We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brandi Inman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Brandi, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
I’d like to say that I ultimately overcame imposter syndrome by making the choice to celebrate the wins of other creatives in my own industry. It’s easy to compare yourself to others or feel like someone else is doing better than you in your own field. But that’s their own journey. We all have our own unique techniques and styles in the photography world. So instead of comparing, I decided to celebrate. I’ll be the biggest cheerleader for my fellow photographer any day.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
At a very young age I knew that I was an artist. It was really the only thing that ever stayed consistent in my life. So during college I decided to focus mainly on art and that’s when I really fell in love with photography. I felt like I had a lot of creative range with the profession and it became my passion to document the lives of people around me. My business here in Atlanta now mainly focuses on the real lives and family matters of my clients. I adore capturing the real smiles of growing families in the environments they call home.
I grew up as an 80’s baby. Looking back on my life, the most memorable pictures I have were never staged or posed, but just naturally living in the moment, doing things I loved in the places I grew up. I strive hard to bring that lifestyle element to everyone in front of my camera.
I want everyone, especially children to feel like their true selves.
During the pandemic I found great pride in photographing the simplicity of families in their front yards and homesteads where they were making the most memories.
In the coming year I hope to travel to the surrounding cities and states to photographer new clients in the places they call home.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, I really admire my younger self for sticking with a creative profession. The phrase “starving artist” was thrown at me more times than I can even remember. I knew who I was from the beginning and I’m so happy I stayed true to my artistic heart. I learned from anyone I could in the industry. I took advice and even at times where I had to work odd jobs to help pay the bills while building my photography business, I never gave up. To this day I still will never pass up the opportunity to learn, take a new class or further my education in this field.
Good things take time. My business is still growing now after 20 years and I’m in no hurry to rush anything that I’m not ready for.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I’m overwhelmed, I simply take a break. Being in a creative profession can be somewhat exhausting. Our minds can really only be so creative for so long without a break.
I think the biggest misconception about being an artist is that people this is also what we do for fun. But a lot of times that isn’t true.
We all have creative outlets that have nothing to do with our profession. For example, some will find it completely surprising that I rarely travel with my professional camera.
When I’m traveling, my mind is focused on living in the moment and not documenting it like I do for work.
Taking a break is completely necessary when I’m feeling overwhelmed. It always seems to recharge me and allows me to get back into the creative workflow recharged.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.barefeetimagery.com
- Instagram: @barefeetimagery
- Facebook: www.Facebook.con/barefeetimagery
