Photographer and Author
Jan 06
by Brandy Isadora in Nature Photography 0 comments tags: #Alaska, #Alaskacruise, #coxmediagroup2016, #crystalcruise, #EldredLighthouse, #landscapephotography, #lighthouse, #naturephotography, #Nikon, #outdoorphotography, #photography, #wildlifephotography, NikonD800E

Every Picture Has a Story

  Sometimes serene photographs I post on social media have a funny or awkward back story. I almost didn’t get this photo. It was a fluke that I was at the right place at the right time.   In 2016, my father had won a cruise to Alaska. My mother hates to travel (and share a tiny confined space with my father, she would add). I went on the trip instead, and I had one of the most amazing experiences photographing scenic landscapes. I don’t usually photograph nature, but I developed an appreciation for wildlife photographers. So much of the beauty of wildlife photography depends on perfect timing as well as a really expensive and heavy telephoto lens.   On the morning of our disembarkation, I was sitting in my father’s room playing on my phone. He suddenly shouted, “Get your camera! Hurry!” I fumbled for camera and, when I stumbled out onto the balcony I saw this beautiful lighthouse against a backdrop of  majestic snow-capped mountains and heavy clouds. The ship was cruising, so I had to work fast. I felt like all thumbs as I adjusted my camera settings. I took as many pictures as I could until […]
Read More
Nov 15
by Brandy Isadora in Tattoos 0 comments tags: #arizona, #author, #authorslife, #bodyart, #marinetattoo, #military, #navy, #navytattoo, #Nikon, #phoenixphotographer, #photography, #photojournalism, #phxphotography, #portrait, #poseidon, #shiptattoo, #tatted, #tattletales, #tattoobook, #tattoopolicy, #tattoos, #veteran, #veteransday, NikonD800E, portraits

Zach, US Navy: Tattoo Interview

In the past decade, tattoos haven’t just artistically evolved, but they have become so popular that many industries have changed their policies regarding body art. The military is no exception. In honor of Veteran’s day, I’m posting a portrait from my book, Tattle Tales: Tattoo Stories and Portraits. Zach got his tattoo in honor of his time in the Navy as well as his love for the sea. The tattoo on his chest is the Greek God of the Sea, Poseidon. Zach also enjoys snorkeling and spear fishing.   I’m always grateful to have the opportunity to speak with soldiers and veterans. I know that as a civilian much of what veterans experience is outside of my paradigm. Nevertheless, I think it’s important for me as well as everyone else to be a good listener and honor what they have done for this country. Thank you for your service, veterans!
Read More
Nov 04
by Brandy Isadora in Tattoos 0 comments tags: #author, #bodyart, #firedepartment, #firefighters, #firemen, #firstresponders, #Gatekeepers, #inked, #motorcycleclub, #Nikon, #nonprofitorganization, #phxphotography, #portraits, #tatted, #tattletales, #tattooart, #tattoobook, #tattoos, #tattoosintheworkplace, charity, studiophotography

Gatekeepers Talk About Tattoos

The Gatekeepers is a neutral motorcycle club of professional and retired fire fighters who frequently host fundraising events. Five of their members were kind enough to come down to my studio to talk about their non-profit organization and how tattoos have evolved in the fire department. Today it’s so common to see fire fighters with tattoos, but there was a time when tattoos in the fire department were not as accepted as they are today.   “There was one point in the fire department you couldn’t have any. If they showed, you had to cover them,” says Rob. “Now it’s a matter of what it is. If it’s offensive to anybody, you have to cover it.”   When I interviewed each member, I was amazed at the different styles of tattoos and how varied the stories were. While all of them had a Gatekeeper emblem tattoo, each of them had ink honoring what was important to them. For example, Bill (red shirt) got tattoos celebrating his family’s Scottish heritage. Pappy (far left) explained that the Celtic Crosses on the inside of his forearms were to remind him of his own inner strength when times got tough.   My interview with the […]
Read More
Oct 28
by Brandy Isadora in street photography 0 comments tags: #landscapephotography, #Nikon, #outdoorphotography, #photography, #photographytips, #Portugal, #Spain, #travelphotography, portraits, street photography

