A smiling couple takes a selfie at an outdoor concert, with city skyscrapers in the background on a sunny day.
A group of five people sitting on bleachers at an outdoor event, smiling at the camera. Other attendees are visible in the background.
Person in a Post Malone costume with fake tattoos and cigarette, posing with another person who looks puzzled. White curtains and windows in the background.
Five people wearing helmets stand on a glacier with icy formations in the background, smiling at the camera.
Person kneeling in a field, holding a camera up to their face, taking a photo. Trees and a fence are visible in the background.
Man at a restaurant playfully holds chopsticks in mouth like walrus tusks, with a meal of noodles and sushi in front of him.
A man and woman smiling together, seated indoors with a wooden backdrop and a decorative light fixture behind them.
Person in a cap with a colorful moose design holds a coffee cup, smiling under a white canopy tent.
A group of five people smiling inside a transparent dome at sunset, with trees and the sky visible in the background.
A man and woman smile for a selfie outdoors at Purdue University, with a large fountain structure and green trees in the background.
Two people in Righteous Gemstones costumes pose in a hallway. One wears a shiny blue suit with a wig, the other a white suit with sunglasses.
A group of four people smiling outdoors, standing on a forest path surrounded by greenery and autumn leaves.
A smiling couple wearing hats and sunglasses pose for a selfie in a sunny, mountainous landscape with clear blue skies.
Man in patterned pajamas waves while holding a camera. Hes standing on a street with trees in the background, and a small pig dog toy is nearby.
Woman smiling at the camera and a man lounging on a bench swing outdoors. Both are wearing jackets, and the woman holds a coffee cup.
Woman in a green dress holding a camera, walking along a grassy path between lush green plants under a bright blue sky.

ABOUT DAN AND BROOKE

This entire adventure started in a PhotoShop class at Purdue. Dan was majoring in Photography, and I was majoring in Visual Communications Design. Shortly after we met, we started dating. Shortly after we started dating, per the advice of his photographer professor who highly believed in his talent, Dan transferred to the best photography school in the nation (RIT) the same year I graduated. This put him 12 hours away from my new job for another couple of years of study, but the education was unmatched and worth all the nights of waiting on dial up to be able to stay connected to each other. He drove home and proposed the day he graduated, and we grilled steaks on the table-top porch grill of my apartment.  

In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have imagined that Dan’s start in commercial photography and my career in corporate graphic design would soon transform into a completely different shared business venture, Dan Brand Photography, the same year we got married in 2004. We “blame” his cousin, Jeni, for inviting him to come to Texas and photograph her wedding, making him fall in love with working with people and using his creativity versus spending 80% of his time writing business contracts and trying to collect on invoices in the corporate world. 

In the beginning, Dan ran the business and I helped with marketing at night and on weekends. He enhanced what I had learned in my few photography classes and taught me how to use a camera as a second shooter. We rented an office outside of the home where he could meet with wedding photography clients. In 2007, with a full schedule, our first daughter of three was born, and I left my corporate job to join Dan full time. We spent many days with a baby in between us or on one of our laps at our desks in our shared office. 

We’ve been running BRAND PHOTODESIGN since. (We know... In retrospect, the name isn’t great. What does the made-up word, “photodesign” even mean? But try having the name “Brand” while rebranding your business – every website is taken! So the idea was that Dan would create the photos and I would design things with them – albums, wall art, holiday cards… it makes sense if you make it make sense. Just go with us here.)

Our photography business has changed through the years. Eventually, as our family grew, we transitioned to portrait photography only, freeing up our schedule to be able to be at our kids’ soccer games and birthday parties; no longer needing to be invited to family functions years in advance to be able to block off the dates before they all booked up. People always want to hear our “bridezilla” stories, but honestly, we had THE BEST clients!!! We only have memories of the excitement of the “first look”, being brought to happy tears during toasts, and forming really deep, genuine bonds with the beautiful couples we worked with. We are so lucky to photograph many of them with their kids for family photos today!  

Today we photograph families and kids from the age they are sitting up (around six months), all the way until they have families of their own. We love photographing families, high school and college seniors/graduates, headshots, business needs, and creative projects. We also photograph 7 private preschools every spring and every fall, so if your kid attends one of them, you’ll probably see us there a couple of times a year. Our studio and viewing room is separate from but attached to our house, so that during busy season, we can each be available for our kids as needed, Dan can pop in for dinner before heading back to his office, and we can spend more time together.

Dan does all the photography; he is AMAZING with kids of all personalities and special needs. Guaranteed he’ll make you laugh during your session, no matter what mood you’re in walking in. After all these years, he is still making me laugh everyday. He also does all of the editing, retouching, and meets with our clients to show them their images and help with their order. Meanwhile, if I’m not happily designing albums or wall art, you might find me gladly working on our marketing, organization, social media, assisting at sessions, or pulling my hair out while entering accounting numbers. (Who thought it was a good idea to have two artists run a business?!) Well, apparently all of YOU, AMAZING clients who we are so lucky to work with, because YOU allow us to do what we love every single day. We appreciate you SO much!!!!

Thank you for sharing your moments with me and with Dan.

Love and gratitude, Brooke

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