5 Questions with James Brosher

During his tenure at IU Studios, he conceptualized and implemented images.iu.edu, a public portal for campus images available to the IU community and beyond. He’s also an IU alum, with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Germanic Studies and a history minor, and past work experience as a photographer at the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and South Bend Tribune—a publication known for its award-winning visuals. He has received awards from the American Advertising Awards Indianapolis (Photography), the Indiana News Photographers Association (Indiana College Photographer of the Year), and the Indiana Associated Press Media Editors (Will Counts Journalism Award).  

His favorite spot on the campus is Dunn's Woods: "This is especially the case in summer and fall, but maybe surprisingly so in winter as well. I always enjoy the moments when I cut through the woods on the way to a photo shoot across campus." Brosher's work is available on his own site, brosher.com, and in a brand-new online space, Experience IU, populated with photo essays on the student experience.

Q: Do you remember what initially sparked your passion for photography? Why are photos such an important tool in communications? 

A: When I was a kid growing up, my parents took me to a lot of car shows. My parents have a '57 Chevy and so I spent a lot of time in the summers at car shows in some random park or parking lot in East Central Indiana. I got my first camera so I could take photos of cars at these shows. Although I started out just taking photos of all the cars I liked, I eventually started training that camera on my parents and their friends. 

The thing I love the most about photography is this: the camera is a passport into worlds I would never otherwise be able to go to. The camera unlocks doors to places I should never be: backstage at a concert, on the sidelines of a basketball game, in an motorcade with the Secret Service. 

Q: You have adorable children (fact). Any tips for parents on getting young children to sit still for family photos? 

A: Have a fast camera. Both our girls are quite mobile now and it’s a challenge to capture photos of them sometimes. All those years photographing sporting events during my days at newspapers is coming in handy again. It’s easy to get frustrated if you don’t get that perfect shot for the Insta, but I’ve found that the outtakes are just as special—and sometimes better than the shot you set out to take in the first place. 

Q: Can you offer tips for amateur/phone photographers and things to avoid for a great shot? 

• Change your perspective. Get down low and/or get up high. We see everything at eye level so one trick to make a photo more interesting is breaking up the perspective at which it is captured. 

• Keep it simple. Try to reduce the clutter in photos—either in the foreground or the background. That will make the resulting photo more appealing because the viewer will immediately go to the subject. 

• Window light is your friend. Windows are a great way to easily illuminate a subject. Sometimes it’s easier to shut off lamps and just use natural light sources. The bigger the light source relative to your subject, the softer the light will be. So having someone stand close to a big window will result in very soft and flattering light most of the time. 

• Be aware of where your light source is. Avoid shooting directly into the light or having the light at your subject’s back. Being able to see how light falls on a subject and how to manipulate its qualities is a great way to elevate the overall quality of your pictures. 

• An expensive camera or camera phone doesn’t automatically equal great photos. I always say the most important part of any camera is right behind the viewfinder—you! I subscribe to the 10,000-hour rule made popular by Malcolm Gladwell. The upshot here is that like most everything else it takes practice to master photography. The more you do it, the more you’ll learn. 

• Have fun! If you aren’t having fun taking pictures, you’re doing it wrong.   

Q: What are some of your favorite photos (that you have shot)? Which photographers do you admire and why? 

A: One of my favorite photos is a shot I captured of students having a snowball fight in Dunn Meadow back in 2009. I was a student at the time, and I got incredibly lucky seeing and capturing that moment. As a photographer for the university, I think it’ll be hard to top a shot of Brian Horne, the University Grand Marshal, leading the processional at commencement in 2016. Another example of being luckier than good on my part. 

Contemporarily, I really love Matt McClain's work. He’s an incredible photographer at The Washington Post—and an IU Bloomington alumnus. I had the chance to meet him at a conference here on campus several years back and I’ve been a fan of his work ever since. I really enjoy the way he sees. Looking at his work you immediately get a sense of his personal vision. 

Of the old masters, I’m inspired by work from Henri Cartier-Bresson, W. Eugene Smith, Dennis Stock and Vivian Maier. A common thread with all these photographers is their great ability to capture authentic, real moments. Since my background is photojournalism, that’s something that I’ve always been drawn to. 

Q: What do you want people to know about your work at IU that they might not know? 

A: One of my biggest personal missions is documenting Indiana University’s history. I spend a lot of time looking at old photographs in the IU Archives. I hope that someday someone doing the same thing will look back at my team’s work and see how much we loved our IU by how well we documented the institution and the student experience here through photography. 

Bonus Qs: What’s your favorite place in Bloomington? Top five restaurants with kids?  

I love the Clear Creek and Limestone trails. I love riding my bike around town and my favorite route encompasses both trails. It’s such a beautiful ride especially in the fall. 

1. El Ranchero 
2. Nick’s 
3. Upland 
4. Hive 
5. Mother Bear’s