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Brooke Mayo Continued from page 11.
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rooke Mayo will tell you that her career as a photographer started with dogs. She actually had an interest in dogs longer than photography, but a series of dog portraits from her uncle really piqued her interest in capturing dog’s moments with a camera. “Combining the best of both worlds; photography and dogs, has allowed me to grow as an artist.” After studying photography at Appalachian State University and The University of Western Sydney in Australia, Mayo worked with Joyce Tenneson and Lois Greenfield in New York City. Traveling to some of the most fascinating places on earth allowed her to gain experience and solidify a love of photography. During this time, Mayo also realized that her childhood home was a place she wanted to call “home” again, and moved to North Carolina’s Outer Banks in 2003. Brooke Mayo has been photographing weddings, portraits and dogs for more than six years and is recognized as one of the Outer Banks’ leading photojournalists. She is currently producing an underwater art book called, Diving Doggies: A Celebration of Dogs at Play, which documents “diving dogs” at play. Brooke is also offering destination doggie shoots, traveling around the country photographing dogs on land and underwater.
While a major part of Mayo’s photography business is weddings, it’s the “Underwater Dogs” project that truly captures her heart. “I thrive on the unseen moments underwater, those few precious seconds that are missed observing playtime above water. Taking my camera below the surface of the water allowed me to explore another world that creates so much joy for dogs.” Mayo lives in North Carolina’s Outer Banks with her husband John Wright, a winemaker and her dogs Weebler and Biskers.