Dark blue and well worn.  Carla Brooks is sentimental about her Crocs (despite the urging  of  many  friends  to  upgrade  her  footwear over the years).  Brooks has worn those shoes to 9 countries and 15 states as she traveled — with her   trusty Canon  in  hand.  She became a photographer by accident   — really. While in college, studying pre–law, Brooks took a job  at  a   Walmart   portrait studio. It wasn’t glamorous, but she loved the simplicity  of  helping  people make  memories.  Later, Brooks worked at  Olan  Mill’s  Portrait  Studio  and it was clear; law was out, photography was in.

She was influenced early  on  by  a  college  professor  who  told  her,  “you  will  never  understand  art  if  you  have  never  seen  art.”                                    

Brooks says that moment opened  her  eyes  to  all  that  was possible. It was, perhaps, a leap  of  faith moving away from a career as  an  attorney  and  taking  a  more  creative  journey,  but Brooks is motivated to have a life well lived.

In  2009  when  she  bought  those  Crocs,  Brooks’  journey  was  about  to  begin.  She  was  23  at  the  time  and  already  had  a  photography  studio  of  her  own  when  she  ended  up  taking  a  civilian contractor  job  in  Kuwait  to  help  pay  off  a  business  loan.   Brooks packed  up  her  two  small  children  and  moved overseas.    While there, she was asked to  photograph  a  USO  event  for  Toby  Keith.  She was taking pictures from the front of the stage when suddenly, she stopped  and  turned  to  see  the  crowd  —- 15,000  American  Soldiers  holding   their  hats  in  the  air  and  singing.  She describes  this  as  a riveting moment; the  one moment as a photographer that will never leave her.

Brooks has continued to find success, not just as a photographer  but  as  a multimedia  specialist. She thrives on all  things  creative. A mother of two, Brooks is showing  her  daughters,  Leslie,  age  17  and  Aislyn,  age  13  that  you  can follow  your  dreams  and  find  success.  Most importantly,  Brooks  has managed to create a career that is flexible so  she  can  spend  time  with  her daughters and do what they love to do most; travel the world and see the art.

Q. What kinds of gear do you use?

Carla Brooks: I am a canon girl at heart, my current camera is a Canon 5D Mark iii. I purchased this camera

Q. Which is your favorite lens? Why?

Carla Brooks: I actually use a 24-105mm for most of my work. I have found over the years that it best captures what I am visualizing in my head. It is closest to my eye as a photographer.

Q. When you go in one of your travels, what all do you take with you? Why?

Carla Brooks: I bring my entire gear bag. Two cameras, several lens’s batteries, Speedlight’s, I bring it all, you never know what you will encounter on a shoot and its lousy to be there without the proper gear to get the shot!

Q. How do you prepare yourself for a shoot before starting on the journey?

Carla Brooks: I have never been afraid to be creative. I usually think about the shoot before hand and I get an idea of what I am trying to accomplish. Honestly, there are no original ideas in the world of creativity, we replicate images almost daily, our best work comes from the ideas that we have seen in front of us, and we take that and twist it to make it Fit our photography style. And  who out there doesn’t love Pinterest!

1. How do you post process your shots?

Carla Brooks: These days, I am considered “old Skool” in my editing process. I still post process the old way. I shoot everything in camera Raw and do most of my processing in Camera Raw to Photoshop. It’s at times a lengthy process and I know most photographers out there use light room. I stick to camera raw.

I like having control over every aspect of my images.

1. RAW or jpg and why?

Carla Brooks: As a professional, you should always shoot Raw. Having a raw file allows you the opportunity to change your images and sometimes you can save them. It’s the equivalent of having a film negative. You can’t lose at all by shooting Raw Files.

1. Where should a newbie start, according to you, if he/she is interested in pursuing landscapes?

Carla Brooks: My first advice is to learn how to use your camera; it’s your hand in this situation. You have to control every aspect of the shot. You can’t let technology think for you. Learn how to operated your camera; learn about exposure, depth of field. In landscapes, this is the secret, its light, the angle and the exposure that make magic. Use Photoshop for enhancing your image,    but don’t rely on Photoshop to become a good p

1. How do you educate yourself to take better shots?

Carla Brooks: I always go back to the basics. In photography, you never have it all figured out.    It’s a learning process and you really have to be dedicated to mastering the art. You have to be accepting that you can never truly be a master in this field. I love youtube. I am a fan  of PHLEARN. You can learn so much from others. Never stop looking for ideas, inspiration and you can never stop making connections in this field.

Q. What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started photography?

Carla Brooks: I wish that I would have known the perseverance that it takes to be successful; I learned early that you couldn’t be sensitive in this industry. It’s important for me to know that not everyone will like the work that I put out there. Photography isn’t about being “famous” Its about making an impact with your art and using that as your driving force. You cant make everyone happy all of the time, you cant forget that!

1. What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new photographer looking to start his or her own business?

Carla Brooks: As a photographer especially a new photographer starting out, its important to build your    self on a foundation. Don’t be afraid to work with someone that has more experience in the field. You cant  go wrong assisting, you will learn more and you will be more successful. How you treat your clients will