This week we chatted to the super-talented Katherine Brook. Known for her beautiful personal work, Katherine is an inspiration for all creative photographers out there. Pairing this with a co-owned wedding photography business to pay the bills, she really gets the best of both worlds. Working with creatives in her free time but also getting to capture special moments for a living too. Get to know Katherine Brook Katherine grew up in Siberia close to Mongolian China but she never felt settled. After hatching a plan with her partner at the time, she made the move to Auckland. Katherine was always creative. In Russia, she released her creativity through song but her move to New Zealand prompted a focus on visual art. Being surrounded by such gorgeous landscapes, she naturally started snapping and slowly adding people into the mix. This developed into fine art and fashion photography but this didn’t quite scratch her creative itch. She then met her business partner and started her wedding photography business. Since then, this has helped to fund her creative projects which have also developed into another revenue stream. What we cover Katherine’s story from Siberia to Auckland. Photography for business and pleasure. Having a creative outlet when you don’t have much control over wedding photography. Working with creatives that lift you up. How to create energy when setting up a scene. Sharing and receiving constructive criticism. Growing and learning from execution you might not be happy with. Working in a partnership and dropping your ego. Sparking inspiration for a personal project. The power of just doing SOMETHING. Simplifying creativity and the importance of playing. Colour grading, editing and Van Gough (yep you read that right). Having a varied ‘creative diet’ and what you feed your eyes with. Her camera kit and why she sticks to her old favourite. ‘Fast food’ photography. Potential prints of her creative works. My biggest takeaway Like you’ll hear in the pod, I find Katherine’s work really inspirational. And I feel exactly the same about our conversation. My biggest takeaway is simplifying creativity and widening your ‘creative diet’. Katherine has a great balance of creativity and business. It's something I think all photographers out there should aim towards. It’ll not only give you a feeling of purpose but will make you a better photographer all around. Links mentioned in the show Katherine’s Website: http://www.kbrookart.com/ Katherine’s personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kboook/ Katherine’s business Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildandgrace/