Brooke Holm (Brooke Holm) is a young New York-based photographer who has given us a series of aerial photographs of Western Australia. Her path to a career in photography was anything but straightforward, yet it ultimately led her to success. Still afraid to follow your dream? Her story may well inspire you.
Brooke was born in California and, nine years later, moved with her mother and three sisters to Brisbane, Australia. From childhood she was certain that her calling lay in the creative arts, though she had no idea that a passion for photography would one day bring her recognition.
Until her twenties, she took whatever work came her way — from rubbish collection to milk delivery. The odd jobs came to an end when she joined an advertising agency and, on her own initiative, took a series of photographs for the company. It was only then that Brooke was able to realise her creative potential, working in product photography.
"It was the first time I felt completely happy at work, so I decided to start a career as a photographer"
In 2011, Brooke moved to Melbourne, taking a bold step towards turning her passion into a full-time profession. Her career as a staff photographer began at kikki.K. Having built up enough experience and clients, she went freelance and within a year had worked with ten different companies, among them Fete Press and Der Grief.
Brooke Holm now lives in New York, works as a professional photographer, and regularly teaches her '101 Photography' masterclasses for beginners at The School by Megan Morton. She helps aspiring photographers find their own shooting style, and demonstrates in practical terms how to work with natural light and edit images. 'My lessons are the advice I wish I'd had when I was first learning to use a camera. No baffling technical jargon!' says Brooke.
Although Brooke's professional focus is still-life photography, she is equally at home outside the studio. She has a particular passion for aerial landscape photography — in 2016 her lens captured the salt fields of Western Australia.
In the series titled 'Salt and Sky', the natural geometry of the elements — earth, air and water — is revealed in an interplay of clean planes and edges. Roads seen from above become nothing more than thin lines against the majestic sweep of natural landscapes, and every image radiates calm and tranquillity.
The photographs resemble paintings executed in oils, an impression deepened by their delicate pastel palette. It is no exaggeration to say that 'Salt and Sky' is a collection of pictures painted by nature itself — ones we are able to appreciate thanks to the singular talent of Brooke Holm.
Instagram: @brookeholm. Photos and rights © Brooke Holm
Brooke is not the only photographer with a passion for aerial imagery. Using state-of-the-art technology, Zack Seckler created a series of photographs of Iceland that leave you wondering whether what you are seeing is reality or artistic fiction.
