Hello Friends,

Here is our fourth in a series about a few of our photo campers ... Who they are and why they are coming to camp.

Ready for her Close Up, here is Louann Brizendine (with a few of her photographs):

Would you please tell us a little about yourself?

I’m 63 years old, mother of a 27-year-old son, wife of a neuroscientist, author of “The Female Brain” and “The Male Brain” and a retired doctor.

How did you first get into photography?

I had been avidly taking cell phone camera photos for several years and for my retirement gift, my husband bought me a real camera.

How do your previous career and your photography intersect?

They did not intersect at all, that was the whole point!

How does your "female brain" apply to your photography?

Hmmm, not sure I know if it does, but I know that the guy photographers I meet seem like a different breed than me; which is ok, but they do like to gear-head out a lot and one-up each other as often as possible ... Just sayin’ not judging.

What are the benefits of attending an all-female creative workshop?

Well, well well, see my answer to the previous question!

Why did you register for Firefly Institute? What part of photo camp are you most excited about?

All of it, I have so much to learn! And since I have been doing it for two years now, I have already hit some motivation-blocks so I hope to get inspired and see how others approach their photography. I met Hillary at Rancho La Puerta and then we both lived in Marin and joined the same photographers’ group in Mill Valley.