“It’s amazing the difference a bit of sky can make.”

That quote is my motto in life. Whether you’re talking about photography or just general happiness, I don’t think there’s anything a big pretty sky and some fresh air can’t fix.

I grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado and moved to Texas when I was 22 years old. I married a small town West Texas cowboy and we currently call the Matador Ranch home along with our two teenagers. My friends describe me as a “redneck hippie” and that’s probably 100% true! I have a deep outdoorsy soul rooted in my Colorado upbringing that meshes well with rural life out here on the ranch. If you can’t find me, I am most likely hiking somewhere with my dogs or checking on the mares and colts.

I first picked up a camera at age 28 when my Dad passed away suddenly. He left me his Nikon DSLR and I still shoot Nikon to this day. I dabbled in photography off and on over the years but it wasn’t until my brother died 10 years later after a long battle with drugs and alcohol, that I decided capturing life’s precious moments and documenting your loved ones was something that spoke to my heart and I wanted to pursue more avidly. I also viewed life differently after that loss. Hugs felt warmer, little moments caught my attention, and I stop and smile every time I see a sunset. That’s also probably why I’m mostly a golden hour photographer and absolutely adore a really good sunset, which you can see in a lot of my photos. To this day I wish I had more photos of both my brother and my dad, and I definitely cherish every single one I do have. So if you came to this page wondering if you should invest in a photo session…the answer is yes. Even if it’s not with me. You will never look back and wish you had NOT taken those photos.

I would love to tell you that I’m going to show up to your session all fancy with a cute outfit on and look like a perfectly crafted Instagram photographer…but I’m definitely not! I will most likely show up in stretchy pants, hiking boots, and my hair pulled back. I’m there to work and you can often find me climbing up and down canyons, walking through a million sticker beds and standing in the middle of a creek just to get the perfect shot. But I do that anyways with my dogs every evening so it’s quite alright!

My favorite thing about being a photographer is knowing that I’m capturing a moment in time that you won’t ever be able to go back to. People grow older, move away, life changes. So to be able to take a snap shot of that one special moment, even if it’s something so small as the light was perfect that day and your hair looked really good, brings me a lot of joy.

Let’s chat about booking a session!

cristenbrooksphoto@gmail.com // 806-317-2877
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