Packing Tips for Photographers

Travel Photography First of all, I want to state that this blog is more for the person who enjoys photography and wants to take full advantage of their traveling opportunities. Professional photographers already know what they want to bring and why. However, on that same note, I’m a photojournalist and when I started traveling more, I used to pack everything but “the kitchen sink” (so to speak). This is why I’m writing this post.   In 2018, I traveled to Spain and Portugal to perform with the Oregon Arts Orchestra. I was excited and nervous. I had only been playing the cello for about four years, which is little compared to all the other talented and experienced professional musicians. As I was getting ready for the trip, I decided that this would be a great opportunity for me to get incredible photos. I couldn’t pack every single lens and accessory, but I sure did cram as much as I could. My backpack was so heavy that I had to see a chiropractor after I got back from the trip. And do you know what the real kicker is? My Sony camera never left the bag. Not once. I ended up […]
Read More
Oct 14
by Brandy Isadora in Tattoos, Uncategorized 0 comments tags: #author, #authorslife, #bodyart, #bodyart; #inked; #tattedup; #tattoochicks; #amazingink, #booktattoo, #Mixbook, #Nikon, #photographybook, #photographytips, #photojournalism, #portraits, #samplebook, #selfpublished, #tattletales, #tattoobook, street photography

Tattle Tales: Making the Book

Considering the fact that Tattle Tales: Tattoo Stories and Portraits was first photography book, I definitely went through a learning curve. Looking back on the process, there are things that I wouldn’t do and other things that I would do again. Creating a sample book was one of the best decisions I made. I feel with most things in life it’s a good idea to really know and understand what you want, but remain flexible and open to other people’s opinions. For my sample book, I used Mixbook because it’s fairly easy to use and they frequently have sales, which makes it more affordable. There are many websites that allow people to create photo books. I just happened to hear about Mixbook, and I felt pretty happy with their quality and customer service.   My book was pretty easy to organize because each spread was about one or two people. However, I wanted to make sure that my layout wasn’t too text heavy or stylistically repetitive. Initially, I wasn’t worried about the page order. If you try to make all the decisions at once, you’ll feel overwhelmed. I created the page spreads first. Afterwards, I took a few days away […]
Read More
Sep 23
by Brandy Isadora in Portraits, Tattoos 0 comments tags: #art, #bodyart, #bodyart; #inked; #tattedup; #tattoochicks; #amazingink, #gettingtoknowyou, #inked, #lifestylephotojournalism, #Nikon, #phoenixphotographer, #photography, #phxphotography, #sailorjerry, #storyteller, #tattle tales, #tattoo portraits, #tattooartists, #tattoobook, #tattooist, #tattoos, #tattoostories

Tattoos: Art for the Masses

  Body of Art Even though I’ve always appreciated body art, I realized there was a lot I didn’t know about the world of tattoos. While interviewing people for my tattoo book, I developed a deeper appreciation for tattoo artists. Reality shows and social media have done a lot to share the work of these incredible artists, but sometimes these platforms glamorize the industry. I learned about the sacrifices these individuals make to be a part of this industry and community. For example, I never really thought about the fact that they have to work very different hours than most people. In order for them to be available to their clients, they have to work when most people are off work. That means weekends and long nights. Sometimes they have to miss out on family events and vacations. Sometimes their marriages suffer because they have to spend long hours at the studio. Despite these challenges, however, these tattoo artists remain passionate and dedicated to their work. They continually push themselves artistically, and they create amazing art for the masses.   There’s also another aspect about tattoos that I’ve learned to appreciate since studying this burgeoning art form. Over the past […]
Read More
Aug 12
by Brandy Isadora in Rock 0 comments tags: #AZmusic, #concertphotography, #heavymetal, #Nikon, #orchestra, #phoenixphotographer, #photography, #phxphotography, #symphony, #youthsymphony, NikonD800E

