Meet Brooke Macko | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brooke Macko and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooke, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Work life balance is a myth. When I was striving for balance, I ended up frustrated and disappointed in myself. I try to remind myself what is important in my life and in my work. Then making decisions that fit within that framework.

Being a mom, wife, sister, friend, daughter while at the same time being a photographer is not easy. In the spring of 2023, I even asked myself if I should continue. I continued in large part because I want my son to see work and striving and living and loving mixed all together. Life is not always going to be straight-forward and black and white. But if you have core values that you hold onto, then you can start to build work around the kind of life you value.

What does this look like in real life? It looks like doing the non-creative business work even when you don’t feel up to the task. It means waking up early to work, to study, to workout so that when my son wakes up, I can lay the phone and computer down to greet him. It looks like putting him in my lap when I edit and letting him save the image files with me. It means making a call to a client and asking for another day or two to finish so that I can hold my son while he is sick. It looks like asking my husband to play with my son all Saturday so that I can blast through laundry and editing.

Each day that I adjust or learn or ask for forgiveness when I don’t get it right, is a day moving in the right direction. I love what Tim Ferris says about being concerned about the direction you are headed. “You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”

Over time, I have realized that the movement towards doing life and work better is what really counts. For me, that means loving my little family better in small real ways and for working to improve my craft and how I relate to clients. We will never truly arrive at perfection. We can always improve. And I had to throw the myth of work life balance out the window to freely work on excellence in all areas of my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am mesmerized by the impact of light. What photographer isn’t? It doesn’t matter where I am, I am always chasing the light. I can remember when I was an accountant and watching how the shadows fell across the floor and carved dark triangles of shadows onto cubicles. Watching how the wildflowers or weeds shift their faces over a two hour run on the Trinity Trails was one of the ways I mentally got through a long run. There is satisfaction in seeing how a shadow grows over the soft skin on my kiddo’s face as he takes a nap in the afternoon. But I didn’t always understand how obsessed with light I was.

When traveling in the mid-2000’s, I grew frustrated because I was not capturing what I saw the way I wanted to. So I learned how to use a camera in 2010 and over time learning these skills gained me portrait photography clients. When I left the corporate world, I enjoyed learning and growing and fought through the failures.

The turning point for me was in 2017/2018, I began thinking a little more about the photography that energized me. I worried a little less about what other photographers were doing and started thinking more about the story of the photograph. During this time I started working with a singer-songwriter Joseph Neville as well as some entrepreneurs that opened up my creativity. I began to see what is possible in using images as storytellers.

Fast-forward to today in a post-Covid world and now a mom, I am excited about the shift in my work. My photography has become more focused. I have two styles – Light + Fresh and Moody. It is fun to see which style a client chooses and where they want to take their story. Collaborating is a real joy. I mostly work with two groups of folks and sometimes they overlap – families and creatives.

Working for the lifestyle magazine West Fort Worth has been a new adventure this year that has come out of refining my light and fresh style.

My little passion project is exploring fine art photography. I am studying and working toward expressing myself through this discipline and excited to see how it influences my other work.

My hope is that my photography encourages people and serves as a positive catalyst through capturing memories, highlighting beauty and elevating their brand. Essentially, I want to be a helper that brings positive movement in someone’s life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Moss Floral always has some beautiful stems during the week to decorate a table and make a visitor feel special.

Then we would catch up over a margarita at Joe T’s or a glass of wine at Wine Haus.

A trip to the Botanical Gardens or the Fort Worth zoo to entertain the kiddos.

To find some local live music, I would check out Hear Fort Worth and Amplify817 to find out where some of my faves would be playing.

Go for a walk on the Trinity River Trails.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My son who has been a fun little partner in exploring shoot locations and my expert light tester and dance move teacher.

My husband who has been a helper in all kinds of ways. Even moving a church pew to a shoot location.

My friend Trisha Howell who has been a kind, steady force in my craft.

My friend & singer-songwriter Joseph Neville who has been encouraging to many artists such as myself. Also the folks I have met through Joseph have been a delight.

All those first clients who tried me out when I was first getting started and stuck with me over the years.

And a long, lost friend who when we were kids always saw the creative side in me and nourished it decades ago.

Website: www.macka-photography.com

Instagram: @mackaphotography & @mackaphotography.moody

Image Credits
@MackaPhotography