{ welcome! }
Glad you're here!
I am Brooke Reynolds, owner and photographic artist from Captured by Brooke Photography! My true love and passion is capturing moments, frozen in time, and using my own artistic vision to transform them into a work of art. I believe that beauty is found in everyone and everything and I am truly passionate about showing people just how beautiful and wonderful they really are!
I specialize in capturing weddings, boudoir and senior portraits with an artistic and stylistic flair influenced by a combination of fashion, art and nature.
I am located in Shakopee, Minnesota but I LOVE to travel, so if you have a destination in mind we may be able to work something out! :)
Check out my galleries here! Thank you so much- I really am thrilled you are here and hope to hear from you! Email me at capturedbybrooke@gmail.com. Peace and love!
panama, land of the green river:: {captured!}
March 23, 2013
When I used to think of Panama, I’d either think of the Van Halen song or I’d think of the Panama Canal like it was some giant ugly concrete river dam system. Well, I was about to be blown away by some of the greenest, most beautiful nature on earth teaming with wondrous life, beautiful and free. Of course, there are giant ships and bridges crossing the canal and gigantic machines that continuous scoop tons of hard earth from the canal daily, as well as pipe systems that lead water to different areas of the canal, but I was mostly interested in getting to the tiny river tributaries, where you can kayak from a houseboat lined with hammocks, down the river through little groves and find hidden waterfalls near howling monkeys….where the river looks like the prettiest, breath-taking shades of green due to the reflections of the trees onto the water….
Tucked away in a remote cove of the Panama Canal, we had Captain Carl‘s houseboat all to ourselves! There were monkeys and birds in the trees, iguanas and toads on the shores, and turtles and caimans in the river. 
We had hammocks to lay in and kayaks to use all day to explore…
She appeared on the shore of the rainforest canopy, like a majestic queen unafraid to take on the world.
These tamarin monkeys were really fun to watch from our kayaks on the shore!
In the fall season, the river gets overflowed by these tiny green aquatic plants. It was just starting when we were there, so in some areas, kayaking became more challenging!
These plants close at night and open during the day
At night, we went out in the pitch dark exploring and spotted some large jungle toads and baby caimans. 
Howler monkeys! You can hear these guys from 5 miles away, grunting like gorillas!
This is Pedro, an elderly monkey who is a friend of Captain Carl. When you yell out “Peeeedddrroooo!!!” He comes swinging out of the jungle to catch a couple nuts. Loved his expression when he caught a nut, almost missing it. haha
These beautiful Panamanian girls were saying goodbye to their father, who was going to take us back down the river into the canal.
Thanks for stopping by! Check out my galleries here for more images and prints.
Peace,
x
Brooke
Write a Comment
a day in bangkok :: {captured!}
February 17, 2013
So, what do I do when I have an eight hour layover in a far east city? Well, I pretend I’m a local… that takes a lot of photos. 
Bangkok is a city rich in Buddhist culture dotted with temples, with abundant use of the river and canals that carve their way through the landscape. I am particularly fascinated with culture and religion, and Bangkok has many interesting statues, bridges, sculptures and temples that I enjoyed looking at.
Wat Benchamabophitr- The “Marble Temple” – just like on the coin!
Wat Pho, also called the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. It is one the the most famous temples in Bangkok and houses over 1,000 Buddha images, including the largest Buddha in Thailand- the Reclining Buddha.
^^^didn’t like the profiting off of caged birds.. i didn’t buy into it. Also, some parts of Bangkok are super crowded, dirty and full of junk food restaurants.
Amazing Thai Food at May Kaidee’s Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant!
When there is flooding in Bangkok, as it was previously to this visit, many of the houses along the river are in the water. The man above sits on crates while the water covers the floor.
The catfish in the river (above, left) are gigantic. The tour boats give bread to the tourists to feed the fish. Obviously, fish are not meant to eat bread, so the fish become diseased and contribute to the river pollution. (above, right): some friendly locals
There are very interesting drawings on the temple walls, illustrating reflexology points, yoga positions, and more.
Floating markets are all the rage. This woman was thanking us for buying some of her trinkets.
Thanks for stopping by!
