We were lucky to catch up with Bryn Power Lux recently and have shared our conversation below.

Bryn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on was photographing a trip with members of my local church to a small village called Sintaro in southern Ethiopia, several hours from the capital, Addis Ababa. This village is part of a long-standing partnership between my church and a local Ethiopian nonprofit, and it’s a community I’ve personally supported for over five years.

For context, I have been involved for a little over five years with this partnership my church has with the village and a local on-the-ground Ethiopian non-profit. It is a long-term partnership for my church and has been going on for a little over 12 years at this point. I have been lucky enough to help support several girls through school in the small village while also getting to write them letters throughout the years. After so long without ever meeting in person, I finally had the opportunity in 2023 to travel to Ethiopia, meet the girls and their families, spend time with the community, and work alongside local leaders to learn more about their needs.

I was so incredibly excited to meet in person the girls I had been writing to for years. I was looking forward to getting to know them, seeing their homes and meeting their families. I had never been to Africa and was excited to experience the beauty of a part of the planet very different from where I have grown up and traveled.

Each year, as part of the trip, someone takes updated portraits of the children to send to their sponsors back in the U.S. This time, that was my project. My role was to take photos of every child attending the school, along with portraits of the teachers and staff. Alongside those deliverables, I documented every aspect of the trip and many of the people I (and the people I traveled with) met. I wanted to capture the essence of the spirit and beauty of Ethiopia and everyone who lives there.

What stood out to me the most and made this project the most meaningful was seeing and documenting the deep, authentic joy and resilience of everyone I met. I always felt welcomed, seen, and valued by those I came across in brief moments (like passing in a car or restaurant) as well as those I got to know during the duration the several-week trip. I wanted to be able to capture those feelings as well as the beauty of the people and nature in Ethiopia.

I have traveled to poor areas in other countries before, such as Mexico and Costa Rica, but the level of financial poverty in Ethiopia was something I had not seen before. However, at the same time, what struck me the most was that while these incredible people might be financially poor, they are spiritually and emotionally rich. I have never met people so abundant with joy and life, and documenting that was life-changing.

I truly believe that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the images from this trip hold far more than that for me. They remind me of connection, hope, and the kind of joy that transcends language. (I tried speaking some words in their local language, and while I didn’t do a great job, the kids definitely got a kick out of it haha). It was an honor to witness and capture those moments, and I hope the photos help others see the beauty of this community the way I did.

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?

My name is Bryn and I am a photographer in the California East Bay Area. My work spans both personal and professional realms, reflecting the full journey of how my passion for photography has evolved over time.

As a business, I specialize in portrait photography, offering sessions for couples, engagements, weddings, graduates, families, maternity, and personal branding for small businesses. On a personal level, I’m deeply inspired by the natural world and love photographing wildlife and the beauty of our planet.

My photography journey began in early 2022, when my (now) husband gifted me a World War II-era film camera. He knew I had an interest in photography and patiently taught me the fundamentals, starting with film, which gave me a solid foundation in the technical and manual aspects of the craft. Within three months, I was completely hooked. I invested in my first digital camera, a Canon 5D Mark III, and from that point on, photography became my driving passion. I poured nearly all my free time into shooting, experimenting, and diving deep into editing and post-processing techniques.

What sets my photography business apart, according to feedback from both clients and prospective clients, is my ability to make people feel truly comfortable in front of the camera. That comfort translates into authentic, emotionally rich photos that reflect real moments. My goal is always to help clients feel not just beautiful, but fully seen and at ease, so they walk away with images they genuinely love for a lifetime.

That might be documenting a family at a certain point in time when their kids are young or capturing the proposal of two people deeply in love. I have also had branding clients that have come back to me and said they never thought they would be able to represent their business with photos they loved looking at until our shoot. I am most proud when I hear feedback like that because it affirms the unique space I hold in this industry: one where people can feel comfortable, seen, and celebrated just as they are.

It’s truly an honor to be invited into such meaningful moments. I want potential clients to feel they can trust me not only as their photographer, but as a fun, encouraging presence, someone who might even become a friend. I want them to feel like they can come to me with their hesitations and worries about photos and then walk away after the experience feeling happy, fulfilled, and more confident.

Looking ahead, both as a business and as an individual, I hope to also do more work in the documentary, environmental, and wildlife photography space. One of my dream goals is to one day be published in National Geographic.

Recently, one of my portraits, (a photo I previously mentioned of children in Ethiopia), won Best of Class at a regional fair and was even purchased by someone who felt connected to it. That moment was deeply meaningful to me. Realizing that a photo that means so much to me, one that brings me so much joy, could be hanging in someone else’s home, helping them see the beauty of others on this planet, was a powerful moment. It opened my eyes to the kind of impact my work can have and gave me new insight into the direction I might want to take my business in the future.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being a creative is having an artistic outlet where I can experiment, explore, and express myself. While I studied biology and conservation science in college, fields that tap into the more logical side of my brain, I’ve always been drawn to the arts and the freedom they offer to think and create differently. I find beauty in the idea that I can capture something the way I see it, even if others might see it differently. Unlike science or math, there’s no single right answer in photography. It’s about perspective: how I choose to see and share a moment in time. Through photography, I not only express myself but also continue to learn more about who I am, the people around me, and the planet I get to live on.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Above all, the most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been word of mouth. People love getting photographer recommendations based on the positive experiences of others. My business started with one person hiring me to photograph their engagement session, and at the time, I was blown away that someone would pay me to take their photos. From there, it grew.

In addition to word of mouth, maintaining a consistent presence on Instagram has also been incredibly helpful. It allows me to visually showcase my work to prospective clients who may have heard about me through personal referrals.

I also want to acknowledge the importance of search engine optimization. I’ve had some clients find me through Google searches and Pinterest, both of which rely on having a strong online presence through blogs, photos, and well-placed keywords. My website has played a crucial role in making that happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brynpowerphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brynpower.photography/
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/BrynPowerPhotography/

Image Credits

I took all the photos so no other credits necessary besides them being labeled as mine ◡̈