About
Owner and Photographer Michael L. Browns
Photography by the Browns has a long standing history and tradition in Centerville, Iowa. The studio's customer files date back to 1927. There are still people who remember the studio when it was named "Bratz Studio". Since the time the studio went into operation, over 50,000 clients have been photographed. There are very few professional portrait studios in Iowa or for that matter, in the entire country, with such a long history.
The studio has experienced and embraced every change in photographic techniques, styles and changes in technology over the years.
The early days of black and white film and paper as well as glass negatives were very exciting and produced some of the most beautiful images. Those days included adding color to black and white images. For these beautiful color images, the studio used the services of a "color artist" who used transparent colored oils to transform a black and white image into beautiful color. The use of transparent oils can still be found today but the technique has almost become a lost art.
During the late 1950s the advent of "direct color" photography came along and portrait photography would change once again. In the early days of color photography, there were portrait photographers who thought color film and paper was a "passing fad" and would not last. Oh how wrong they were.
In the year 2000, the studio moved into what is the most exciting time in portrait photography, the digital age. Film has not been used since that time. Today's portraits are printed by a professional photo lab on Fujicolor Crystal Archive Professional portrait paper on state of the art digital printers.
Producing custom copies and restorations of old photographs is one of the many additional and very important services provided here at Photography by the Browns.
In addition to portraiture and other forms and styles of professional photography, the studio is also a custom framing shop. In addition to custom framing, the studio offers ready-made/stock frames in standard print sizes.
Thank you for stopping by and learning a little bit about Photography by the Browns.
The studio has experienced and embraced every change in photographic techniques, styles and changes in technology over the years.
The early days of black and white film and paper as well as glass negatives were very exciting and produced some of the most beautiful images. Those days included adding color to black and white images. For these beautiful color images, the studio used the services of a "color artist" who used transparent colored oils to transform a black and white image into beautiful color. The use of transparent oils can still be found today but the technique has almost become a lost art.
During the late 1950s the advent of "direct color" photography came along and portrait photography would change once again. In the early days of color photography, there were portrait photographers who thought color film and paper was a "passing fad" and would not last. Oh how wrong they were.
In the year 2000, the studio moved into what is the most exciting time in portrait photography, the digital age. Film has not been used since that time. Today's portraits are printed by a professional photo lab on Fujicolor Crystal Archive Professional portrait paper on state of the art digital printers.
Producing custom copies and restorations of old photographs is one of the many additional and very important services provided here at Photography by the Browns.
In addition to portraiture and other forms and styles of professional photography, the studio is also a custom framing shop. In addition to custom framing, the studio offers ready-made/stock frames in standard print sizes.
Thank you for stopping by and learning a little bit about Photography by the Browns.