Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Lotz.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a child, I would lose track of time going through my mother’s photo albums from the 60’s and 70s. I was always so moved by the photos and the stories she would share with me. She also shared with me a book called The Family of Man by Edward Steichen (1955) which is a collection of some of the most beautiful and heartbreaking photographs I’ve ever seen. It shows the candid experience of life from all around the world and still gets me choked up. Both of these experiences definitely lit a fire inside of me. I still chase that warm and nostalgic feeling from my mom’s albums and the human feeling from Steichen’s book. I try my best to capture it.
Has it been a smooth road?
I feel very fortunate to not only have grown up in Los Angeles, to be able to be an artist is such a privilege. I’ve never been able to “sit still” and the thought of getting some degree and working a 9-5 for the rest of my life has terrified me from a young age. I want to do anything and everything that I find interesting, and always feel like there’s not enough time for how many lives I want to live in this lifetime. I was always encouraged by school and family to take the path of college and secure job.
My father is an immigrant and all he has ever known is extremely hard work and business. My mom is an incredible artist, a painter, but has always felt like it was a struggle to stay afloat. I couldn’t afford art school, so I took a few classes at a community college where I was able to get some financial aid, but I felt like I was spending time and money moving toward a life that was never going to allow to happen. I decided to stop taking classes there, and put that time and effort into working and creating as much as I could.
I am self-taught and often felt inferior to those with a degree or super fancy equipment, as I am not a technical photographer. It wasn’t until maybe a year ago that I realized that what you are capturing is a lot more important than what you are using. I have since become more and more in love with what I create and having so much fun in the process of it all.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Lauren Lotz Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m a freelance photographer here in Los Angeles. 🙂 I am in love with so many subjects. I love freckles, faces, shadows, colors, plants, textiles, hands, movement, interiors, dance, emotion. My work evokes a feeling of warmth and nostalgia. I am inspired by the human experience. Feeling lost or anxious and just needing to make something, anything. Empowering and uplifting other humans.
I work with brands, bands, magazines, individual clients, etc to get their ideal visions into photos. My favorite project I’ve worked on so far is the ongoing photo series of artists in their home. I photograph creatives in their favorite clothes, in all different parts of their space and include a bunch’ a fun questions.
I’d really like to do more documentary-style photography and projects, raising awareness on subjects that move and inspire me the most. Subjects that make people uncomfortable, people need to be uncomfortable.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sunfolkmagazine.com
- Email: laurenhlotz@gmail.com
- Instagram: sunfolk
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