LOVE MOVES CAMPAIGN // BROOKS RUNNING

This Valentine’s Day I am so thrilled to be working with Brooks Running on their #LoveMoves campaign featuring queer creators sharing stories of how we move & connect within our community.

It’s always refreshing to see a brand showcasing LGBTQ+ artists on months other than pride month and to not only be featuring our work but our backstories as well. Honored to share some of my experience alongside incredible queer creators like Shanée Benjamin, Authentic Asheville, Noah Camp Design & Mikah Meyer.

Q: HOW DO YOU MOVE?

As a photographer, I am constantly on the move with at least 50lbs of camera gear in tow. Over the past decade, I've been fortunate enough to make those moves around the world. From sunset hikes in Yosemite & Hawaii to seaplanes in the Philippines or trekking up snowy mountains in Aspen & Jackson Hole, my career and clients keep me moving! I couldn’t be more grateful for that. 

Q: IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU CREATE & SHARE STORIES?

I’d say most people know me for being one of the first LGBTQ+ Wedding photographers in the industry. In 2013, I had photographed the first lesbian Indian wedding in the US which quickly became a viral love story. It was overwhelming, but I had quit my corporate job in southern California, packed my bags, my camera and my tiny chihuahua, and moved away from all things familiar to go on this quest to meet new people and document their stories. I think I was driven by my desperation for connection outside of my very religious upbringing. In retrospect, I now know that I was looking to find myself and didn't realize I was starting to create myself by capturing and telling others' stories.

A year before marriage equality, I started marketing myself as an LGBTQ+ wedding photographer. In 2015, I founded the Promote Love Movement, a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community raised in religious environments to come together and share our stories. In 2018, I launched Steph Grant Studios, an LGBTQ+ owned media agency that focuses on working closely with brands to authentically and intentionally create and showcase diverse and inclusive stories within their organization.

Queer representation in the media has been lacking for too long. Every single day we have an opportunity to change that. Through curating real life interactions and experiences during our photo and video productions, our team features the brand's products but more importantly tells the stories of the individuals who are using them. Our stories are one of the biggest tools we have to create those moments of true connection and the opportunities to cultivate positive change in our world.

I have proudly shared my personal story alongside and through my professional work and podcast, awarding me the opportunity to be honored on the Senate floor in CA, speaking engagements and inclusivity productions with Google, partnerships with Fossil as the face of their 2019 Pride Campaign, and a feature in Proud Women, a book highlighting 100+ fierce women in the LGBTQ+ community.

Q: HOW CAN STORIES CONNECT COMMUNITIES?

View the Brooks Running #LoveMoves Campaign and snag the shoes HERE.

Sharing our stories can soften hearts & save lives. I have experienced this firsthand through my work as a photographer and during my own coming out process. Having LGBTQ+ representation in the media is life changing. I plan to continue sharing those stories. It’s so rewarding to have complete strangers say that they felt like they had a front row seat at the weddings that I have shot or that after seeing my images and stories they can no longer support their stance against the LGBTQ+ community. The messages that will always be tucked away in the cockles of my heart are from teens who live in a country where it is illegal saying that seeing images of queer couples gives them hope. Never in a million years would I think my work would travel around the world. I cherish that.

Q: HOW DOES YOUR COMMUNITY MOVE TOGETHER & SHARE LOVE?

There’s a fierce bond that connects the queer community. Our experiences, although unique to each of us, shape how we connect with others. Oftentimes, that can come with deep layers of trauma. Who we choose to surround ourselves with during that time can either make or break us. We are responsible for making moves to heal ourselves in our own time, protecting our peace along the way, and doing our part to support others in a healthy environment so that we can put more love into the world... together.

Q: CAN YOU SHARE A STORY OF POSITIVELY CONNECTING WITH A STRANGER THROUGH THE OUTDOORS OR MOVING?

I frequently think back to when I was tent camping in the Ventana Wilderness near Big Sur. There was total darkness besides our small campfire and the moon in the night sky. No one else in sight. I remember suddenly hearing a stick crack in the distance and seeing a headlamp heading straight for us. I thought to myself, "This is surely where I perish." Low and behold, it was just a few others exploring and they actually came bearing gifts! Bulleit whiskey and a can of beanie weenies. We shared stories by the fire for hours until they made their way into the night. It was dreamy. More moments like that, please.

A majority of my couples have been complete strangers. I think back to Angel & Monica’s story in 2014. I showed up in Tucson, AZ while they were getting their hair and makeup done for their last minute elopement. It was the most effortless connection. We spent the entire day and night together. We made an on the spot decision choice for their ceremony location, and went grocery shopping for a sunset dinner. The whole time it was like catching up with old friends. To this day, Angel and Monica are two of my best friends and we've met in different parts of the US for adventures over the years. We've gone snowboarding in Durango, did a 20 mile bike ride in Montana, camped in Sedona, and taken a road trip up the coast of CA. Love brings people together, and getting to do that in nature makes my tiny heart so full. Nature reminds me to stop and take in the beautiful moments of life. It reminds me to feel. When I allow myself to feel, I live more fully and love truly.

Here’s a little behind the scenes fun from my time exploring with my very talented friends Kellie, Josh & Cody for Brooks Running.