management, posing, social media, strobe lighting, studio lighting, building contracts and all the education I could possibly absorb and afford as a post grad. I believe education and learning from those who are already successful in your field, is so crucial. I also took on as many free shoots as I could to start a portfolio and build confidence in my work. The road has sometimes felt long, lonely, and definitely not linear, but I’m so grateful for the journey and all I’ve learned in the process of becoming a professional photographer. Design is my job and I love being an artist, but photography sets my soul on fire. I’ve had the chance to connect with so many individuals and capture their weddings, proposals, maternity sessions, heirloom children’s portraits, branding shots, family sessions and boudoir images.

When it comes to my business, I like to consider myself “niche-less” because I can’t force myself to only pick one audience. I love serving people in all walks of life and expanding my portfolio as I go. The last couple of years I’ve worked to really refine my style and elevate my work and I consider it such a blessing that so many people took a chance on me when I was starting out. It’s sometimes humbling to look back on my first images, but I loved the spark and determination of the girl behind those images, and I know that passion will never leave when I have the desire to edit/shoot after a 9-hour workday. I’m really excited to see how my brand and client experience will continue to evolve over time and as I move into my 4th year in business. I would love to get into more editorial work in the next year and would love the opportunity to connect with more brands to channel my love for fine-art fashion. You can follow along with my journey on my website Brookeblane.com and my Instagram where I’m most active (@Brookeblane). I love connecting, so send me a message if you read all of this!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I really believe consistency fosters growth in all areas of business. That doesn’t mean you can’t grow as an artist and elevate your style and customer experience, but having a consistent experience and portfolio to let your clientele know what they’ll get when they book you will really help your business grow.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My greatest goal is to pursue photography full time. I currently work as a graphic designer in a corporate setting, and while I love design, my dream is to go full time working for myself. I can really envision my day as a full-time photographer and being so passionate and excited about my day-to-day routine. I hope to be there soon!

Contact Info:

• Website: Brookeblane.com
• Instagram: Brookeblane
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brooke.clark.165 and https://www.facebook.com/BrookeBlanePhotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookeliseclark/

Image Credits
Brooke Blane Photography