Brigid Gallagher ’99

In retrospect, it makes sense that Brigid Gallagher ’99 would become a professional photographer. “I was the unofficial ‘documentarian’ of the Class of ’99,” she says. “Everywhere I went, I was always snapping photos with my little disposable camera.”

 

Initially convinced that her path in life would lead her to be a great writer, Brigid attained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Lake Forest College and DePaul University, respectively, but had trouble finding her own unique voice. “I was reading all these great authors and was suffering from a bit of comparison envy. I decided I needed to take a break from writing, so I joined Americorps and headed out to Missoula, Montana. I soon found that my vision and my photos were saying things that I didn’t feel my writing could express at the time.”

 

Upon her return to Chicago, Brigid found that she had been infected with the photography bug, but she also didn’t really know how to make that into a career. Living in a city with such a vibrant music scene, Brigid realized that she could use her talent to kill two birds with one stone: “I really wanted to go to all of these concerts, but I didn’t have a lot of money. So, I cold-called different venues all over the city to see whether they needed a house photographer. I ended up working with three venues, which allowed me to see these amazing concerts while also building my portfolio.”

 

Brigid credits Gilmour with sparking her creativity and drive, but also her ability to form relationships with everyone she meets. “I just remember people like Frank McCamley fostering a respect for everyone in his English classes. That sort of respect allowed us to cultivate opportunities while avoiding cliques and tiers. Not to mention that I was way ahead of the game at college, both in terms of having actually enjoyed high school and in terms of what I was academically able to do.”

 

After spending more than 20 years in Chicago and being lauded for her work in the industry (she was featured in FLOOD Magazine’s “Fifty Concert Photographers From the Past and Present You Should Know” and was voted “Chicago Photographer of the Year” in the Chicago Reader), Brigid has moved back home to Cleveland Heights, both to be closer to her parents and to pursue new opportunities. “I’ve started to do more sports photography lately, and one of the cooler opportunities is that Cleveland will be getting a professional soccer team (and hopefully a women’s team, too), and I’ve signed on to do photography for them.”

 

It’s been a wild, creative and sometimes chaotic ride for Brigid, but she has advice for anyone with a passion: “Trust your inner voice. When you take a perfect shot, you know it immediately if you know what you are looking for; that feeling doesn't lie.”