My Journey as an Artist — Brittany Colt Photography

People often ask, how did you get so good so fast?

Being a photography educator has put me in contact with photographers all around the world. I have met and worked with all types of photographers sharing the joys of nature through art. One thing I’ve noticed about working with artists is the desire to get really good at this art form rather quickly. Some of my clients will look at me with a sparkle in their eyes and proclaim that they want to get as good as me. And preferably by the end of this 4 hour class that they booked. If only they knew about the fifteen years of blood, sweat, and tears that it took me to get to where I am today.

When I was a child I had no idea that my life would give me the opportunity to be an independent artist. All I knew at the time was that I liked to create with my hands. Being raised with friends and family that loved to take on projects that involved ingenuity and artistry; I thought that was normal. I had no idea that the family that brought me up was very unique in a way that sparked creativity and passion.

Dancer at the Kalispel Tribe of Indians Pow Wow

As I got older, the desire to capture and create photographs was too strong for me to ignore. This is where the real work began. I spent countless hours over months teaching myself camera tech and settings through trial and error. I would photograph every day, forcing myself to shoot in various lighting situations. It was a tough road and took a lot of time to teach myself a strong foundation for photography, but eventually it finally clicked. I was thrilled that I could now focus more on the creative aspects of photography and let my imagination go wild.

In my early twenties my creativity took on a life of its own. I regularly collaborated with other artists and models. I took on photo projects that helped expand my knowledge in lighting, composition, set design and working with models. Sooner than I would have ever imagined, I started to get paid for my portrait work and weddings. By my mid twenties, I was photographing professionally and established a wedding business in Portland, Oregon.

I also started working on independent films learning the art of film making. I wore many hats from production assistant, to camera assistant, to working with cameras and lighting, and eventually producing a film with a couple other creative partners. At the time, I felt that film making wasn’t for me. But my partner and many friends were all making films, and pretty often I somehow got roped into various roles. Set life was grueling and exhausted me, but I kept at it for five years so that I could learn and grow as an artist.

Simultaneously, I was thrown into the design world that ultimately helped shape the photographer that I am today. Majoring in graphic design and learning to see the world through a design perspective, influenced how I started to see the world through the lens. Although I learned a lot from graphic design and it influenced me profoundly, I knew that this path was not for me. I remember sitting in the dark, cement classroom wishing I could be outside in nature with my camera photographing. It was a hard few years, but I am so grateful for the experience of studying graphic design.

In 2018 my life in Portland, Oregon came to a close. My relationship with my partner/ husband ended, giving me the biggest curve ball of my life. The universe had something else in store for me that I did not see coming and could not have ever imagined. I ended up selling all of my possessions that did not fit into my little Kia Spectra and moving to Yosemite National Park.

Another chapter began and honestly it was a whole new life. One that encouraged me to pursue landscape photography and gave me one of nature’s greatest playgrounds as my back yard. Working for The Ansel Adams Gallery, I found inspiration that blossomed into a deep appreciation for black and white photography. I got out with my camera every chance I could get.

Since I spent over ten years shooting portraits, I did not have the eye for landscape photography just yet. I would spend all my free time outside, getting to know Yosemite while hiking and photographing. It wasn’t until six months of living in Yosemite that I finally made an image that I liked.

As the next four years went by, I gained experience in teaching photography, guiding people to amazing locations, running a workshop program, as well as assisting many amazing photographers whose workshops I put together. It was also a life changing opportunity to grow and enhance my portfolio living in one of the most beautiful locations on Earth.

Eventually I started to feel that my Yosemite chapter was ending and that something new and exciting was on the horizon. I had reached one of the highest levels of my job as the Education Coordinator, and staying at the Gallery felt like it was starting to limit me. I was feeling burnt out trying to keep a full time job and fully pursue being an artist. So I made the leap.

This next chapter has brought me to the beautiful Eastern Sierra where I am embarking on creating a successful and meaningful business teaming up with my partner, Shawn Reeder. As we are learning the art of business and life together as creatives; I find myself getting closer to my goals and dreams.

A life of an artist may look attractive and fascinating from the outside, but in many ways it can be a lonely way of life. It’s taken me 15 years to get to where I am today, much of that time alone in my head and my heart, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Through my own personal journey and in my own unique way, I’ve learned and grown as an artist. I‘ve figured out what art form that I wanted to pursue in depth, all the while gaining knowledge that ultimately made me a better photographer. Life after all is all about the journey, not the destination. Onward.