James Brosher Photography

Portfolio website for James Brosher, a Bloomington, Indiana based editorial and wedding photographer specializing in action, documentary, and portrait images.

James Brosher

Indiana University President Pamela Whitten

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to make a few portraits of Indiana University President Pamela Whitten for the cover of the Indiana University Alumni Magazine. Whitten was in town for meetings before officially taking office, giving us a chance to snag her for a quick six-minute photo shoot. My colleague Chris Meyer and I worked with folks from the magazine to scout locations that morning, allowing us to quickly run her through four different “looks” near the front entrance of the Indiana Memorial Union. To light President Whitten I used a Flashpoint (Godox) XPLOR 600 fired into a Westcott 7-foot Parabolic Umbrella, a pandemic lighting gear purchase that has quickly become my go-to modifier because of the soft, wrap-around light it creates.

Indiana University President-Elect Pamela S. Whitten poses for a portrait outside the Indiana Memorial Union at IU Bloomington on Thursday, May 6, 2021. (James Brosher/Indiana University)
Indiana University President-Elect Pamela S. Whitten poses for a portrait outside the Indiana Memorial Union at IU Bloomington on Thursday, May 6, 2021. (James Brosher/Indiana University)
See more photos

Indianapolis by drone

In recent months, I have had a few opportunities to drone in downtown Indianapolis. This is thanks in part to my work as a photographer for Indiana University as well as in a freelance capacity.

The White River flows past the downtown Indianapolis skyline on a summer evening on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. (Photo by James Brosher)
See more photos

IU dedicates newly-constructed Mies van der Rohe building

Earlier this month, Indiana University formally dedicated a building based on designs by legendary modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Mies originally designed the structure in 1952 to be a fraternity house for the Alpha Theta chapter of Pi Lambda Phi. The fraternity abandoned the project and the little-known designs were largely forgotten. In 2013, Sidney Eskenazi, a former member of the fraternity, related the story to IU President Michael A. McRobbie, kicking off a search for the designs. The search uncovered the designs and eventually led to the building’s construction thanks in large part to a $20 million gift to the school from Sidney and Lois Eskenazi. Once completed this fall, the approximately 10,000-square-foot building will be a shared facility for the IU Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design.

Architect Dirk Lohan, second from right, gestures as he tours the courtyard of a building designed originally by his grandfather, architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, before its dedication at Indiana University Bloomington on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (James Brosher/Indiana University)
A student walks past the site of a new Architecture building originally designed by Mies van der Rohe at Indiana University Bloomington on Monday, April 12, 2021. (James Brosher/Indiana University)
See more photos

Indiana University commencements

When we started planning our team’s coverage of Indiana University’s commencement ceremonies back in March, I challenged my colleagues to “photograph the weird”. Things are weird. Document it. Document the history. My unit’s primary focus is marketing, but I have felt a big, self-assigned responsibility since the beginning of the pandemic to make sure our 200-year-old university’s history is captured. After all, I don’t anticipate much of a shelf life for marketing photos featuring masks and social distancing if the pandemic ends.

I photographed five commencement ceremonies this year. After two ceremonies here in Bloomington, I traveled to IU regional campuses in Kokomo, South Bend and Gary. The ceremonies were held without audience members in attendance making for a striking visual component to each ceremony. Commencement is arguably a university’s most important ritual – and typically one of the most photographed. By documenting it this year I hope my photos will stand in contrast to those taken in “normal times”.

See more photos

2021 Little 500

What a strange yet somewhat normal day. It was strange because the Little 500 was in May instead of April. It was strange because both races were on the same day. It was strange because the stadium was devoid of fans and eerily quiet – so much so that I could hear riders talking to each other on the track over a constant hum of cicadas. Yet it was kind of normal. It felt normal to go somewhere in real life. It felt normal to make pictures. It felt normal to work with my colleagues as a team. I would imagine this sentiment is common as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it struck me how profoundly odd the day was.

The Little 500 is arguably my favorite thing to photograph at Indiana University. I’m always drawn to the action, the moments and especially the vibrant colors of the event. As a student, I photographed the race (poorly) a few times and always wanted another crack at it after college. This year marked my fifth year photographing the race for IU – the first one I had captured since 2018.

Delta Gamma riders celebrate after winning the Women’s Little 500 at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. (James Brosher/Indiana University)
JETBLACH senior Robert Krahulik reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the Men’s Little 500 at Bill Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. (James Brosher/Indiana University)
See more photos