About Jennie Brand – Commercial Photographer and Videographer
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Life Behind the Lens
Jennie Brand is a photographer and videographer shaped by a life lived outdoors, on the road, and behind the camera. Born into a family that documented everything from VHS camcorder trips to DSLR snapshots of long drives and campfire memories, Jennie’s earliest experiences planted the first seeds of visual storytelling. Those roots took hold during a childhood spent on road trips from New York to Alaska, beach days on the East Coast, and watching her mother pause life for just one more photo. She didn’t know then that these small moments would eventually become the foundation of her creative life.
​
As she grew older, photography followed her everywhere. In high school, she spent hours in the darkroom. Later in New York City, she studied Fashion Merchandising while working behind the scenes on editorial shoots for Condé Nast. At the time, she wasn’t focused on being the photographer. She was observing, learning, and absorbing the world through images.
​
Everything shifted after losing her stepfather, father, and mother in close succession. In the quiet that followed, Jennie found healing through the act of creating. Editing iPhone photos became a place to breathe. Visual storytelling became a way to honor her mother’s love for photography and her own desire to explore the world with intention.
​
Open Light Collective
Open Light Collective is the philosophy behind how Jennie sees and creates. It is rooted in observation, patience, and lived experience. Before directing a frame, she watches how light moves, how people interact with a space, and where the story already exists.
​
This approach shapes how her images come together. Some moments are found, others are guided. Many are built with intention. Open Light Collective is not about avoiding direction, but about respecting the environment and the people within it. Allowing authenticity to lead, even when a scene is thoughtfully composed. It is the foundation behind her photography, her guides, and the journeys she continues to build.
The Evolution
In 2022, she bought her first drone, Stella 1.0, and everything began to click. The landscapes of the American West, the jungles of Southeast Asia, and the coastlines she once dreamed of exploring became the backdrop of a growing craft. 2023, she earned her FAA Part 107 certification. Then 2024, she began formal videography training.Today, she works with two DJI drones, Sony equipment, and a deep respect for the places and people she photographs. Jennie now specializes in environmental travel photography, real estate media, food and beverage content, brand storytelling, and unique stays. Whether capturing the warm glow of a mountain home, the texture of a crafted dish, or the culture of a community halfway across the world, she approaches each project with curiosity, movement, natural light, and an editorial eye.​
Every image she creates is an opportunity to highlight what makes a place or a person meaningful.​ Every project is a collaboration. Every story has its own rhythm.
Jennie’s mission is simple.
To create visuals that feel authentic, cinematic, and alive.
Work that resonates long after it is seen.
​
xo,
Jennie
Never stop exploring.
"It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living."