If you’ve ever asked the question, “Is photography really an art?” then you might want to check out Brianna Graham’s website to find the answer. Her portraits have an artistic quality and magnetic presence that invites viewers to slow down, lean near the computer monitor and bask in the beauty of each captured moment.

There is that perfect shining light, clean luminous clarity, subtle emotional connection and yes, raw daring talent! What makes photography an art? Well, judging by Brianna’s work, it must be the artist behind the camera.

Whenever I ask a photographer when he or she first fell in love with their craft, it’s usually a bit difficult for them to be specific. After all, being an artist is not really an occupation, but more, a state of being. Brianna recalls her passion for photography as her first priority—more important than school or dating or anything else that most kids her age treasured. “I asked my father for a camera every Christmas and when I finally received a 110 film camera I was on top of the world,” she says. That said, even as a young girl Brianna knew her father’s 35mm camera was a much better tool and she began to sneak it out of the house to act out her dream of being a photojournalist. “This got me in a lot of trouble with my dad,” she recalls. “But it was just too tempting.”

When Brianna was 14 she had managed to save enough cash to purchase her very own SLR, a Canon AE-1, which she took everywhere. As she found the schedules of the classroom and the study of textbooks too confining for her artistic spirit, Brianna anxiously waited in school for the bell to ring so that she could get out to take more pictures. It was during high school that she made friends with a young reporter at The Flint Journal in Michigan. Finally, she had someone who shared her passion for pictures. They would walk the streets of Flint, cameras swinging from their necks as they ran up fire escapes and viewed the town from rooftops of abandoned buildings. The pair would lose track of time as they developed their images in the newspaper’s darkroom until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m., which did not set too well with Brianna’s parents. After several such nights, her mom and dad decided it would be safer to install a darkroom in their basement and try to keep their adventurous daughter safe at home.

As wonderful as it was to have a convenient darkroom, Brianna wanted to breathe fresh free air and opted to journey to New Orleans alone. It was during this adventure that she recalls her mom announcing that she would finally just accept her daughter as the artist she was and put an end to their tug-of-war. This was a pivotal moment in their relationship, which has allowed them to enjoy a closeness they had not known before.

As the years passed, Brianna’s photographic fire continued to blaze brighter and stronger with no sign of extinction. Now married and the mother of a 6-year-old daughter residing in Grand Rapids, MI, she has realized her dream and it is exactly how she envisioned it: Brianna has been working as a portrait photographer for over six years and has been teaching workshops for three. She says she loves every aspect of her business with the exception of sales, which she has entrusted to her compassionate husband. “If it was left to me,” Brianna confides, “I would give my work away, so Patrick acts as an emotional buffer between me and my clients and is an integral part of my business along with my secretary, Norma, whom I could not do without.” Like many artists, Brianna admits that she only wants to be involved with the right-brain creative activities where she shines and chooses to leave the business side to those more capable.

Brianna shares of her business, “I feel very passionate about photography as a whole, but I think what really stands out for me is the connection I feel with my subjects. I love seeing those moments when a person allows you in and reveals who they are inside. I try to capture that essence! I also feel passionate about my postproduction. I think capturing an honest image is key, but for me, that is not enough. I love the whole process of making a shot come to life in Photoshop. To me it is an all inclusive process, taking an image from start to finish and enjoying every detail.”

When asked about shooting seniors, you can hear the enthusiasm in Brianna’s voice. “Seniors just know what they want and this makes them a joy to work with!” One of the charming aspects of Brianna’s portraits is the way the subjects’ clothes have an almost organic harmony with the composition and environment. When asked how she puts this all together she says that she asks the teens to arrive with a suitcase full of their favorites, which she will then sift through on location matching up the items that will best suit the mood of the shoot. The teens are often surprised how something that may not work in front of the mirror will come off perfectly in front of the camera. The camera LCD viewfinder works its magic in these situations to assure a reluctant student that there is indeed art being made.

Seniors view samples on Brianna’s website before the shoot to pick a certain style that best suits their personality or vision. Her most popular references include studio, urban and artistic styles, which of course can be amended to suit the needs and wants of the seniors. “My style is never stagnant,” Brianna explains. “I enjoy allowing the clients’ mood and personality to guide me in deciding what will work for them. I love experimenting with the clothing to complement the background. It is all about the right balance of all the elements in the shoot. I can feel it when it all comes together and know that it is working, as it should. It’s a great feeling!”

When asked about using actions or filters in Photoshop, Brianna admits to having an “actions aversion.” She says, “There is just no such thing as a pretty button, and sometimes I encounter a problem with students in my workshops who come in thinking that I have a magic recipe for my images and I can hand it to them on a sheet of paper or give out actions on a CD. There is certainly not an action for capturing real emotion and mood at the photo shoot and that is where it all begins.” Brianna says that each image she takes is treated as a separate work and there is no formula when she sits down to edit, as each may require a completely different treatment. She touches up every image by hand using her beloved Wacom Tablet, which she cannot live without. “Editing is an art,” she says, “and there is no template or action for imagination or originality.”

The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II is Brianna’s loyal companion, and that is not a typo! When you spend as much time as she does with her camera, a close relationship is bound to develop. “This camera has never let me down; it takes brilliant images and the 17 megapixels are all anyone needs,” she shares. Brianna claims she will continue shooting with it as her main body until it falls apart. The lens that she finds herself using the most is the EF 135mm f/2.0 L USM, although she has many other favorites. For her lab, Brianna elects to use Miller’s Professional Imaging, sharing, “Miller’s has a constant commitment to being the forerunner in cutting-edge products.”

When it comes to lighting Brianna says there is no substitute for natural light and she likes to keep it simple. This is her only light source during outside sessions; she uses no flash or reflectors and, judging by her images, has no need for them. However, in the studio she prefers to work with Profoto lighting gear, with her favorite being the 7-foot Octabox.

Brianna says she agrees with the Ansel Adams quote, “You don’t take a picture, you make a picture.” She adds, “I think it is all about preconception and visualizing the outcome. I don’t believe in random shooting without intention. I never shoot off hundreds of frames rapidly in a shoot. I want to think creatively and carefully about what I hope to achieve with each session and only then will I put my finger on the shutter button. I believe it is very important to see in the mind’s eye what you know will be a great image rather than show up and shoot 1000 frames and hope for the best.” Brianna has always had this steadfast focus with her photography. Her favorite quote is by T.S. Eliot: “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

It is obvious that the adventurous little girl who used to sneak her father’s camera out of the house knew the risk was well worth the reward of following her unbridled passion. Brianna Graham knew exactly what she wanted and had the courage and talent to achieve it. When asked about the future she says, “I know for sure that I will always love photography and I love seeing where this passion will take me. I really enjoy working with my clients. I am starting to put some time into my own personal projects as well, which I will continue to pursue. It is amazing to watch as it all unfolds and feel myself evolve and grow with my art.”

Visit Brianna online at www.briannagraham.com and check out her workshops at www.briannagrahamworkshops.com.

Susi Lawson has worked as a traditional portrait artist most of her life. She currently uses Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter and a Wacom tablet for her creations. Susi’s DVD, Portrait Magic, includes 15 videos explaining her techniques. It is available on her website: https://susilawsonphotography.biz.