Makers: William and Susan Brinson of House of Brinson

As a maker myself, I appreciate other makers and want to celebrate them and what they do. Every so often, I will post about a maker I admire. A few simple interview questions to get to know them better and images of their work will make up this Maker column. I know you will love them just as much as I do.

I am so excited to share today’s makers for they are two of my favoritest people. William and Susan Brinson are a dynamic husband and wife team, one a photographer, one an art director and stylist. I came to know them through Alt classes and wormed my way into calling them friends. MJ and I even hung out at their very NY flat when we were there in June. So cool! They are immensely talented individuals who are always willing to help. And they are just plain awesome.

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Who are you and what do you do?

We’re William and Susan Brinson! William is a professional photographer and I’m and art director and stylist. We work together professionally and blog together at House of Brinson. If you want blog updates, follow us @houseofbrinson on twitter, or on our personal accounts to see what we’re working on, Susan @studiobrinson and William @williambrinson. Instagram is often where we’ll give sneak peeks to what we’re working on and you can follow us @houseofbrinson.

How did you get here?

This is the part where I tell you we are high school sweethearts. No kidding! I was in the 9th grade, and William was in the 10th grade and he just got his drivers license which was pretty hot. You ladies know how that goes: boy in the grade above you, has car…ok. Then we both went to Savannah College of Art and Design, and have been busting’ a move in NYC since we graduated college. NYC has been good to us, we’ve seen things, met people, and worked on projects that we could have never imagined. The city does that to you, it makes the impossible accessible. At the end of the day, you say, can you believe we just worked on that? :) I started my career on the design side of the advertising industry and William as a photo assistant. We’ve been in NYC for 13 years and worked our way up in our industries. About 4 years ago we started blogging together as a way to work together after our day jobs. It naturally transitioned into us working as a professional team on photo shoots.

Tell us about your day.

Recently, we photographed for Real Simple, which is out in November. Before the shoot, I’ll shop for props based on conversations with the clients. I like to have a clear picture of what the vibe is for the props before I go to the prop houses. Sometimes I’ll go to several prop houses so having a concise vision is important. I’ll photograph the props as I’m shopping, and share them with William, especially if it sparks an idea. On shoot day, William will discuss how he wants to light to create a mood and environment. Normally, there are clients on set, so it’s a really fun and upbeat environment. We try to keep the mood on set light, cause we love what we do for a living!

What inspires you? How do you stay inspired?

We’re inspired by our daily lives: our friends, family and the city. We love simple pleasures, like a beautiful cake, a home made dinner, or having our friends over for an impromptu cocktail. I also enjoy decorating our living space, and we just bought a new house, so I’ll be busy. I admit, it can be a struggle to stay inspired, but William and I play well off each other and support each other when one of us needs a little inspiration.

If you weren’t a photographer, William, you would be a _________.

I’d be a sculptor.

If you weren’t an art director/stylist, Susan, you would be a _________.

I’d be a rap video director.

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I just love their work! Their images are like pieces of art to me, I could stare at them for hours. I really hope I look as cool as William when I take photos (probably not though) and I’m hoping the longer I know Susan, the more stylish I become. :) And, I’ll see you again soon Nero. I’m due for a good doggy kiss.

For more William and Susan:

Site: The House of Brinson
William’s portfolio: williambrinson.com
Susan’s portfolio: studiobrinson.com
Facebook: House of Brinson
Twitter: @houseofbrinson for blog updates
@studiobrinson for Susan
@williambrinson for William
Instagram: @houseofbrinson

This is not a sponsored post. I have hand-chosen the makers because I like their work. To keep the style and look of this blog, I did photograph their work myself. The pieces were then returned to their makers.