Peace,
x
Brooke
Write a Comment
maldives, the island of dreams :: {captured!}
January 13, 2013
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself in Maldives… the island nation in the über-warm Indian Ocean consisting of the most beautiful tiny islands in the world. I saw a photo once of one of the water villas and thought, “I am going there someday”. And so it happened, as our trip to Sri Lanka brought us within a mere hour and a half hour flight from this piece of heaven on earth! We arrived at the Vilamendhoo island resort and were completely blown away by the clearest water I’ve ever seen in my life. And the colors! The best blue shades I’ve ever seen… cerulean, turquoise, aquamarine…you know- all the best crayon colors you find in the box. Also, the fishes…. oh you shall see
Villamendhoo Resort Water Villas
The snorkeling only a few feet away from our water villa was incredible!!
The sharks would come by the hoards to try to get these fish that would crowd together as their defensive strategy.
Squid!
What a beach!
I really dig tiny things… especially practically microscopic groovy beings that live in shells on the beach.
Two good friends- Sammy the Crab and Lewis the Heron…I just had to give them names Lewis was around 4 feet tall and walked peacefully next to me on the beach. Sammy was a regular visitor on our water villa, peeking around and hiding. Quite a shy fellow, unlike Lewis.
Swimming with a whale shark – (27 FEET LONG!) was one of the most amazing, unforgettable experiences of my entire life. Whale sharks are harmless, slow-moving, gentle giants of the sea. The sense of peace and awe in being within a couple feet of such a remarkable being is immeasurable. Of course I was nervous at first, especially when I first jumped off the boat and she was RIGHT in front of me, swimming right at me- her head the size of a bus!! But after hurriedly moving out of the shark’s path and then cautiously swam alongside her, I realized her calm tranquility and it rubbed off on me!
I was swimming with this other photographer who had the grand pro equipment…. truthfully, all my underwater photos were taken with a waterproof point and shoot. Hey, someday I’ll to have that equipment. This was my practice run and thought I’d share anyway His photos were remarkable…I wish I would have asked for his biz card to see if he got some of me swimming with the whale shark…ahhh well. Maybe he’ll hop across my blog someday…
At night, there was a spotlight outside the water villa and we could see the sharks and other fish that swam under us as we slept at night!
Bye, amazing island in the ocean! I’ll be back!! xoxo
Flying back to the mainland, there were hundreds of islands and reef formations dotted throughout the Indian Ocean we could see from the sea-plane.
See the full gallery here. Thanks again for stopping by!
Peace,
x
Brooke
Write a Comment
Sri Lanka, the land of serendipity :: { captured! }
January 2, 2013
This pearl of an island in the Indian Ocean, south of India, was most definitely a pleasant surprise. Sri Lanka is a magical land of wonder, a place where the colors are more vibrant, the people love to smile, and many animals- from cows to elephants- roam free. A land where an abundance of fruit grows naturally as well as having the perfect soil and climate for the famous Ceylon tea that grows high in the mountains. In Sri Lanka, ancient temples hide in between lush green rainforests and Buddhists, Hindus, and other religions now coexist peacefully. I was taken aback, captivated, and forever changed.
{ Polonnaruwa }
The royal ancient city of polonnaru kingdom and world heritage site
The baby cow on a leash made me sad 
beer-drinkin monkeys! ha
It was quite a downpour, but nothing could keep me away!
{Sigiriya}
ancient rock fortress and palace surrounded by extensive reservoirs and gardens
I hope this cow wasn’t planning on taking a bath…
View while climbing sigiriya (lion’s rock) – we could see more rain coming!
It was a long way up and by the time we made it to the lion’s claws, it was torrential rain and a guide saved me from being blown off the cliff by the winds!
These ancient cave paintings are remarkable!
{kandy}
the last capital of the ancient kings’ era of Sri Lanka and 2nd largest city
The heart of the lotus flower is considered very sacred <3
temple of the tooth
the royal botanical gardens
This is a popular location for local couples to go on dates – so romantic!
traditional Sri Lankan dance
out and about
wood craftsman
{nuwara eliya}
a beautiful valley city with peaks and the perfect climate for green gardens and tea plantations
grow food, not lawns!
Mackwoods Labookellie tea plantation… amazing to see the process! I love tea and this is the best of the best!
Wow, I was so freaked out/fascinated when I saw this giant beetle with butterfly wings land right on our table!
Picking tea leaves is not easy work! 
never hard to find some delicious mangos!!
The Hindu temples are so incredibly detailed and beautiful!
