As a girl, Ana Brandt learned that she could preserve her legacy by capturing her own image. Being adopted, she had no photos of herself as a baby or small child. She realized that photos become memories of that period of our lives, since we rarely remember our early years. As soon as she could craft her own story through photos, she did. And now it is her “life goal to do this for others.”
The newborns who come to her studio have the chance to write their story right from the beginning. “I know without a doubt that photos are what we will always need, what we will look back to and what we must have going forward,” she reflects. “I am just glad that I can be a part of that.”
Using Profoto lights has been part of Ana's journey. For this reason, and many more, Ana Brandt is one of Profoto’s Legends of Light.
The powerful tool of light
Throughout her career, Ana has created a tremendous reach in the photography community. She coaches other photographers through online teaching, face-to-face workshops and mentoring. In doing so, she is training others to create their own legacies. Sharing her understanding of light helps them to grasp how powerful of a tool it is; photography is “writing with light.”
Ana’s inner light really shines when she is on set. She shifts between baby whisperer, confidante of a mother-to-be and artist. Her unique approach to pregnancy and newborn photography sets her apart and results in fairytale images of newborns and pregnant women. Each one different from the other.
Ana always handles her own lighting and setups. The ease of use of her Profoto equipment helps in this process. A great example is how the remote on her camera allows her to change the power of the light while she is shooting. Once she has got the right settings and light direction she can focus on posing the shot and capturing the image. Rather than stopping the shoot to go and change the light as needed, she does so remotely and stays fully engaged with her subject, allowing her to keep a steady flow throughout each session.
Getting to the next level
Every day, Ana strives to reach the next level in her photography career. Using Profoto has increased her confidence in her lighting, and she feels that now she can “guarantee her work” thanks to the quality of the Profoto lights. Feeling confident about how she shapes her light has freed up Ana’s creative spirit and allows her to achieve more.
Besides the beautiful light that they deliver, Profoto products have streamlined Ana’s work. Since introducing them to her kit, her setup has become very simple. “I love having lights that are strong, dependable and portable!” she says. And being able to “throw them in a backpack and go” has not only taken the stress out of celebrity shoots but opened up new locations.
Using lighting means that Ana no longer needs additional silver reflectors for backlighting. She is no longer bound by the weather or available light. Besides the flexibility it affords, the cordless option has practical benefits – she doesn’t need to worry about people tripping over her cords.
Continuous journey
Her relationship with her camera continues to be a constant journey for Ana. Photography is what she lives and breathes. Since discovering the Profoto B1, she no longer worries about the light and can instead continue to write her story.
To learn more about Ana Brandt, visit www.anabrandt.com
