Join us in congratulating Brooke Schaal on becoming one of our newest Unraveled Expert Artists!

We love having Brooke in our community because she brings something different than most others! We love how Brooke can make a branding session fun and unique, it is so inspiring!

Brooke Schaal is located in Ontario Canada and lives with her husband Bear and two daughters Vera and Gwen. Brooke is a Headshot and Branding photographer and focuses her attention on woman run businesses and brands. Brooke comes from a very large family and spends lots of time at the cottage. She also comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and is determined to help as many people as possible reach their goals.

Welcome Brooke! We are so thrilled to have you in our community and NOW a UEA!

For more inspiration from Brooke check out her social links below:

Here is brooke, Unraveled…

What inspires your art?

Natural light. I am obsessed with it. I am always analyzing the way the sun shines into a window or through the trees. Or where I would put my subject in a certain spot within a scene. My grandmother was a painter and she always reminded me that photography is painting with light. I hold that sentence very dear and find it very inspiring.

What do you shoot with? Camera body and favorite lens?

Canon R6 with a Canon 24-70 Truth be told, I am not the most techy of photographers. I focus my attention more on finding beautiful light and how I interact with my subject.

What other ways do you express your creativity?

I originally went to university for English and Fine Art and writing has always been a big part of my life. I really love pairing self portraits with a stream of thought. I find it really connects with people and gives some insight as to why I do what I do.

How do you de-stress at the end of the day?

Working! To be honest...after the kids go to bed, I go back to the lap top and knock a few extra things off the to do list. I have always been a photographer and am lucky enough to thoroughly enjoy what I do.

What kind of music do you listen to while editing?

I usually listen to folk chill music but lately I have been getting into instrumental soft jams. I call it plinkie plunkie spa music. With two little kids noise can be overwhelming in my house so I'm beginning to lean towards more quiet . Or I watch The Office from the start over and over again...

What is your favorite book?

These days most of my reading is done in the evening with my daughter before bed. I love the children's author Nancy Tillman.

Name one movie that inspires you.

Hard to think of one. But I really love watching documentary's about inspiring woman photographers throughout history. My favourite is What Remains - The Life and Work of Sally Mann.

How do you handle self-doubt or creative slumps?

I turn towards education! That's honestly how I came across The Unraveled Academy. Whenever things slow I pull out a notebook and focus my attention on growth and learning. A workshop, event, course. That always helps me. Self doubt is big in this industry. There no cure for it but I find surrounding myself with optimistic supportive people helps a lot!

What has been the most difficult part of your creative journey?

The covid pandemic. Absolutely without a doubt. I almost lost everything I had worked so hard for and it was truly terrifying.

What is your favorite pizza topping?

Green Olives.

What is your most favorite kind of light and why?

Sunlight and a really big reflector.

Who is one of your favorite photographers?

Raina Kirn.

What is your favorite course or lesson at Unraveled?

I really enjoy the business related courses! I feel like that is where my college schooling was really lacking and outdated. I wasn't prepared to actually run a lucrative business and these courses have really helped me!