And not too far away, the Buddhist temples are also amazing!
{maduganga river}
The inhabitants of the river islets produce peeled cinnamon and cinnamon oil. It was fascinating to watch how it’s made.
Drying cinnamon sticks- they smelled amazing!!
They use the other parts of the tree to make thatched roofs and rope.
{ yala national park }
This large area of land and ecosystems in Sri Lanka was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1900.
She came out of nowhere, it seemed. Nothing like seeing an elephant walking down the road as you are driving along. She walked alongside the jeep for awhile. I could hear her breath…soft, quiet. Inches away. This incredible sense of peace came over me and felt like it would envelope my entire being. forever. Each massive step she took was effortless, as if floating. magical. otherworldly.
Many people don’t care about chickens, but I think they are just as beautiful as any other bird! And so elegant was this one! Love!
My future home.
Thank you for checking out my blog! Special thanks to Kalum Niriella , our fantastic driver and guide in Sri Lanka and my husband, Jerrod for making this trip possible. I also have these photos and more on my online gallery. Much love and peace to all!
2 Comments
-
[...] Hong Kong, we hopped a plane to Sri Lanka, which was breaktakingly amazingly beautiful…. will work on that blog post right after some [...]
-
[...] villas and thought, “I am going there someday”. And so it happened, as our trip to Sri Lanka brought us within a mere hour and a half hour flight from this piece of heaven on earth! We arrived [...]
Write a Comment
A beautiful fairy tale wedding in the northern woods of Minnesota, where Kara and Nagib exchanged vows in a quaint little church.
I thought I’d do something different for this blog post and show the spreads from their wedding album.
I just love seeing the final keepsake that they will treasure forever and show their children.
Their eco-friendly album was created with recycled paper and a leather-free cover.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Peace and love x
Brooke
Write a Comment
Hong Kong :: { captured! }
August 18, 2012
Hi everyone! I’m playing catch-up with all my photos from last year! Sorry to keep you waiting! Here is Part One of the Far East Adventure 2011 photo journal:
Hong Kong is quite a fascinating city and interesting mix of culture and modern mixed with tradition. It was mostly modern though…so similar to New York City, it was sometimes eerie. They even have a Times Square! It is also uber clean in most areas, but then you can walk a block and be in a bad neighborhood (not unlike a lot of cities).
The Big Buddha statue was pretty awesome. Located on Lantau Island, the statue is over 110 feet high and is facing north over the Chinese people.
I loved the giant sticks of incense burning everywhere! The smell is wonderful!
A beautiful view of the islands around Hong Kong
Inside the monastery.
three buddhas
After enjoying an amazing vegetarian meal at the Po Lin Monastery, we went hiking down the Wisdom Path…
{ wisdom path }
Didn’t see much wildlife on this island, except for a peacock statue and this huge cow that broke out of the fence shortly after taking this photo and started running down the path! Run, cow, run! I swear I wasn’t in on his escape!
Heart Sutra carvings
Then back down the mountain via Ngong Ping cable car!
Back at the hotel room, the view made me want to wander around the city, exploring…
Some parts of Hong Kong are so modern and cleaner than anywhere I’ve seen in the U.S. There are signs in English and most people under 30 speak English.
I have an obsession with fruit and veggie stands in other countries….I always try something I’ve never seen before.
One block apart.
After Hong Kong, we hopped a plane to Sri Lanka, which was breaktakingly amazingly beautiful…. will work on that blog post right after some wedding photos! Thanks for checking out my photo journals. Peace, love and photography!
Write a Comment
Kruger Park, South Africa :: { captured! }
July 29, 2012
Kruger Park… so huge, so wondrous, so wild… it’s one of the largest game reserves in Africa, with the Big Five (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino & Buffalo) along with hundreds of other species of animals and birds. I captured as much as I could (with my camera, of course!) in four days of being in the bush. The wildlife here is protected from poachers and poachers have actually been shot for attempting to kill these animals. I have such a profound love for all animals and all beings on earth and strongly believe they all deserve to be wild and free and at the very least, safe from human harm! Seeing so many majestic animals in the wild made it all that more apparent to me. This is where they belong <3
We hired Dean Cherry, from Ngongo Safaris, who ended up being our private guide. It was affordable and we felt safe in the large jeep, although we did have a show-down with a giant bull elephant! (see below!) I’ve included some behind-the-scenes type photos as well as photos I’ve added an artistic touch to. Enjoy!
