We spoke to recent BSU graduate Lois Brewer about her photography, which is also featured in the latest print edition of milk. She now works as a magazine designer, but still takes photos professionally. We asked Lois to share some of her favourite images, as well as her top tips for getting started with the camera
“I got into photography because of my grandad. He owned a professional camera, so I used to experiment with it and take photos of my grandma’s garden. When I was 13, I decided to buy my own – at that age, it was the most expensive thing I owned! Some of the first photos I was proud of were my portraits, as this is what I used to do a lot of. I would experiment with coloured light and shadows to create interesting images.”
“When I was 13, I decided to buy my own camera – it was the most expensive thing I owned!”
“The image I’m most proud of now is a black-background image of two horses. I took the photo of the horse on the right, then the second one a while later and edited them together as a gift to the owner. I love the lighting – I think it really shows off just how beautiful the horses are!”
“I use a Nikon D5300. She’s quite old now and I would love a new mirrorless camera! However, she still does the job! I have a variety of lenses for different shoots, I would pick depending on the day – if it’s a wedding, portraits or brand shoot.”
For A Living
“I fell into being professional! I would post my images online, and friends of friends would ask for photos, of their pets, family or party. One day, I got a message asking if I did weddings, and I didn’t want to turn it down (even though I was unsure and scared that I’d do it wrong!). It ended up being great day, and led to many, many more weddings! So, I’m very grateful to the lady that first messaged me, and believed in me!”
“I now do photograph many weddings for couples each summer, which is always so lovely. They are beautiful days to be a part of. I offer full or half-day photography, as well as prints afterwards. I love working on photobooks of a couple’s special day.
Creative Freedom
“My favourite things to shoot are portraits, whether that’s of a person or someone’s pet! But a close second would be product photography, I also really enjoy the creative freedom you get with that. I’m inspired by the light, I’m a natural-light photographer, so avoid using artificial light as much as I can.”
“When I first started, one of my biggest inspirations was Brandon Woelfel. He experiments with portraits, light and shutter speed and I just always loved how different his work is! For landscapes, local Sophie Hunter and Lotty Lower have both always been an inspiration to me, especially since they grew up in my hometown.”
For The Love Of It
“My tips for an aspiring photography would be to build a professional-looking portfolio. It can be shoots you’ve done yourself, or volunteer shoots. It all adds up and makes you look a lot more credible. I would also say that you have to make sure you enjoy it!”
“Also, it is challenging to run your own business, there’s a lot that comes with it that isn’t just taking and editing photos, so keep that in mind! It’s been a great experience for me though.”
“I’ve been grateful that my images have been used by several companies over the years – I’ve had the opportunity to work on some cool projects. I’m not sure what’s next for my photography but I’m very grateful that I get to do it professionally and work on many cool shoots.”
See more of Lois’ work at loisbrewer.myportfolio.com and on Instagram @loisbrewerphotography
