Meet Brianne Wills

“Originally from Portland, Oregon, BriAnne has lived in Prague, Ukraine & Shanghai for the past few years. She moved to NYC last year with her husband, and is currently working as a fashion photographer. She is also the creator of Girls and Their Cats. ”

♫ LISTEN TO brianne'S PLAYLIST

*Top, Courtshop ; Jeans, American Apparel ; Shoes, Vagabond*

on her morning routine

I wake up at 8 AM on the dot because that is the compromise I made with my cats and if I sleep in one minute longer I will hear about it. Then I make a cup of tea and check my emails, then yoga. I usually don’t have to be anywhere (unless I have a fashion shoot) until early afternoon so I have the luxury of staying in my pajamas until 11 AM.

on starting out

I started taking photos in college because my roommates were both art majors and they were always working on enviable projects. I wanted to get in on the fun. My dad is also a photographer and he had given me an old Canon 35mm that I played around with. Once I started I couldn’t stop. And it wasn’t long before my hobby turned into a side job and then a career.

on her favorite cameras

I love film. I would shoot everything with film if it weren’t so expensive. Many of those cameras were gifts from loved ones or just fun ones I picked up for travel. Each one was used during a particular period in my life and has special meaning. They are all film save for the Canon 5D II.

on her project

Girls and Their Cats started as a way to meet people, network, and work on something creative when I moved to Brooklyn last year. Originally I thought I would do a series of nudes, but when I was photographing my first nude subject I took a few shots of her and her cat, which ended up being my favorites. I decided that was the direction I wanted to take - photographing girls with their cats - because it was more interesting and hadn’t been done before.

on her beauty routine

I almost never wear makeup during the day. Just a little lotion. It’s usually when I go out that I will take the time to do my makeup. Even then it’s pretty basic: lotion, Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint, liner, Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara, Xtreme Lashes Long Lasting Brow Pen, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. Now that I have bangs I don’t have to worry too much about my brows. Once a week I will do the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Deep Pore Cleansing. If I have a break out I use the Radha tea tree oil. It works wonders. I also use Moroccanoil Root Boost, De La Cruz Avocado Oil, and Saffron Seed Nutrient Cream Wild Carrot Herbal Cream.

on her shopping habits and style

I hate shopping so I rarely go. If I happen to be out and about, I will pop into vintage shops and hunt for treasures. I would say my aesthetic is comfy, casual, cool because I walk so much. I hate wearing anything restricting or difficult to break in. I try to avoid shopping fast fashion.

“I am trying to transition to chemical-free beauty products so a lot of what I use is all natural. It’s tough to find that in makeup though. There aren’t enough regulations in the beauty industry. It can be scary.”

— on her beauty products