On our drive from Johannesburg to Kruger Park…
::somewhere mid South Africa::
entrance to Kruger Park, the sightings board, an impala outside our hut, and the hut we stayed in..
This bull elephant was looking for a fight (in breeding season). He started after the car on the other side, then turned around and started towards us. Our guide knew what to do and and charged back at him with the jeep, making a large revving noise. He backed off after that! Whew!
He was HUGE! And so close to my camera, I couldn’t zoom out anymore…my heart was pounding, that’s for sure!
- Impalas everywhere!
::peaceful road::
In some areas, the bush was over 6 feet high! Hard to spot animals…
Buffalo.
A herd of zebras and wildebeest
- ::zebra in the wild::
::majestic zebra::
It’s so fascinating that in such a small area, there were zebras, giraffes, impalas, and wildebeest coexisting.
I love elephants!
This juvenile elephant decided to do a little dance for us in the road!
::cheetah::
So many amazing birds everywhere…
::vulture::
And every once in awhile, you’ll see a rainbow of color fly by…and it’s the lilac-breasted roller. This one was a baby…awwww
::color in the sky::
A thread of hope for a kingfisher.
He was pretty proud of his catch! Poor fishie!
Hippos:: usually found sleeping or gossiping!
Crocodiles would sometimes pop out of nowhere!
Rhinoceros… One of the fascinating ways of nature is the symbiosis between animals. The birds on the rhinos clean up their wounds and eat the bugs off of them, so they both benefit.
The view from the back of the jeep and our guide, Dean, as we keep searching for more wildlife sightings!
At a rest stop… beware! Baboons will steal your food! So just don’t eat in front of them!
I could have marveled at this leopard all day. He really didn’t care that we were there.
Grysbok! This is one of my favorite animals! They can stand so still that you don’t even notice them sometimes. They just seem so mystical. Maybe I was a Grysbok in a past life.
Kudu are pretty awesome too! Just look at those markings! It’s rare to see them in the open- they really can hide.
And leave it to the amazing waterbuck to stop and kiss in the middle of the road. Gosh, everywhere I looked was something amazing! I love Africa!
An early morning Waterbuck sighting! I was love, love, loving the shadows and the beauty of this wonderful animal!
I was totally in love with the warthogs too! So funny how they have to get down on their elbows to be able to eat!
Course, I always love a fuzzy monkey!
These little monkeys were everywhere around the camp…and I couldn’t get enough of them! Little mischiefs always up to something!
or just looking completely adorable!
I mean, melt my heart!!
awww baby giraffe and mama!
more zebra and wildebeest… those wildebeest look like they should be in some science fiction movie too!
baboons just hanging out
some of these landscapes just left me in awe…
We finally came across a lion- headed straight for the jeep! He looked like he had just fought a battle, bleeding in some places, and our guide said he was most likely a rogue lion, kicked out of his pride and traveling alone. He stopped by a tree and I waited for the perfect light to get this shot…
::wild eyes::
- ::african sunset::
Thanks for checking out my blog! Check out my travel category for previous Africa photos. Next up will be photos from Sri Lanka and Galapagos Islands, so check back soon! If you are interested in prints, check out my galleries here.
And most importantly, if you think these animals are as amazing and beautiful as I do, please oppose poaching and hunting! Many of these animals are tragically being driven to extinction. Others are being taken out of the wild and put into cages or forced to entertain in circuses. They belong in the wild… beautiful and free! <3
Write a Comment
Botswana, Africa :: { captured! }
January 13, 2012
From Zimbabwe, we took a day trip to Botswana for a river cruise and land safari. I saw more awesome wildlife here in one day then I saw anywhere else in Africa or elsewhere in the world. It makes my heart beat faster just thinking about it. I’m so in love with animals. I might like them a little more than people even Although sometimes my heart gets pumping taking a photo of rust on a door…haha but I digress.
The Chobe River itself is fascinating. The wide river with sparkling blue water is an oasis and life source for multitudes of animals, and possibly the world’s largest elephant populations. I heart elephants, so I was beyond excited. I had my 500mm lens, but for the most part I didn’t even need it, since the elephants were everywhere and got REALLY close.
