Neil Brake
Longtime Vanderbilt photographer Neil Brake died Tuesday, Nov. 4, at his home in Franklin, Tenn. He was 47.
Mr. Brake was an award-winning photographer who had worked at Vanderbilt for eight years, first in the University’s Creative Services, before moving last year to the Medical Center's Office of News and Public Affairs.
Before that, he had worked at several newspapers and freelanced for wire agencies, including the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. His work was published in several books, as well as in Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Life, The New York Times, USA Today, and Runners World. He also won numerous awards from the Alabama Press Association and The Associated Press for his photography, and was named Photographer of the Year in 2001 by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for his Vanderbilt photographs.
Mr. Brake was a native of England who became a U.S. citizen in 1976. He is survived by his wife, Becky, daughter, Brandi, and stepson, Bradley Steward.