Surreal stories by Brooke Shaden

Brooke Shaden is a fine art photographer living and working in the Los Angeles, USA area. Her passion lies in creating new worlds through photographs. Her vision extends beyond the realm of the camera, creating images that resemble paintings and speak of an era that is not our own. Each image is a story.

Brooke has been said to encapsulate a new way of creating imagery for our time and has “…dramatically restated a new photographic feminist agenda for the 21st century.” Her use of the square format and heavy texture work to create a painterly aesthetic is redefining the boundaries of photography. With these tools at hand, she creates new worlds through her images.

Self portraiture for her is not autobiographical in nature. Instead, she attempts to place herself within worlds she wishes we could live in, where secrets float out in the open, where the impossible becomes possible. Brooke’s photography questions the definition of what it means to be alive.

Brooke Shaden was born in March of 1987 in Lancaster, PA, USA. She grew up near the “Amish Country” where she lived until attending Temple University. Brooke was photographically born in December 2008 after graduating from Temple with two degrees: film and English. She now resides in Los Angeles, USA with her husband and three cats.

Interview with Brooke Shaden:

Where do your photoshoots usually take place?

I do almost all of my photoshoots in my apartment – which makes for a difficult time because I only have a one-room apartment, plus a small kitchen and bathroom. Lucky for me, though, I have a blank wall and some sunlight

How did photography become an interest of yours?

I went to school for filmmaking, and it wasn’t until I graduated in December that I really picked up my still camera. I started a flickr on December 19th, and have been hooked ever since!

What is your most vivid dream?

Funny, I was just recalling this the other day. I had this dream throughout my entire childhood. I am in a creepy house walking up what seems like an infinite amount of stairs. I get to the top and crawl through a trap door. The attic of this house is a 2ft tall crawl space that is filled with stuffed animals. I crawl through the stuffed animals and finally get to a bigger room. In this room there is a lone desk with a giant frog sitting in an office chair and smoking a cigar. He turns toward me, smiles, and shoots me in the head.

What is your favorite thing to photograph?

I love photographing skin, because I think that one of the most beautiful things is the way light reflects skin. I also love the human form.

Are there any main themes that you try to convey through your photography?

I like to photograph things that are sad, or convey strong emotions. That is why I started my series called “Small Deaths”. I think that there is real beauty in suffering, and even more than that, there is beauty in the story that goes with it.

What are your favorite books/songs/movies?

I love answering this question in the hope that someone will go out and listen/read/see what I’m talking about My favorite music comes from a few artists – Radiohead, Aphex Twin, Damien Rice, Regina Spektor. My favorite book is Dune, and my favorite movie, hands down, is Pan’s Labyrinth. I just saw The Reader, and I thought that was incredibly brilliant

Do you have any other interests besides photography?

My other main interest is filmmaking. I just completed my first short film, which will be entering the film festival circuit shortly. I love cinematography and always want to be behind a camera. I also love to write poetry.

What is your biggest fear?

In the most literal senses, my biggest fear is the ocean. Don’t get me wrong, I love to go to the beach and play in the waves. But usually I force my sister to get in with me and hold me the entire time. For some reason, I am convinced that a whale will eat me or something. Don’t ask. The ocean is just so big and it is really easy to imagine being lost in it forever.

How would you as a person like to be remembered?

I don’t have any desire to change the world – I’m not big on politics. But what I do want is for someone standing at my funeral to think “wow, she really made me look at life in a new way”.

Thank you Brooke!

Photos by Brooke Shaden:

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Official site: www.brookeshaden.com