“This kid is weird.” Early on in life, we bounced around quite a bit. At the age of thirty-one, I can happily say I’ve been to 23 states and lived in 4. Combine that with a nerd who enjoyed mental math, debate team, Theatre, and the Marine Corps I never really fit into any one bucket. I was great with numbers but god awful with people. I still struggle with social cues. Communicating was tough until I held a camera. It was the first time in life that I could slow down, analyze the world around me and capture a moment in time. Photography is a type of therapy that lets the world see what I see: through my eyes, through my lens.”

Joshua Brooker REBC® would describe himself as a Financial Advisor, scorned by the healthcare industry. He is a Principal at PA Health Advocates and along with his team works out of an office in our Studios to demystify the health care system and get people the coverage they need. It’s been shown over the last several centuries that Artists and Scientists can entangle themselves as their skillsets for vision collide. Joshua looks to da Vinci and other creatives that value a balance between social impacts and telling a story. In his life, he balances Photography, Financial Planning, and Healthcare Advocacy. Initiatives tied to his why that bring him closer to a balance of art and science. Albeit socially inept, he uses his lens to tell stories from his viewpoint to the outside world.

His interest in photography began with his first formal course on the subject in 2009 during his sophomore year of college. Since then he has found that photographing the world around him has been more than just a hobby.  It is a way for him to process life and connect with others. His favorite thing to photograph?  “All I can say is movement. I love pictures that tell a story and have feeling in them.” When asked if there are any photographers in particular who inspire him he lists, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Chase Schiefer, Ansel Adams, and Barbara Shoop. 

His photography is currently on display over in our Studios space. This collection is entitled Life: A look at Beauty in the World Around Us.

Joshua on the photos displayed:

“Each piece equally stands together and apart from the photography aside it.

To the left, you will expect to feel a tone of joy. People will be drawn to the movement, colors, freedom within these images. You may see a few bumps on a log(namely a red panda and otter), some carefree seagulls, or colorful wind chimes(taken right here at the PA Renaissance Faire).

To the right, you will expect to feel a tone of loss. Whether an old barber’s chair, jail cell, or row for inmates. Maybe it’s the smokestack on the backside of a busy street. Something is missing. Something is fleeting and you can’t quite put your finger on it. These pictures, while solemn, provide a break…a quiet from the outside world to reflect on what was.

Straight ahead you will see the skyline of Chicago, a somber memorial of the Korean war, and the Lincoln Monument.

All of these frames tell a story. The interesting part? Look around and you may discover the frames in your life that you just walked past unknowingly. Life, whether joyful or sad, is beautiful. Take it all in and enjoy the one you have.”

“To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art; Study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” – Leonardo da Vinci

MAKE SURE TO SWING BY THE STUDIOS TO CHECK OUT THE INSTALLMENT