A peek behind the scenes of the photographer shaping the visual world of Charley Crockett.

Behind every iconic artist is a force capturing the split-second moments that define their legacy. In the realm of independent Texas country and Americana, few visual storytellers have logged more miles recently than Brooks Burris. As a fixture at Luck Reunion and an official tour photographer for Charley Crockett, Burris has developed a rare, razor-sharp intuition for documenting the raw realities of life on the road. But his journey from snapping grainy iPhone pictures in crowded Fort Worth bars to riding in the vans and tour buses of the genre's biggest heavyweights was born out of a profound love for the music, and a bold willingness to simply show up. We sat down with Brooks to pull back the curtain on what it takes to support an artist's visual brand, the delicate art of maintaining trust on tour, and the unpredictable magic of passion shooting.

Luck: Tell us a bit about how you first got your start on the scene and when your path first crossed with Charley's.

Brooks: I was lucky enough to be on the scene in Fort Worth back when Charley and Leon Bridges were hanging around the Near Southside area. It was just such a cool space for artists and musicians at the time. They were both living over there, playing different venues. In 2014, Lola’s Saloon in Fort Worth was actually my very first Charley show. At the time, I was just taking pictures with my iPhone. Later on, we officially met at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels. I’ll never forget it - I was standing there talking to a buddy of mine who wasn't actually going into the show. All of a sudden, my buddy looks over and says, "Who is this guy? Who does he think he is?" and I looked and was like, "That’s Charley!" I was bold. I went right up to him and asked if I could take pictures of him, and he was just like, "Yeah!"

He took me right over to his bus in the parking lot. He was so cool about it. He showed me all around and started posing for me in front of his bus, which happened to be Willie Nelson’s old tour bus. It was a quick five-minute shoot, but it was awesome. I met up with him afterward and bought a signed record, and he posed for me again.

Luck: It sounds like the connection was instant. How did that develop into actually getting out on the road with him?

Brooks: Well, he played at a theater not even a year later. Lonesome As a Shadow had just come out, and he was doing pretty well by then. A friend of mine happened to comment on one of Charley's Instagram posts, tagging me and asking if I was going to be at the show. I replied saying something like, "Maybe, if he needs me to take pictures." Charley saw it and literally told us to come on down! A friend of mine happened to be opening that specific show, so we joined up, and I shot all of them. Leon Bridges came out that night too, so our paths crossed yet again.

When we finally fully connected, I was out with Summer Dean, another incredible Fort Worth musician. I asked her if I could hop in her van to kick it with her and Charley and photograph the both of them together on tour. She said, "Oh yeah! Absolutely." It was a six or seven-stop run. Before we even made it to New Orleans, Charley’s manager pulled me aside. He wanted to know if they could "steal" me for the New Orleans date. Charley has deep roots in New Orleans, so we ended up just walking around the French Quarter taking pictures. We stopped by Café du Monde and watched a street band playing right where Charley himself used to play years ago. Charley went over and left the musician a generous tip. Right after that, he asked me to be on the team. He just said, "Why don’t we hire you officially?"

Up until that point, I was just shooting completely for fun. Then he offered me a real gig in 2019, right before COVID hit. Honestly, he could have had me come out for free forever because I truly have always loved his music. To be able to work that closely with him is crazy, but for him to officially hire me - that’s how it happened! For the past three or four years, his band, The Blue Drifters, have become really good buddies of mine. Charley’s camp is simply the best, and I’m incredibly privileged to be a part of it.

Luck: What would your advice be for other young, aspiring photographers who want to work their way into that kind of trusted position with an artist?

Brooks: Don't be shy. Invite yourself. I know it sounds cliché, but truly, follow who you like. I try to only shoot who I want to shoot because I really love music so much. You have to have that internal drive, it has to be something that is meant to be. Putting in the sweat equity is my absolute best advice.

Now, it’s a delicate balance, because you also want to honor other professional photographers by not just running around doing everything for free indefinitely. You must be kind and self-aware. Make sure you’re not annoying, and learn how to stay out of the way while doing good work. It’s a balance of all of that, alongside being hungry and shooting what you actually want to shoot. When you shoot something you love, you pop off extra shots out of excitement. There is something real to be said about passion shooting.

