Born in San Francisco in 1955, Jeff Brouws is a self taught photographer that focuses mainly on landscapes and photos of buildings. At the age of 13, he began pursuing photography by taking photos of railroads and places where construction was taken place. Brouws' photographs are compared to the documentary work of the Farm Security Administration for his exploration of many everyday themes. In 1987, he started a carnival series of photographs that were displayed in the form of Lightjet prints. These prints displayed his use of bold colors and long exposures to create an eery, abandoned feeling. Brouws uses a Hasselblad, as well as a Mamiya, with Fuji Superia 100 film to get the beautiful details in his images. One concept consistent in his images is the horizon line, which is usually kept 1/3 of the way down the photo.
Brouws has explored many different themes throughout his career as a photographer that always tell a story about the nation's character. One of the main things that he relies on is the idea that what he is photographing is already made for him. This means that all he has to do is find the perfect set up for his camera to create the image he wants. From his series, Inside the Live Reptile Tent, Brouws photographs the vibrant energy that comes form carnivals using the lights available around him. Some of the other themes that he explores are abandoned manufacturing sites, poor housing, unused public spaces left behind by the effects of de-industrialization, white flight, disinvestment, failed urban policy and overall societal neglect.
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