Meet the Artist
This week I want to introduce you guys to one of my favorite
photographers. She is not only a photographer, but a fine artist, a film
major, and an author. The first time I saw one of her images, I was absolutely in awe; I was inspired and intrigued. Her work always tells an
interesting story. It’s beautiful, mysterious, gritty, & captivating to
boot. And I’m not the only one to take notice. At 25 yrs. old, one of
her images was selected by Ron Howard in 2011 for inspiration for a short film (see below). She's been featured by many galleries and among many editorials.
Running from the Wind.
Her name is Brooke Shaden and I wouldn't be shocked if you have heard of her. She
was born in 1987, raised in Pennsylvania ,
& started photography in L.A.
Image from a cool interview from The Reading List with Phil
Treasus. Credit: https://www.thereadinglists.com/brooke-shaden-reading-list/
I quickly learned her name. She produces the kind of work sticks with
you, - or at least it did me. I caught a free online workshop, (or pieces of
it), via Creative Live a couple of years ago. Fortunately, they have lots of
sales. Months later, they had a big sale on her fine art photography workshops
& I didn’t hesitate to scoop one up. As far as teaching goes, Brooke is an
excellent educator. She’s laid back and down to earth. I started following her on Instagram and Facebook. She
shares a lot on social media about her images & her thoughts, including
details, behind the scenes, how to’s, and some of the why’s.
When she gets ready to shoot, she totes a backpack of bare
essentials into the woods, across fences, into abandoned houses, or anywhere
that she finds interesting, and gets to work. She accounts for all of the
details: light, elements, room or space size, angles, costuming, and props. She
keeps it simple, because she’s often on her own, but that doesn’t mean her
efforts aren’t laborious. Keeping her equipment minimal assures her load
doesn’t bog her down on her excursions. After she takes her shots, she packs up and hits Photoshop to edit. Much of her work involves compositing, which means she adds elements
from different images together, but a single image really doesn’t receive any
heavy treatment but is a seamless, well refined method.
"Hollow Bones", "Moth", & "Catharsis" Brooke Shaden https://www.facebook.com/pg/brookeshadenphotography
The above set is straight from her Facebook page. I remember
watching her explain how she created the middle image. I think it’s so cool to
see someone step out of the box. She's very crafty & clever, and never thinks twice about showing the world who she is or exposing her feelings. Maybe her work stands out because so many people hide behind social media; they share only the positive moments and hide the perceived negative. I find her work so honest, raw, &
sincere.
The above image & the following quote are also from her
Facebook page.
“To come into our power. What an amazing
mantra to keep in mind. We are all powerful beyond measure, I believe that
truly. We are all pent up energy that wants to ring out loudly like thunder. I
have heard so many people saying this year that they want to help but can't,
that they want to feel powerful or like they make a difference but they simply
don't. I get it, so much. I understand what it feels
like to feel powerless. To have so little, to not know what to give, to not
know what helps. The truth is, though, that every good intentioned deed helps.
Every little bit helps. All we need to do is come into our power, understand
our worth, know in our cells that we are unique and that uniqueness can change
the world. So here I am exploding...or, my dark version of coming into my
power.”
When I see this picture, I can feel it. Being consumed.
Being weighted down with a darkness and just rolling with it. It’s not the kind
of thing you talk about openly, but everyone has been there. We're all in this emotional human experience together and we all feel good and bad things. Sometimes
art says so much more than words, and to me, that’s when it’s effective. It’s
successful. I just love her and I hope you do too!
If you’d like to see more of her work, or learn more about
her, here are some useful links:
To return to my website, just click on this link: Eye Candy by Karmen
Other sources used:
3 CBS Philly. Photo by Temple University Graduate Captures the Eye of Hollywood's Ron Howard.
Abrahms, Mark. 2012.
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/03/04/photo-by-temple-university-graduate-captures-the-eye-of-hollywoods-ron-howard/
The Reading List. Brooke Shaden: Fear is the Mind Killer. Teagus, Phil.
https://www.thereadinglists.com/brooke-shaden-reading-list/
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