Hey, I'm Brooke.
It makes me smile so big that you're here, reading about me! I am 100% a people person & I look forward to meeting you. I grew up in a small town in Eastern North Carolina and then ventured to the mountains to attend Appalachian State University. During my junior year at App, I was unfortunately diagnosed with stage III cancer. This completely stopped me in my tracks and forced me to realize we are never promised tomorrow. I took medical leave from school and travelled the country with my now husband, then boyfriend of 2 months, father, and stepmother to find a specialist. You're probably confused why a guy that I had dated for 2 months went on this journey with me- well, so was I. The best explanation I have is that he is a real angel and was sent to hold my hand. I had treatment in Houston, Texas and in Manhattan, New York. Flash forward to today and I have been cancer free for 2 whole years! WOW putting that in writing really resonates with me. We moved to Durham, where Hunter (the sweet man mentioned above) grew up and I absolutely love it here! I spend any down time I can find reading, walking, hiking, or gardening. The mountains continue to hold a special place in my heart, so if you're interested in doing a mountain session PLEASE say so- seriously, I find every excuse to go. Or really any adventure honestly. When I look back on my life, the only word I can think of to describe it would be "faith." Faith to trust my doctors, faith to get married so young, faith to move to a new place, and faith to start a photography business. My general positive outlook on life has really helped me put my goals into action, and I am so glad that you are now a part of my world! I cannot wait to hear, and help you tell, your story.
My Photography Journey
So, now that you know about who I am outside of taking photos, I'm sure you're wondering how I got to this point in my life. Photographs have always been something that I cherished. To this day, one of my favorite things to do is look through old scrapbooks- I just think that a photo can capture the emotion of a moment in a way that a story cannot compare to. I look at pictures of my husband as a child and I imagine who he was in that moment and what qualities of this child I never knew our children will embody. My dad bought me my first camera my senior year of high school but I didn't touch it until I got to college. I began to really soul search and would go on solo hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway- camera in hand. My goal was to capture anything that made me feel an emotion I hadn't felt before. Which ended up being every step I took because WOW this world we live in is intrequietly beautiful. Anyways, a friend's boyfriend asked me to take pictures of him proposing. I was honored and terrified at the same time, I mean come on I had only taken pictures of things that didn't move!! I said yes and have never looked back. The art of capturing connection between people is something that cannot ever be staged or created. It's real and awkward and endearing and tense and flawless all at the same time. My goal itself has not changed- it's only that the things that cause me to feel something have just broadened.
