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Smiling man wearing sunglasses and pink shorts relaxing on a colorful inflatable ring in a swimming pool.
Black and white photo of a tattooed person with spiked hair and a sleeveless knit top standing with arms crossed in front of a wall filled with framed photographs and a dress form covered in vines.
Three stylish young women posing for a selfie while sitting and standing on a black Discovery car in a city street lined with trees and buildings.
Woman with large afro wearing leopard-print jacket and sunglasses, singing into a microphone while holding a phone.
Man wearing round sunglasses and a bucket hat sipping a pink drink from a mason jar by a sunny pool.
Smiling man in a dark suit jacket dancing joyfully at a festive holiday party with people and decorated tables in the background.
Two women lying face down on sun loungers wearing red swimwear under a clear blue sky with green trees in the background.
Smiling woman wearing red sunglasses, a checkered bucket hat, and a striped shirt under bright blue sky.
Person wearing a beanie, jacket, and sneakers standing on a wet street at night with green streetlights reflecting on the pavement.
Man wearing a fedora hat, denim jacket, and vest standing inside a subway train holding a metal handle.
Person wearing large sunglasses, multiple pearl necklaces, pearl earrings, and a black top holding a small red chili pepper.
Person wearing multicolored Nike Air Max sneakers standing in front of a colorful vertical pipe wall.
Man wearing a brown hat, denim jacket, and blue jeans leaning against a brick wall with one leg raised.
Person wearing white high-top Nike sneakers with colorful zigzag swoosh and olive green corduroy pants against a red and blue background.
Man in a blue jacket and gray beanie sitting on the ground against a vibrant blue and red geometric wall.

Brit Phelan’s PhoTOGRAPHY reveals storytelling in its pure, unguarded form.

She looks for vulnerability in her work, creating stories that are both personal and universally understood. Her ongoing project, Be The Real, spotlights people living as their most authentic selves through portraiture and film. The series lives as a photo book and video archive at bethereal.com. It reflects Brit’s ability to create layered, grounded work designed to connect. Past collaborators include Apple, State Farm, Men's Wearhouse, and White Claw. 

Be The Real

Be The Real is an ongoing portrait series exploring how individuality can exist alongside community. Each subject is photographed as they are, without performance or polish, and paired with a short video accessible through a QR code inside the book. Together, the portraits and films create an intimate record of people who feel deeply rooted in themselves while being held by the communities around them.

At its core, Be The Real is about acceptance. The belief that we should not have to become someone else in order to be loved. This series is Brit Phelan’s way of finding and building a community that lives by that truth.

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Film + TV
Independent, Brit Phelan
brit@britphelan.com
Commercials
Good Times, Eric McCasline
eric@itsgoodtimes.com
Photography
Good Times, Corwin Carrol
corwin@itsgoodtimes.com
Creative Studio
Little Known, Hannah Schalles
hannah@littleknown.com
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