About Hoosier Brand

Hoosier Brand Magazine curates small-town Indiana content through documentary-style photography, essays, stories, and art.

"Our mission is to connect readers with Indiana’s small towns through compelling photography and authentic storytelling."

Vision

"To become the premier publisher dedicated to preserving the character of Indiana’s people, work, stories, and culture."

My name is Garrett Beatty. My work as a photographer began when I received a Nikon camera one Christmas. With encouragement from my family, I became passionate about taking photographs. My older cousin shared his love of photography with me and introduced me to the work of legends like Ansel Adams, Joel Meyerowitz, Robert Frank, and Robert Capa.

Since I was a teenager, all I ever wanted to be was a photojournalist. I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures and learning about people’s lives and work. My mom supported my passion in every way. She took my family and me to see The Americans by Robert Frank when it passed through Newfields in Indianapolis. She also took us to see Steve McCurry’s presentation of the last roll of Kodachrome at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York.

In 2011, a photo I took of an Amish man at the White River Valley Antique Association festival in Elnora, Indiana, was selected as an "Editor’s Pick" in an online photo contest. As a native Hoosier, I’ve spent years approaching people across Indiana and asking if I could take their portraits. These moments now make up much of my portfolio. Through different jobs and college life, photography has always remained important to me. I’ve collected photo books and coffee-table books for years — they inspire me and remind me of why I do this work.

In addition to photography and people’s stories, I love my home state and its history. "Hoosier," to me, means small towns and the people who keep them going — the bait shop owner, the school bus driver, the festival volunteer, the independent restaurant owner, the county historian, the machine operator, the schoolteacher. These are the people I want to document and preserve. Their lives and their mark on their communities deserve to be remembered.

When I looked into other independent magazines like Mountain Gazette and Summit Journal, I was inspired. They brought dead magazine brands back to life — back to print — and gave people something worth saving. Like them, I wanted to create a premium publication with minimal advertising, something collectible and lasting, focused on real stories and real people.

Hoosier Brand Magazine aims to deliver stories straight from Indiana’s overlooked and often forgotten towns — to your inbox, your feed, and your mailbox.