We started the boat cruise just enjoying the water and nature…
And then came across these White-fronted Bee-Eaters on the shore where they socialize and lay eggs…
And then! The elephants came down to the shore! They have a ritual where they cover themselves in mud, then a layer of dust to protect themselves from the sun and insects.
{ beautiful giant }
{ three’s company }
Happy hippos! (at least I hoped they were happy and not hungry…since they could easily flip over our flimsy boat! :O)
Fish eagles…
I tried FOREVER to get a good photo of one of these swallows…they were flying like 200 mph around the boat…finally got it!! Now I want a tattoo of this.
So Free…
These birds were cool too…they swim through the water like snakes…
Impala and buffalo everywhere!
These elephants swimming in the river were so amazing to watch!! They go all the way under water so you only see their trunks sticking out. Then the baby elephants were running into the water all excited and wanting to learn how to swim and they’d just topple over! LOL loved them!
Did you know giraffes cannot bend their knees? they have to spread their legs apart to reach the ground!
{head in the clouds}
Thanks for checking out my photos! Next post will be Kruger Park, South Africa!
If you missed my previous Africa posts… see here...
Also if you are interested in a print, email me at capturedbybrooke@gmail.com
Write a Comment
Zimbabwe, Africa :: { captured! }
January 2, 2012
A land of waterfalls, rainbows, elephants, monkeys, giraffes, and so much more, Zimbabwe is simply breaktaking. It’s sad to think that in such a land of beauty and wonder, that so many people there are struggling. The areas we visited are heavily dependant on tourism, however, and many people do well selling their arts & crafts.
Victoria Falls was by far the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. It took my breath away literally, and I seriously got choked up and teary-eyed. It’s heaven on earth. Absolutely amazing. Along with the feelings of awe & heart-tugging joy, I actually was nervous thinking there’s no way I could capture this through my lens and do it any justice. For one, there are other senses involved when experiencing this. The thundering sound of the falls racing over the edge of the cliffs, the feel of the mist of the water as it rising up and then trinkles down like rain, the smell of the earth and water creating such a powerful force of nature.
{ sleepy heads } : these vervet monkeys must get SO bored from watching the rainbows and waterfalls all day!
They were right behind me when I turned around after taking the photo above.
Not my best elephant photo (as you will see) – but my FIRST time seeing an elephant in the wild! At the top of the falls, no less!
At the first place we stayed at: The Kingdom. Pretty awesome place:
Jungle right outside the door. We had to keep the doors shut to keep the monkeys out. And warthogs.
….and while in Zimbabwe, I got this bill and figured I was rich…
^^^ …except Zimbabwe currency pretty much lost ALL value…this is worth about 20 cents . (I still like having one trillion dollar bill, though)
Next, we stayed for a night in a ‘tent’ at The Elephant Camp. My jaw dropped…NEVER seen a tent like this before…
It was all-inclusive, with AMAZING meals … and they made me special vegetarian meals <3
The bird watching was awesome… 
and the mama warthog with her babies…moments before she was about to attack me… 
…I ran.
Next post will be Botswana and the amazing Chobe River….lots of elephants, hippos, and more!
If you missed my previous Africa posts… see here...
Also if you are interested in a print, email me at capturedbybrooke@gmail.com
One Comment
-
[...] Zimbabwe, we took a day trip to Botswana for a river cruise and land safari. I saw more awesome wildlife [...]
Write a Comment
RAWards Semi-Finals!
November 6, 2011
I made it to the Semi-Finals thanks to your votes!
You can help me make it to the Finals and represent Minneapolis as the RAW Artist Photographer of the Year by coming to the LIVE voting showcase event at the Fine Line on Nov 17th @ 8 pm. My only chance of winning is by the votes received at the event- no online voting this time. The winners of the semi-finals from each category in each city go on to a panel of judges and the final winners get an award show at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and a gallery show in LA!
So I need YOU to come and show your support! It’s going to be an amazing show!
You will be able to vote for one person in each category(music, fashion, photography, art, hair/makeup, and more)! See link below for details
Ticket info for the show is on the RAW page:
www.rawartists.org/minneap
You can click the link to get your ticket anytime. This time prices for tickets will go up as the show date get closer so if you can make it to the show please order your tickets sooner than later. They are also general admission this time so no need to buy from my page.
Thank you all for your support and I hope to see you there!
love is real x
Brooke
One Comment
Great! What a lovely place to relax and unwind.=D