LUSK – A picture is worth a thousand words, and while photographer Hailey Bruegger speaks humbly about her craft, her talent speaks volumes.

Bruegger was the featured artist during a reception, in her honor, at Niobrara County Library on Thursday, February 7.

The wall was covered in different genres of photography from nature to portraiture, although action shots are a forte for the young artist. 

When asked what peeked peaked her interest in photography, Bruegger responded that her mother, Traci Bruegger, always had a camera around the house. She received her first camera while in middle school. By the time she was in high school she began taking photos at sporting events. “It just progressed into a hobby of mine,” Bruegger said. She tries to carry her camera with her to catch those special moments, although that is not always the case. In a pinch, she has been known to use the camera on her phone.

Photography is something that she would like to do more of, but finishing her final semester of college and obtaining her degree in geology and GIS, mapping, fills a lot of her time.

Practice is the advice she would offer to others interested in this art. 

“I’m not as good as I hope to be one day, but I’ve definitely improved,” she said. She also credits taking photos of things that she enjoys. Horses, sports and photographs of geology trips are just some of the subjects she has captured. “It is a lot easier to take pictures of something you enjoy and excited about. There are some pictures that I knew even before I put them on my computer, that they were great pictures. And I was so excited,” Bruegger said.

While Bruegger has done senior and family portraits, her eye for capturing action, whether it be a rodeo or basketball game, is an obvious gift. The majority of the photos she chose for this exhibition are examples of this category and most of them have been taken with her camera of choice, Cannon.

Bruegger’s artwork will be on display through the month of February at the Niobrara
County Library.