Brock Wegner: “Becoming a skilled Photographer takes time, remember to have fun.”

YESTERDAYTODAYFOREVER.

_{“A series highlighting artists on their past, present, and future.”}

Brock Wegner: Photographer

When did you begin to take an interest in art?

I think I have always taken an interest in art, I was always drawing and painting when I was a little kid. As time went on and my art interests developed, I found myself practicing art in software such as Photoshop and Illustrator. I graduated with a degree in Graphic Design in 2018 and worked in that field for about a year and a half. I lost interest in that and luckily, I found photography about three years ago. I also have tons of art hanging around the crib, and I am always buying art online from artists around the world.

Who influenced you at a young age?

I was influenced by two Australian photographers I found on YouTube. Their names are @northborders and @7th.era. I fell in love with their shooting/editing style and their street photography videos, I would watch them every day at lunch and finally made me want to buy a camera to start trying what I was seeing in their videos.

What is a memorable moment during your early years as an artist?

The moment my friends told me I need to start charging for what I was doing I realized that I am good at taking photos if people think I could be making money from it. I think sometimes the closest people around you can push you to realize certain things, I’m grateful to have those people in my life. I don’t think I would be where I am today and have created all the things, I have made so far in my photography career if it wasn’t for my friends and family.

Do you have any regrets? What is something that you would do differently or suggested to a younger artist?

I don’t necessarily have any regrets, I think everything happens for a reason so the path you are on and the things that happen to you on that path are supposed to. I think that when you put that into perspective it makes certain things easier to deal with. For
example, if photoshoots with people you really wanted to work with get canceled, then oh well. You can’t force good things, you know?

_{Photo by: Alex Hofer}

Who is an inspiration or artist that you believe is crushing the game right now?

Oh, man. This is a tough one because there are so many talented people I know. My good friend @nowahbelair has been crushing the photo game ever since I could remember, he has also been such a good source of information from when I first started out and even now. Other Sioux Falls natives such as @dylaneverybody and @jasedewaldphoto have unique styles to their work and kill it at everything they do.

“Becoming a skilled Photographer takes time, remember to have fun.”

What are you currently working on?

There are a few creative shoots I have scheduled with a variety of talented models, so you can see that on my Instagram [Brock Wegner Instagram] in the coming weeks. I am also shooting concerts almost every weekend as well as weddings located in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

What are some practices that help you polish your craft or become a better artist?

I used to think that it was bad to not always be working on something and that is not the case. It is okay to take a step back, taking breaks is a required part of creating. There are going to be times when you have photoshoots every day of the week, and there are going to be times when you have one photoshoot in a month.

If there’s any place in the world where you would take your art, where would it be?

Doing street photography in Japan would be rad, or maybe somewhere in Europe such as Amsterdam. I would also like to do concert photography at legendary venues such as Red Rocks in Colorado or festivals like Tomorrowland.

Anything cool that we can expect from you?

I recently self-published a photo book titled “All That Remains” which sold out quicker than I thought it would. I want to start brainstorming ideas for my next book and jump into gathering the material to create it. You can also be on the lookout for more creative photoshoots as I mentioned before. I have some concerts coming up with some big names that I am beyond excited to have the chance to take photos of their performance.

As an artist, do you focus on the future a lot? What does the future mean to you?

Yeah, I do focus on my future a lot. Things I think about for the future are things such as upcoming photoshoots and what I can do to improve what I already had in mind for that specific shoot (outfits, vibe, the way I will edit it, location, etc.). The future means an opportunity for me. You cannot correct your past, but you can move forward and improve yourself with what you do in the future.

In one word, how would you describe yourself as an artist, and what you say to your younger self about this?

If I had to describe myself in one word as an artist, I would say dynamic. I feel like now in my photography career I can make undesirable situations come out in my favor. I would tell my younger self that it won’t be like this right away. It will come with time and experience working in your craft, be patient and have fun along the way.

_{All photos credited: Brock Wegner}