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Meet Jana Brusch of Jana Brusch Photography

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Jana Brusch.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jana. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Europe in a small lakeside town but even as small child, I knew I will one day live in the US. I didn’t know how or why, but as it happened I ended up here 14 years ago.

I studied finance there but after two years, I realized that finance was not my calling. Instead of going back to school, I worked in some very different fields. I was a flight attendant in Vienna, Austria, then worked as a makeup artist.

In California, I started working at a small local coffee shop to work on my English language skills and to meet new people. Through a coworker, I got a job as a photo editor for a local press agency where I had to start from scratch and learn the skills necessary. I started out scanning old black and white photographs into the stock archives all day long. Slowly but surely, (since I showed interest and kept asking a million questions), they offered me training in photoshop and caption writing. Next step, I started working on the picturdesk. I worked on entertainment images from the Oscars to Golden Globes and breaking news from all around the world. It was a very exciting and fun work and team. It allowed me to travel and experience the world due to being able to work online. All I needed was my trusty laptop and some high-speed internet.

This company is where I fell in love with photoshop and photography. I worked alongside some great photographers and photo enthusiast as a photo editor for over 8 years before I even had the money together to buy my first professional DSLR camera. This obsession with camera and gear never stopped. I have to admit, I am a camera gear addict (even more then I am a shoe addict).

I bought this first treasured DSLR and never put it down since however, it took me many years to take the leap to leave my full-time day job and pursue a career as a full-time photographer. I made this big decision of quitting my job on my birthday in March 2017 due to the encouragement of my amazing fiancée. (Thank you for that Honey!!)

Has it been a smooth road?
I wanted to give up many times, but a friend suggested to watch a video from Sue Bryce and learn from her. Sue is an amazing inspiration and idol of mine, and when I feel discouraged or down, I watch some of her videos and just listening to her talk fills me up with hope, ideas and I feel invincible. Many times, I felt like I am not good enough yet, I kept comparing myself to others and kept trying to find my own style. Once I finally let go of trying to be like everyone else, I truly found my style.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Jana Brusch Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a self-taught photographer and I specialize in photographing women and children. (No need to be discouraged, I also book engagement sessions, or family portraits, however most of my clientele is women of every age and children).

I really enjoy connecting with people and making them feel their most beautiful selves. Even as a kid, I was always fascinated by artist, by people who have a vision and can transfer that vision onto a piece of paper. Both my sisters are very creative and can draw beautifully. I was not blessed like that. I always had ideas, images in my head, but did not manage to recreate these on a canvas… until I found my calling. I realized the problem was not me, it was the material I was trying to use. I realized that I can recreate my vision, on a different kind of canvas. I can make people feel and look beautiful! I believe that ‘Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures.” – as Henry Ward Beecher said – and my canvas just happens to be a beautiful face.

After my daughter was born, like most moms, I couldn’t stop taking photos of her and when friends and family saw the images I posted, they started asking me to take pictures of their children as well. I love to capture beautiful true human moments. That is the reason why I love children photography.

I love to use my 135mm lens, stay in the background and just let them explore, play, be themselves and document it in images. I can’t imagine anything better than meeting wonderful new people every day, learning about their stories and see them blossom in front of my lens. I love the moment when I show them the display on the back of my camera and they see their images for the first time.

People often ask me to describe my style. I would describe it as magical, whimsical, soft and airy…full of magic and unicorns. I love this quote from Roald Dahl’s last children’s story, The Minpins.

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it. ”

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We are now in the digital photography age, but I always encourage my clients to get prints of their beautiful pictures, because there is nothing better than experiencing a wonderful image by sight & touch. I hope we never stop printing beautiful images. There’s nothing exciting about having a beautiful image living only on your iPad.

Pricing:

  • Portrait sessions start at $450.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Jana Brusch Photography
Jana Sofia Bridal Couture

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.

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