ABOUT
At first I would lug around a big heavy camera on my walks... but now my camera is pocket-sized! That's right folks... ALL my current images are from an iPhone! Including this big beauty right here! (Just to give you a reference point, I'm 5'8" and this piece is almost as tall as I am!)
I started using my phone because it allowed me to be spontaneous. I no longer need to set aside time to shoot, or carry a heavy camera, or put a lens in someone's face. Lol! I am always ready when the inspiration strikes, and I can be incognito when I take pictures. I absolutely love it!
Not only do I love the spontaneity that the phone affords me, but I also love that it exemplifies the theme of my work. The iPhone is a common object that most people are so used to that they forget how special it is. Just like most people overlook the trees and the grass and the structure they live in, the phone becomes such a typical part of our day-to-day lives that we often forget it is an extraordinary device!
People are always shocked when I tell them my images come from the phone. But why should it be shocking? The camera on the phone is very sophisticated! Much more sophisticated than the first cameras used by some of the greatest photographers! I have created beautiful images using photo paper and a cardboard box (the first type of camera), and I have also used some of the most expensive cameras on the market. They are all good/worthy tools. It's not the device that creates the art, it's the artist! 😉 So when someone displays shock after I tell them I am using the iPhone to create my artwork, then I know I have succeeded as an artist. Because in that moment I have helped to open a person's mind and get them to take a look at something they thought they knew, something they are so familiar with, and see it in a completely new way! Ah! I love that so much! That is the best experience to have as a human... To stand right where you are, in a familiar place, and experience something new!
HI! I'm Brooke. I'm a fine art photographer based in Los Angeles, California.
Thank you for visiting my online store, and for taking the time to look around! I hope that some of my images brought you a feeling of joy. 😊
You may have noticed that my artwork focuses on day-to-day objects, or what I call the simple pleasures. My goal as an artist is to draw attention to those everyday moments that often escape us. To look at the overlooked. To discover the extraordinary in the so-called ordinary.
When I first started to shoot in this way, I was actually using my camera as a way to relax and feel less anxious. I would take my camera with me on a walk, and look for opportunities to take pictures as a way to distract myself from the stresses of my "day job" ... and it worked! Sometimes I would walk for hours, taking pictures along the way, and was shocked to see how much time had gone by. I was so immersed in the beauty and fascination of all the fun things I would come across... like flowers and trees and buildings and clouds. In other words, I began to open up to what was right in front of me, and by doing so I a) became present and relaxed, and b) I started to become very fascinated with just how incredible our world is. I didn't travel to some exotic land, I was just walking around my own "boring" neighborhood that I had been living in for years. Except it wasn't boring at all! Each and every little thing became interesting once I was willing to take a look!
So that is how it started... and this is how it's going...
QUALITY & QUANTITY
One thing I love more than anything else is having something that no one else has! Which is why I decided to offer my artwork in very small, limited edition quantities. Most of my edition sizes are from 3 - 10. Which means that when you buy one of my pieces you are getting something that is 1 of 3 or 1 of 10 in the whole world! I think that's pretty cool! And when the edition is sold out, and many are starting to sell out, and you have 1 of only 3, you now have something that has a high value due to its rarity, and you could potentially resell it for more than you paid for it! I love that idea! I hope that all my collectors will enjoy their pieces for many many years to come, but if the time comes when they are ready to move on, then I hope each collector is able to actually turn around and make money on their purchase! I love a good win/win! 😁
Which brings me to quality... each piece is processed using only the best archival/museum quality papers. That means that these prints are made to last for generations to come. The papers, inks, and machines used to process these pieces turn out a stunning, high quality product that will not fade, even in direct sunlight.
I personally inspect every millimeter of every piece of art. There is nothing on the print that I have not explicitly intended to be there. After a piece has pass inspection, I then sign and number each piece by hand, and create a certificate of authenticity to accompany the piece.
Each piece that I create is processed locally at a fine art photo lab in Los Angeles, and each frame you purchase from me is custom made, by hand, at a local framer, also in Los Angeles. So when you purchase a piece of art from me you are actually supporting three local, small businesses - me, the photo lab, and the framer!
So that's my story folks! Thank you for reading this far. You can always reach out with questions anytime at info@brookewilen.com!