Brandi Potter
BRANDI POTTER: “Creativity to me is creating something out of nothing. It means that you're able to look at a scene that may be less desirable and transform it into something others wouldn't even recognize.”
What are your favorite songs you play in your car/at work/bathroom/kitchen right now? : My current favorite playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/698XbYFHM4fHEtnOKVLcPV?si=3yJRuS_GRwKHPN98-M3P4Q
Any plans for the future you would like to talk about ?: I'm currently working on my exit from the photo industry. I probably won't completely leave and it will be 5-6 years before I actually am able too. I'm back in school and plan on working towards my Ph.D. so it will be a bit. I just want more stability after the pandemic showed me how fragile this career can be.
Is it important to have the support of your loved ones, family, friends?: Not really. At the beginning of my photography journey, a lot of people in my life didn't support me. They didn't think I could make it and as a result, I lost contact with several people, only for them to come back later on and tell me they were wrong. I basically gave up everything to pursue this journey as hard as I did in the beginning because there was so much negativity surrounding my decision.
What is creativity to you? Do you consider yourself to be creative? Why or why not?: Creativity to me is creating something out of nothing. It means that you're able to look at a scene that may be less desirable and transform it into something others wouldn't even recognize. It's seeing the world differently or having a brain that just functions a bit more artistically. It's being able to take inspiration from a muse without replicating it and creating something entirely new. For me, creativity comes from an emotional response. Most of the time when I feel like I am "creative" it's normally from an intense episode of depression, grief, or overwhelming happiness. My grief over the past few years has really been the driving force behind any of the creative images I've created and I think you can tell that within my work. You can definitely see a slight shift from wedding to wedding or session to session of how I was doing emotionally at the time, and in my opinion, the better images are when I wasn't doing well at all.
Do you think that you would be able to teach what you do?: Yes, and I do teach what I do. I can't teach someone how to be more creative if they aren't already, but I can try to teach people how to open their eyes and look at the world a little differently.
Who do you define as a visionary?: The Ferros, Muse and Mirror, Joel and Justyna, and Rosey Red are my favorite photographers who I think are true visionaries.
Looking at what you have created in the past, would you change anything today?: Absolutely. Within a week of shooting a session or wedding, I look at the photos and think to myself that I could have done this differently or that differently to make it better.
“I find a lot of inspiration from movies and artwork, but my emotional state has more to do with my creativity than anything else.”
What is your inspiration? How has personal experience influenced your creativity?: I find a lot of inspiration from movies and artwork, but my emotional state has more to do with my creativity than anything else. Intense heartbreak and the deaths of my grandmother and my close friend within two months of each other really made me focus on creativity. I felt at the time that it was either pushing my own limits or dying as well because I was slowly killing myself through the grief process and not being able to properly function.
When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person: When I started winning art competitions as a 1st grader.
Does your work convey a specific emotion or message?: I think each session or wedding I photograph invokes whatever feeling or emotion I'm currently experiencing.
Do you believe that each person has the capacity to be creative? Why?: Not really. I think everyone’s brains work differently. Someone may be able to replicate something - but that doesn't necessarily mean it's creative thinking. And a creative brain may not always be creative and a non-creative brain could have moments where they are creative. It entirely depends on the person and who they are at their core. I have amazing artists in my family, but they can't really make something out of nothing, it's all replication.
How do you deal with creativity blocks?: I take time off. I stop trying to please others and I spend time on myself. I watch movies that get my brain spinning or listen to music that pumps me up.
Do you have skills that you wish to develop or talents you wish to perfect?: Of course. There should always be a goal within a creative field to better your craft and work. You should always be learning and pushing your own boundaries. If you become stagnant and unwilling to learn new things you're doing yourself and your clients a disservice.
How do you fight the comparison and discouragements?: I unfollow people or I simply stop scrolling through social media. You control your response to other people’s work. Either you can try to better yourself and find inspiration elsewhere or you have to deal with the imposter syndrome feeling.
What are your tips for establishing a successful wedding photography business in under two years at a time when the industry is very saturated?: It is so much easier to be a photographer now starting out than it was when I did. There are so many more resources out there to learn from and most of the "new" wedding photographers are almost instantly good, but that doesn't mean they have experience and it definitely doesn't mean they have a solid plan to not just replicate other work they are seeing. Standing out in your local market is the most important thing. After that not over-pricing yourself into a situation that you aren't equipped to handle just yet. Take things slow and don't let your ego get in the way of actually learning how to work with people and learning how to deal with problems that we all experience, such as cards corrupting or gear breaking during events. Have a plan for those things and definitely have a backup. A lot of new people don't and when they are overcharging clients and aren't taking the precautions they need to be they end up hurting themselves more than they should be.
Who would you like to read from (Can you put me in touch with this person?)?: I think people I would like to learn from are the Ferros. How they set up their weddings and control the narrative to create a literal film blows my mind.
What would be your question to this person?: I don't know them personally.
If you could ask yourself a question, what would it be?: What have you learned from being a wedding photographer?
And your answer would be?: That love comes in many different forms and it's not something that can be measured.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
DOB : 08- 05 - 1988
LOCATION: LOUISVILLE, KY, USA
OCCUPATION: WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Copyright : SUSAN JORDAN
CONVERSATIONS AND CLASSES TO INSPIRE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARTISTS.
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