Luck: That trust you’ve built with Charley's camp is so evident in the photos. How do you keep an artist vulnerable and comfortable when a camera is always around?

Brooks: A lot of it comes down to doing a lot of listening and saying yes. We share a great common thread in our love for all the Texas greats - that's an influence we really bond over. Knowing the same people and coming from the same places naturally builds a strong bond. It’s about communicating and just being real. Don’t ask for a lot, and make sure you're not oversharing. There are no secrets out here - just be cool!

You have to operate on a real level and be a genuine friend. It's a fine balance between friendship and business. Going out and spending time together that isn't related to work is huge. You have to know when to put the camera down and just be present in the room. You don't always have to shoot every single thing. When you add all those variables together, a pure love for the music is what it’s all about.

Luck: How is the visual branding controlled with an artist like Charley? Is it mainly artist-led, or is there a large creative team dictating the aesthetic?

Brooks: It’s definitely evolved over the years as he’s progressed as an artist. Charley has always been so cool about granting creative freedom; it’s a common understanding between us. I show all of the shots to him first to see what he likes and decide what is best for his brand. Early on, the traditional directing aspect of photography wasn't necessarily my strongest suit, but Charley already possesses such a great look and distinct personal style. I was easily able to fall into place and collaborate by blending his vision with mine. It becomes a mix of location, opportunity, and adjusting to lighting variables.

Over time, Charley has remained very hands-on, and his wife has such an amazing creative vision too. I love talking to her about creative directing. It is a full, collaborative effort. He really loves a freestyle aspect to his shoots, and we’ve found a great flow together. He’s an incredibly busy guy, so having a seamless flow is essential.

Luck: Tell us a bit about what a typical day in the life on tour looks like for you.

Brooks: You don't want to overthink it. Some of our absolute best stuff comes from completely organic moments. I’ve had success with scouting out specific locations, but honestly, some of our best shots happen just a couple of blocks around whatever venue we are playing that night. After soundcheck, we’ll just go out and walk around the neighborhood. Now, it’s admittedly getting a little harder as he gets recognized by people more and more, but we still find those moments.

Like when we were in Billings, Montana - the streets were completely empty, and it was snowing. There were these abandoned casino backdrops, and it looked amazing. After we shoot, we have dinner and just talk music. If we have time before the show, we go right back out! Sometimes we get so carried away on our walks that we shoot right up until showtime. That’s our tour game plan. If he has a radio interview scheduled during the day, we may use that as an excuse to go out again. We have a rental car now, so having wheels to get to further locations has opened up more opportunities, but being on foot directly around the venue is really nice, too.

Brooks Burris & Family with Charley Crockett

Luck: What do you think fans would be surprised to know about the actual effort that goes into building and maintaining a consistent look?

Brooks: I just find myself incredibly fortunate to be along for the ride. Nothing in this business is guaranteed, so I look at every single opportunity I get as something special. After I come off a tour and reset at home, coming back to the next run with a fresh perspective is really important to me. Charley is authentic. He’s real. He’s cool. What you see is exactly what you get with him - he’s just him. There are no secrets or surprises.

When I'm out there, I’m always focused on work. I am a friend, and I am a fan, but primarily I’m there to capture the moment. I put a lot of pressure on myself to produce the absolute best work I can. It’s about staying current and never getting complacent. It’s important to keep improving and evolving right alongside Charley.

Luck: Looking back at your time on the road since 2019, what is the biggest takeaway you’ve learned from touring with Charley?

Brooks: This is actually the very first artist I’ve ever toured with, so being able to cut my teeth with the absolute best has been incredibly humbling. Growing with him has been amazing - learning the ropes from load-in to load-out and experiencing life on the road. Before this, I had never seen any of that behind-the-scenes world. Combining touring with photography was able to happen very organically for me, seeing firsthand how the system works behind the curtain. I never took a single lesson when it came to photography; everything has been entirely self-taught. It all just happened so fast!

Again, I'm just happy to be along for the ride. There’s no other artist that has pushed me to grow quite like him. Seeing all of those pieces come together on tour is wild. Rolling with the punches and using the variables as a tool is the greatest thing I’ve learned.

A Conversation with Brooks Burris

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