Meet Brianna Knodel | Photographer and entrepreneur

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

Hi Brianna, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Its been a fine line for me and not easy to keep going. Several times I’ve thought about throwing in the towel and calling it quits. But all of the support that I’ve received over the years have kept that spark alive. Even though I’m not a big fan of social media or crowds, it’s the challenge of creating new projects and stepping outside my comfort zone with art shows that help me grow as a small business owner and person in general.

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 have a full time job working in the fire protection industry and have been for the last 7 years. I’ve taken every opportunity I can to incorporate my photography with my work. From going on job sites every now and then to photograph our techs at work or doing mini photo sessions with animals for our marketing team. I take pride in my work ethic; I’m never late and I strive to do everything I can to help my team better themselves. It hasn’t been easy, like with my photography, there have been ups and downs. But I’ve used my discipline and stubbornness to get the job done both professionally and personally. I don’t like feeling like I haven’t done my part, and so that makes me want to be better than I was yesterday. I feel being in the fire protection industry has taught me a lot in terms of accountability and I’ve taken those lessons over to my photography business. I’ve been lazy in the past, not really wanting to do anything notable but I can’t be successful if I don’t try and (hopefully not) fail and try again. I work hard and play hard. My team at work has helped me grow into a responsible working professional and that has carried over into every aspect of my life. I’m proud of the work I have accomplished and I honestly wouldn’t change any of the bumps in the road for anything.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would be so excited to take my bestie on a tour of my little city. There’s not much to do but what there is packs a punch! The first day, I would take them to the Yuma Territorial Prison; look at everything and buy some trinkets. Easily a half day could be spent there. The history of the place is just amazing. We would take in the views of the river below and then we would have a meal at Bostons Pizza which has easily the best pizza in town. The second day would be a visit to the Cloud Museum near the date farms. This place has so many old cars and artifacts from every decade dating back to at least the 1800s if not earlier. Tons of cars, trinkets and things that would surprise you. The third day I would take them to the Castledome Museum way out in the middle of nowhere. It’s a fairly large ghost town with a cave tour that is amazing. All the old time buildings with period specific items in the general store and of course old saloons and a sheriff office complete with jail. The tour of the place would take a whole day! The third and fourth days I would show them old downtown, and take them to my favorite shooting places; the bridge to nowhere, the tiny chapel and the out of use train depot near the territorial prison. We would hang out on the beach on the river and enjoy the sunshine until it was time for them to return home. They definitely would leave with a whole new insight on my little city and a ton of fun new memories.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve mentioned before that I started taking pictures over 10 years ago. There is one person that I would like to thank in my journey to help me become the photographer I am today. John Hoskin JL Grief Fine Art Photography. He helped me cultivate my creative side and gave me the confidence to do what I’ve always dreamed of. He’s a wonderful photo buddy and always has insight that he is eager to share. He helped me grow so much before I launched my business and I can’t thank him enough.

Website: faughnphotography.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/Faughnphotography and Instagram.com/faughnphotog

Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/BriannaKnodel

Facebook: Facebook.com/faughnphotography

Other: faughnphotography.company.site Tiktok: @faughnphotography Faughnphotog@outlook.com