What is Lauryn Sophia Photography?

Lauryn Sophia Photography, I suppose, is what I'm titling my journey through life with a camera.

What inspired you to become a photographer?

For two years leading up to my interest in making photos, I worked full time as a photographer's model. Most of my modeling took place in photo workshops around the country and in parts of New England. Full disclosure: By the time the two years of modeling had rolled around I was so sick of seeing ill composed and or poorly lit photos of myself at bad angles that I decided I could just as easily take photos of myself that I might like more. So I bought a tripod and used my first camera to compose self-portraits. After a few months of modeling for my own photos, I got sick of that and decided to branch out. I found a Facebook friend who'd just had a new baby. I essentially cold called this woman and asked her if I could come to her home to photograph her new born son and thus began my love of photography. I was instantly and absolutely obsessed. Still am.

"I bought a tripod and used my first camera to compose self-portraits."-LSH .. 'Therefore by the graces of god' -a photographer was born. — "I bought a tripod and used my first camera to compose self-portraits."-LSH .. 'Therefore by the graces of god' -a photographer was born.

What are one challenge and one lesson you have learned from your experience of being a freelance photographer?

Challenge: Being an artist is in equal parts rewarding and a delightful platter emotional self-sabotage and existential dread.

One thing that I've learned is that everyone, no matter who they are, what they look like, where they came from, what they do, or how much money they make, every single person in this world is insecure about something. And for better or for worse a camera tends to bring that out in people. The lesson in this is that it is of so much importance that I conduct myself with compassion and patience for these people who are hiring or otherwise willing to allow me to carry even the tiniest piece of them with me for the rest of my life.

What are your top two most memorable LSP photo shoots?

This is such a deliciously tricky question. I don't think I could site specific shoots that were more profound than others rather than moments in shoots that really stand out. I remember last summer I photographed a wedding in Searsport on the water, the couple were lovely, the guests were lovely, the energy was lovely. What stood out was this one moment in the heat of the reception, I was standing in front of the band where the bride and the father of the bride shared a microphone, and at the top of their lungs, in front of 150 sweaty, smiling, dancing guests, they sang Wagon Wheel. I swear it happened in slow motion, everything in the entire world stood still and for this moment these people were completely and totally happy and absolutely nothing was wrong. And there I was, young, dumb, and in charge of documenting this one, fleeting, precious moment where these people, if for only seconds, were able to forget that there was suffering in the world. I suppose the another moment I can recall is really simple, I was at a photo shoot with a mother and son, in one moment the mom threw her son over her shoulder to carry him and I took a photo, the photo was good, I checked the photo on my camera and said to myself "Oh my god, I'm getting better"

If you could photograph any 1 person in the entire world, who would it be and why?

This is a terrible question! There are 7.5 billion people in this world. I probably haven't even heard of the one person I would most love to photograph.

What is your favorite inspirational/motivational quote?

"If you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree it will spend it's whole life believing that it's stupid"

Ok maybe that's not my favorite quote but it's pretty good.

In one word, describe yourself:

Seeker