ZOOM IN...
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO SPARKED BROOKE'S CREATIVITY, PROVIDED LEADERSHIP, MENTORSHIP, FRIENDSHIP, & LED BY EXAMPLE.
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While an abundance of "reasons-not-to" float around your mind as you try to negatively talk yourself down (whether you doubt your potential, talent, or opportunities, etc), perhaps one of those lies you tell yourself is the lack of people in your corner. If you look closely, I promise you will find at least ONE person who is rooting for you.
BE AN ENCOURAGER. THE WORLD HAS ENOUGH CRITICS.
CARTER BAHDE
OWNER OF HAVASU MEDIA PRODUCTIONS LLC - more importantly, my brother
My whole life, I have admired my older brother's path. Since I was little, I have looked to Carter for guidance, inspiration, and as a strong leader to follow. As younger kids, when my brother learned to love a hobby like longboarding, I asked him to teach me a few days later. When my brother began paddleboarding, I got a paddleboard. I've always felt that even though we are a few years apart, he has always felt like a twin of mine with how aligned our passions have become. Carter's natural talent for videography came first; shortly after, I asked my parents for a camera for Christmas. My first few memories with a camera were standing right beside Carter's shoulder. Glancing at the magic on his video camera screen, I was in awe at how he could turn a vision into a story. These weren't just average stories; his artistic abilities surpassed anything I had ever seen, and his films were produced in the highest caliber cinematic masterpieces. To this day, my brother and I collaborate on media shoots, laugh over late-night editing sessions, talk about our bigger dreams for the future, align our separate brands to connect on projects, and we still work shoulder to shoulder. I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude towards his humble demeanor that I aim to mirror, his selfless, never-ending helpful nature, and the million times he has told me, "You got this, sister, I love you". I always wonder where I would be today as an artist, person, and photographer... or if I would even be a photographer at all, without my big brother in my life.
TOM LEIGH "TOMMY"
OWNER OF TOMMY GUN IMAGES -also my biggest mentor
I have a vivid memory of opening up a secret Santa present under my Christmas tree one year after I received my camera from my parents. "Open it!" my mom exclaimed as I had no clue what I was holding. After unwrapping the bright red paper, I held my first camera flash. My mom told me it was from Tommy, the photographer who had been working with my brother on recent shoots. At this very moment, I highly underestimated the impact Tommy would have on the course of my future. I was shocked that someone who was practically a stranger would believe in me enough to gift me with such a nice piece of equipment; I also wondered if he would help me figure out how to use it, since I was very lost and new to the photography world.
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During one of my final semesters in my college experience at ASU, my degree required an internship credit. When my professor advised me to choose wisely and ask kindly, as it is a massive commitment on the mentor's side, a clear lightbulb went off in my mind - Tommy! From the very first coffee meeting, I knew I had made the best choice. Aside from my parents, I had never been shown such respect, attention, and interest in my goals, detailed instruction and guidance, and encouragement until Tommy entered my life. Reflecting on these meetings today makes me emotional as I genuinely feel that Tommy was my guardian angel & mentor who equipped me with ample career and life skills to confidently pursue my goal as a full-time photographer. While the internship was technically cut short due to the shutdown in 2020, Tommy still has never taken off his "mentor" hat to this day.
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After learning how to shoot in a similar style, Tommy began to hire me to assist him and my brother on larger projects than I had ever had access to. I have networked with crowds I would have never had the chance to meet otherwise, walked into scenarios and photoshoots that accelerated my learning by decades, and was launched outside of my comfort zone to perform my highest quality work in unique environments, all thanks to Tommy offering me the opportunities. Throughout the years, the "dream team," as we ironically called it, is still in motion as Carter, Tommy, and I all work together on similar projects. I recently had the privilege and honor of photographing a wedding for a client from Tommy & Carter's network, and asked Tommy to be my assistant this time. While he could have chosen to photograph the wedding solo, he passed the torch to me, knowing how exciting this wedding would be for me. People like that don't come around often in this world. Tommy has become family, attended every birthday, holiday, and major life event. He answers every call and every question. Tommy, thank you from the bottom of my heart for changing my life for the better. My career and life have grown exceptionally thanks to your unconditional generosity, leadership, and encouragement. You have never ONCE said that any goal or dream of mine has been too crazy for this world.
If you are blessed enough to find a “Tommy”, I hope you keep that person in your corner forever.
I truly believe that God blessed me with a shortcut in life: gifting me with the most beautiful, supportive, and dedicated parents I know. My parents have been married for over 34 years and have ran several businesses together. My mom, Lauri, has been an artist her entire life and knew that the second I picked up a camera for the first time, I would never put it down. I remember one school night running into my parents bedroom debating my entire career choice of pursuing the medical field. With what my dad calls tears streaming down my face, my mom grabbed my hands and said, "go chase your dream." At the time, I had the false assumption and didn't believe that my dad would "respect" an artistic career field or understand it. I had always admired my dad's professional business-owner demeanour and his notable hard work. To my surprise, my dad was in agreement with my mom's push to encourage me to continue to grow my photography skills and he has used his knowledge in business to add substance to my visions. With the perfect blend and combination of my parents' business knowledge and experience, and my mom's artistic passions of her own, my parents have given me more support that I could have ever asked for. As long as I could build a business that would enable me to invest in the equipment needed, manage and expand a client base, maintain grades in school, and prioritize my health both mentally and physically, my parents were all on board for my photography dreams. Their standard of success is a life that provides safety, joy, and trust in the Lord. The trust they had in me at the age of 14 gave me the confidence needed to push myself in all areas - even graduating high school a year early. Upon deciding whether to attend college or jump straight into a photography career, my parents agreed a college education would provide me with the foundation I needed at such a young age. Upon graduating ASU, also another year early, my parents had no doubt that I was in route for long-term success. To this day, my parents still listen to my big ideas, are there when I need sound advice, and are always cheering me on. I can't imagine a world without them in it, and I cannot thank them enough for making me realize that chasing after a job you're passionate about... is OKAY. It's not only okay, but it leads to an enriching lifestyle filled with success in God's plan.