Meet Leila Brewster of Leila Brewster Photography in Venice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leila Brewster.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Leila. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always loved photography – I was that kid at school or parties that always had a Kodak fun saver camera documenting moments big and small. When I was about 14, my mom was taking me to Paris for the first time and she asked if I wanted a new digital camera or a film camera (1999 so you don’t have to count). and I promptly replied just the regular camera – so she bought me a little point and shoot and I told her I think Paris should be all black and white film – so she bought me I’d say no less than 40 rolls of 35mm film. I had no idea what I was doing with this camera as I’d never rolled film before or even had any understanding about the dials etc. but figured it out none the less (auto mode for the win). I remember documenting everything – mostly the street corners and the flower shops (apparently not remembering that I had black and white film in the camera). When I came home I took all of the rolls to the local CVS and patiently waited for the film to come back. I was in love.

Growing up I had dreams to be a professional soccer player. After college, I fulfilled that dream in Denmark. After a few seasons of playing and documenting my surroundings, I sat down one day and said to myself, look, you can’t play soccer forever, what are you going to do. And I remember writing down that I love people, travel, and photography – whatever I do will encompass those three aspects. After that, I came back to LA and started my photography business – I have worked on 6 continents doing exactly that – photographing people, traveling, and growing my camera collection (mostly film cameras)!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The life of a self-employed artist is never smooth – at first you start to compare your own work with others and that isn’t the right strategy. So once I realized I was being my own worst critic, I let it go – this is what I see and this is how I see it. It’s important to realize that people are going to hire you for your eye – if they wanted to hire so and so for their eye, they could do just that. Owning my work and being proud of it are the two things that have helped me accomplish my goals and keeps me going on a daily basis!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Leila Brewster Photography – what should we know?
I am a photographer that specializes in candid in between moments with a bright and airy style. I love the little hand squeezes or looks people give each other. I love being let into special moments that have taken days or years to build. I am proud that I took a dream and made steps for it to be my reality. I live every day for me and I am truly thankful for the road my life has taken me and all of the adventures that have filled my days.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Persistence and staying true to my own voice are so important to my success.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.leilabrewsterphotographyblog.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @leilabrewster @bohoabode
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leilabrewsterphoto/

Image Credit:
Leila Brewster

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.