Concert Photography: Heavy Metal vs. Classical Music

My first foray into photojournalism was concert photography. Because I was a heavy metal musician for many years, I got assigned to a lot of metal concerts. These were some of the toughest assignments because heavy metal bands like to create an ominous, theatrical atmosphere with red, purple, or blue lighting. It took me a while to adjust to such low lighting. Even though it was a challenge, I still enjoyed the process and in the end I became a much better photographer.   Recently, I was hired to photograph the East Valley Youth Symphony. From a photographer’s perspective, this environment is very different from rock n’ roll and heavy metal. At a rock concert you have the photo pit and three songs to get all your photos. However, with the symphony, you have seated guests and the musicians sit close together. Being discreet and quiet is of utmost importance. Most cameras make a noise when the shutter is released. This means you don’t want to shoot when the music is really quiet. Following a dress code is also important. Wearing black or dark colors is advised so that you don’t stick out and distract the audience from the performance. […]
Read More
Jul 15
by Brandy Isadora in Fashion, Tattoos, Uncategorized 0 comments tags: #beauty, #bodyart; #inked; #tattedup; #tattoochicks; #amazingink, #fashion, #gluttony, #Nikon, #phoenixphotographer, #photography, #phxphotography, #sevendeadlysins, #tattoos, studiophotography

Themes

I enjoy all my shoots, but I particularly had fun with this one. When I first mentioned doing a photo series for the 7 Deadly Sins, a lot of people told they thought it was over done. In some ways they’re right, but I thought it would be an interesting challenge to see if I could come up with my own interpretation, despite the fact so many people have put their own stamp on this theme. This photoshoot was Gluttony, which involves an excess of food usually. I got the inspiration for this shoot from an old Gwen Stefani video called “Luxurious.” There’s a scene where Stefani is lying on colorfully wrapped candy. I loved the colors and the concept, and so I adapted it to my shoot. I certainly did get weird looks at the store when I picked up bags and bags of candy. Though I bought quite a lot, it still wasn’t enough. During the shoot, I made sure to arrange the candy so that I would be able to go back into Photoshop and clone the candy so that the entire background would be covered. The editing was a little more difficult than I thought it […]
Read More
May 07
by Brandy Isadora in Rock 0 comments tags: #AZmusic, #concertphotography, #fiction, #heavymetal, #killswitchengage, #music, #musician, #Nikon, #phoenixphotographer, #photojournalism, #phxphotography, #rockconcert, #shortstory, #theoryband, #writing, NikonD800E

Wanderlust

Before I became a photographer, I thought I wanted to be a full-time writer. In 2012, I graduated from California College of the Arts with a Masters in Creative Writing. I do love to write, but I found it could be very lonely work.   After I wrote my first novel, I decided I needed to take a break. During this break is when I started interviewing and photographing people with tattoos. I loved combining my passion for writing with photography because it gave me the best of both worlds. I’m an introvert, so I don’t necessarily hate sitting in a room by myself for hours working. However, I like how photography allows me to collaborate with other people. Plus, the process of photography is generally much faster than writing. For example, I spent three years writing my novel, whereas I could photograph and interview someone and see the results within a few hours.   Patience is indeed a virtue when you’re an artist, but sometimes it’s nice (and perhaps necessary) to see something to completion. It makes you feel like you’re moving forward in life. I still love writing fiction, but these days I’m more focussed on photojournalism.   […]
Read More
Aug 15
by Brandy Isadora in Fashion, Portraits, Rock 0 comments tags: #actress, #beauty, #CathyRankin, #Lightroom, #model, #Nikon, #phoenixphotographer, #photography, #phxphotography, #singer, headshots

Cathy Rankin

I have had the pleasure of working with Cathy on a few shoots. This shot was taken during a shoot where we were trying to get as many different looks in one session. In just a few hours and using only natural light, we were able to get many different looks. Being resourceful is an important skill as a photographer. I chose to shoot at my parent’s house because their backyard has interesting walls and lots of greenery, which is rare in Phoenix. Overall, the shoot was a success and we both had a lot of fun.
Read More