Laura Brooks Art
Answers provided by: Laura Brooks (she/they), Founder of Laura Brooks Art
Image of Laura Brooks (she/they), Founder of Laura Brooks Art
Introducing Laura Brooks (she/they) who creates reminders (photos) that you are worthy of being seen exactly as you are! Their work with Laura Brooks Art is rooted in the belief that every body deserves to be celebrated, every love story deserves to be documented, and every person deserves to feel at home in front of the camera. After transforming her own relationship with her body, Laura built a business that helps others do the same - with compassion, intention, and so much care. Laura, I am beyond grateful to interview you and share your incredible work with the EIQ community!
-Charlie (he/him), Founder of Everywhere Is Queer
1. Tell us about your journey. how did your queer-owned business come to life?
Image taken and provided by Laura Brooks
Laura’s first paid photography gig was when they were 12 years old for someone’s whole wedding. This is small town nonsense! Growing up, Laura felt disconnected from her body because of their queerness, intersexness, fatness, and regular ole trauma. They tried to hide or shrink for years, including avoiding being photographed. In addition to the micro experiences, Laura believes we are all inundated with messages on a new fun way to hate ourselves.
It wasn’t until they lost a friend in high school that she realized she was worried about the wrong thing. As a way to rebel against these beauty standards created in white supremacy, Laura started to take up space in photos and have changed their relationship with her body.
Now, Laura is passionate about everyone having a visual reminder in their homes that you are loved in the body that you have today. You look good enough to be remembered. And your body is good! Just as it is today.
2. What mission or values guide your work and how does being queer-owned shape that vision?
Being queer is both a political statement, a radical identity, and a personal part of Laura’s story. Their queerness also allows creativity and expansiveness to think about business outside of capitalism. Laura believes we do not need to compete because there is enough for us all.
Before starting their own business, Laura was a social worker for a decade. She wanted to merge the two. So as a business owner, they value relationships to the core. Relationships with clients and potential clients, yes. And more than that: Laura wants to pour into their community, other business owners, and folks around them whenever possible.
Image taken and provided by Laura Brooks
While there is a lot of talk about liberation and community, actions speak louder than words. Laura has partnered with nonprofits to fundraise, volunteer photography services at countless community organizations, and even created a recurring free Fat Swim with mostly fat queer folks in the Seattle area to foster community. In 2026 so far, Laura has raised over $2,000 for nonprofits in the community! Each quarter, she organizes a campaign that is both a photo session and fundraiser.
3. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other queer folks looking to start their own venture?
While it’s cliche, trust your intuition. Trust your creativity. Trust that your queerness is a strength. Trust that you have something unique to offer the community.
Your business does not have everything on a sliding scale. There is an expectation that queer, BIPOC, and/or women-owned businesses “should” be cheaper or offer sliding scale. Often, these businesses are offering something creative, emotional labor, or similar. And while accessibility is paramount, this doesn’t mean that everything you offer needs to be cheap, free or on a sliding scale. Even at the full rate, we are typically under-charging.
Laura encourages any and all queer businesses to consider offering parts of your services for sliding scale, not the whole thing. For example, you can have a limited amount of slots for sliding scale or offer a limited number of tickets at different price points. I host a professional portrait day several times a year that is pay what you can and created Fat Swim to be free. So there are several ways to connect while protecting my photography business.
Please take care of yourself while taking care of each other!
Image provided and taken by Laura Brooks
4. What does "queer joy" mean to you, and how do you create or celebrate it in your space?
Queer joy is radical because of queer disruption. Thank you for being part of this disruption that allows joy! Working with queer folks to create memories and artwork is a privilege. The giggles, planning outfits, and offering prompts to have queer folks connect in their love brings them so much joy.
Laura wants to see more aging trans folks in portraits. They want to see more aging queer couples or families in photographs. She wants to see more queer couples in their genuine and full selves in portraits! Queer joy is taking up space being fully yourself, especially outside.
5. Who are some queer creators, leaders, or businesses that inspire you right now?
In Seattle, there are endless queer creators, leaders and businesses that Laura admires. Anh Oi, led and run by Vince Vu, is a local Vietnamese-American bake shop that showcases other local AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) bakers. Puckduction, run by Pucks, is a radical neo-burlesque and cabaret production company that highlights BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) and fat performers who are too often excluded from the performance space. Lastly, Laura’s personal trainer has helped them reconnect with their body tremendously over the years. Kris with Free to B Fit offers personal training, group classes, and more.
