Meet Bobbi Jo Brooks

We were lucky to catch up with Bobbi Jo Brooks recently and have shared our conversation below.

Bobbi Jo, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
Generosity has been something modeled to me since birth by my mom, Sharon Brooks. My mom has generosity at the core of her being, and anyone who meets her would agree. She is truly a selfless and giving person whom I am grateful to call my mom. My generosity also comes from my faith and the numerous people who have been generous to me throughout my life. Many people, friends, and strangers, near and far, have given me time, meals, financial support, and encouragement which has not only shaped who I am but inspired me to do likewise.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am honored to have this opportunity to share with your readers; thank you for the opportunity.

I am a Portrait, Event, and Branding Photographer. My education and experiences are in social work, community development, and fine art in the USA and Europe, but I am a self-taught portrait photographer. I got my first camera at age and began my professional photography journey in 2002 while working as a social worker.

My passion and goals are to empower, celebrate and assist women in their professional and personal lives through Portrait, Event, and Branding photography.

I am excited about and love that my studio is now offering a 40 over 40 Portrait Experience. I am photographing 40 women over 40, women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond, recently I had the opportunity to even photograph Mrs. Rivers who is 106 years old so the 40 over 40 is literally for any woman over 40! I am inviting women to a unique and luxurious photoshoot experience. It is a photoshoot experience, and each woman will be featured in my upcoming celebration and gallery-style exhibition featuring women and their stories!

Being in my forties, I am excited and passionate about celebrating and pampering women over 40, allowing each to photograph as they desire, share their story and wisdom, and celebrate in a gallery-style exhibit and possibly a magazine/book. The 40 over 40 Portrait Experience is the most powerful portrait series I have worked on thus far in my career. I started this campaign because I wanted a special gift for all women to invest in for themselves. It is fun, fulfilling, and transformational.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
3 Qualities, Skills, or areas of knowledge related to photographing women over 40. People skills are essential, + be curious about people. Coming into a studio and being in front of a camera for an individual portrait is intimidating and overwhelming for most women. Being able to put women at ease, gain their trust and make them feel like themselves are crucial for a portrait they will love, and it goes away for the client relationship. Staying curious about people and their stories keeps us learning and growing from our fellow man and will continue to add interest and layers to your images.
Know how to photograph women of all shapes and ages and continue to work on building these skills.
Business Skills are crucial. A photography business requires technical knowledge, creativity, and people skills, but business knowledge is necessary. Many people get into photography because they love photography but often need to invest in education to build a profitable and sustainable business.

I advise others early in their journey to invest in business education, coaching/mentoring, and community relationships.

How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal clients are women over 40 who want to step out of their comfort zone, celebrate who they are and their journey, and do something luxurious for themselves for once. My ideal client is noticing they are going through a shift or a change in life. Either a newly empty nest, changes with their parents, getting married, moving, or surviving something difficult. My ideal client wants to invest in sharing their story, life journey, and life lessons with others and create fine art images and heirloom quality portrait art to reflect who they are.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photo of Bobbi Jo – Sarah Bruckner Rest of the Photographs by Bobbi Jo Brooks of Bobbi Jo Brooks Fine Art & Photography, LLC

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Leadership Development
Where does your generosity come from?

Over the years, we have consistently been blown away by the examples of generosity we’ve

Productivity
From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your