We recently connected with Brynne O’connor and have shared our conversation below.

Brynne, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

I’ve been doing music photography as a hobby for almost a decade, but didn’t start shooting with a publication until early last year (shoutout Next Wave Magazine!). I think it’s really important to have a solid understanding of your industry, your personal tool kit, and your strengths and weaknesses relative to your craft before fully immersing yourself professionally. I see a lot of people eager to get into photographing live music (which is awesome!), but are hesitant to dedicate time to learning, and honing, the skill set that comes with it. Personally speaking, I spent eight years, which might seem ridiculously long, learning the ins and outs of my camera. After I felt comfortable using my gear in a variety of environments — such as low light, tight/cramped areas, or inconvenient angles — I started experimenting with photo editing software, familiarizing myself with the Adobe Creative Suite. It was really important to me that I was confident in the work I was producing. Anyone can snap a photo; composing a shot, from planning to post-production, that tells a story, is a craft.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been creating visuals in the music industry since I was 16 years old, starting out at local bars, clubs, and other places a 16-year-old probably shouldn’t have been allowed — but I used creative ingenuity and a strong dedication to my craft to market myself to musical artists, press contacts, and venue owners, quickly building a professional network, and shooting dates on cross-country music festivals such as Vans Warped Tour by the time I was just 17. It is my mission to create music industry visuals that are as emotionally-charged as the performances I have the opportunity to capture. In August of 2024, I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Southern New Hampshire University, earning my BA in communication with a concentration in New Media.
Through this degree program, I was able to hone in on my skills in graphic design, social media strategy, online marketing, and content production. 

When I consider my own personal creative journey, I think the most valuable piece of lived advice I can offer is to take everything at your own pace. Creating art is great; creating art you are proud of, and feel proud to share with others (whether that’s fans, followers, or clients) is fantastic. I think it’s really important, as a creative, to take the time to fully understand your craft, develop a style, and delve deep into what it is you want to say with the work you do.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

As a photographer and visual artist (drawing, painting, multimedia/graphic design), I was an artistic kid; I was always looking for ways to capture the way I was feeling, or what the world looked like to me. My parents did a really good job of keeping track of my artwork as a child, and encouraged me to express myself in these ways; I got my first DSLR when I was 16, a Christmas present from my dad. Giving a physicality to my feelings, making it visual through colors and motions — LOUD, angry, sad, anxious — was an invaluable resource in my toolkit as an anxious teenager. When I started high school, I made it a mission to save, or somehow archive, every piece of creative work I made from that point on. My parents had essentially created a time capsule of artwork I’d created from the time I could pick up a crayon, and I am so grateful to have continued that tradition for myself over the last decade. Being able to document the growth from a technical level, was, of course, valuable, but doing this also gave me a time capsule into my mind and the things I felt were worthy of capturing; you can see the moods, subjects, and inspiration shift over the years. Having such a raw, unique timeline of the last decade of my life is such an amazing gift.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

There are a lot of really great networking groups and resources available on Facebook, especially for people in the music industry. One of my favorite groups is run by Girls Behind the Rock Show (GBTRS) and focuses on helping women/non-binary people in the music industry network, exchange opportunities, and provide empowerment and support to each other. In addition to job opportunities, they have a lot of great professional resources and an amazing group of people with a variety of experience to bounce ideas off of or get professional advice. LinkedIn is a great resource too, but I was just late on that one!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brynneoconnor.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/first3songsphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brynnewitz
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brynne-oconnor-6868bao