Brianna was born and raised in Nebraska and became interested in photography in elementary school when her art teacher gave her a camera to document their fifth grade class.
After college she interned at the Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, Florida and the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, VA. She was hired by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram in 2016 and moved to Maine where she quickly fell in love with photographing the people and places in our beautiful state.
She’s been awarded by the Hearst Journalism Awards Program, Society of Professional Journalists and in 2020 received the MacGregor Fiske Award for early-career journalists in New England.
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PublishedFebruary 15, 2021
In photos: Ice, an otherworldly beauty
Love it or hate it, winter is here, in all its icy glory. When you are freezing outside – your feet like stone, your fingers like marble – consider the miracle of ice. Water, liquid and gas, made solid. Look closely and you’ll find its otherworldly beauty.
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PublishedFebruary 8, 2021
In photos: Mittens and Mainers, what’s not to love?
Warm woolen mittens are one of our favorite things, and they got special attention when Sen. Bernie Sanders wore them, sitting in a folding chair looking grumpy, at President Biden’s inauguration. Sanders’ mien and mittens, in the photo by photographer Brendan Smialowski, went viral, making the Twitter universe, and many others, happy for many cold winter days. The mittens were famously given to Sanders by Vermonter Jen Ellis, a former Mainer. Ellis learned to sew at Mahoney Middle School in South Portland, taught by home economics teacher Jeannette Collett. Here are a few Mainers with their mittens, including Collett, who is wearing her very own pair of Jen Ellis mittens.
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PublishedDecember 21, 2020
In photos: Lighting up the night
The winter solstice, the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, takes place at 5:02 a.m. Dec. 21. The long nights of a pandemic have been made beautiful, though, with holiday lights throughout our cities and towns. Many people put their displays up earlier than usual this year as a way to bring joy and help dispel the gloom of a difficult year. Press Herald photographers recorded some of the colorful beauty.
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PublishedNovember 30, 2020
In photos: Mainers talk about what they’re grateful for
Thanksgiving is over, but being thankful doesn’t have to end with the holiday. Despite the hardships of the coronavirus pandemic, finding reasons to be grateful can help make our lives better. Research has shown that gratitude can have health benefits, from sleeping better, to feeling less stress and more contentment. Throughout November, Press Herald Staff Photographer Brianna Soukup recorded images of Mainers who told her what they are thankful for.
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PublishedNovember 16, 2020
In photos: The week COVID-19 surged in Maine
It’s been predicted since the beginning of the pandemic, and last week it was clear as the number of coronavirus infections grew sharply.
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PublishedNovember 9, 2020
In photos: A look back at historic Election Day 2020 in Maine
Press Herald photographers fanned out to record voters and candidates in an election that saw a record turnout.
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PublishedOctober 12, 2020
Maine trees, burning bright
The glowing yellows, oranges and reds of autumn in Maine
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PublishedSeptember 21, 2020
Apple-picking time, a fall tradition in Maine, has arrived
An apple a day really can help keep the doctor away, and even during a pandemic, apple picking can be a healthy outdoor activity, with masks and precautions in place.