We were lucky to catch up with Brooke Weidauer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brooke, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I graduated in social work in 2004. Throughout my college career, I knew what I actually wanted was to create! There is something so magical about creating something out of nothing. I had always loved taking photos but my passion for photography really struck me when I had my kids. I initially wanted to take better pictures of them and for the camera to capture the way that I saw them, or close to it. I fell madly in love with photography. I was not planning to take photography beyond a hobby status. My husband was in the fire academy at the time and we didn’t have a lot of money and yet, I wanted a pair of jeans that were out of our meager budget. So, I told myself that I would start taking on clients to buy myself a pair of these pricier jeans. After a couple of paid shoots, I purchased myself some fancy pants. And then, I just kept on going. I realized how much I loved interacting with new people and even having that time with people I did know. I was able to connect with people on a different level. I appreciated the ability to be creative. I loved the way I saw the world differently – I noticed the hair light of people at the park and the way the light shone through the kitchen window. I saw the world differently after I fell in love with photography.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I began with family photography but have photographed so many different genres. I have been fortunate enough to photograph births, weddings, police officers, corporate headshots, a high-profile political event, and even funerals, which are not my favorite thing. Right now my focus is on high school seniors. I am still in the thick of raising my kids so I do not shoot often outside of the summer. The thing I am most proud of in photography is giving my family and others the ability to freeze-frame time. What a gift photography is! We can momentarily revisit the past and connect with those in the photo. In a sense, photography allows us to time travel. I also love capturing the beauty of people. Not necessarily the outward beauty but their personality – their light.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Since I began photography, my focus, until recently, has been on families. I love photographing families. Family is at the center of my core beliefs. I believe family is everything. I love my own family so much. I love taking photos with them and having those photos to help me reminisce. I love giving other families that same gift. However, I reached a point a couple of years ago that became somewhat of a moral dilemma. I felt it was my calling to photograph families, yet I was spending so much time away from my own family. Editing family photos, for me, is very time-consuming. I would spend most of every day and evening working on the computer. I begrudgingly knew that I had to face the fact that my life was out of balance and I was facing this juxtaposition of not being with my own kids enough in the valiant effort to strengthen other families’ relationships. I decided to pivot my focus to high school seniors – which is more manageable for this time in my life.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
What I find most rewarding about photography is giving my family and others the ability to freeze-frame time. What a gift photography is! We can momentarily revisit the past and connect with those in the photo. In a sense, photography allows us to time travel. I also love capturing the beauty of people. Not necessarily the outward beauty but their personality – their light.
I also find it rewarding to be able to help support my family.
Contact Info:
