Conversations with Lauren Johnson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Johnson

Hi Lauren, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story starts as a young girl growing up in San Jose, California. My parents loved using their Polaroid Impulse Autofocus camera to take photos of me after a softball game, or send me photos of the family and our cat while I was away at summer camp, but they didn’t use it as often anymore. I expressed interest in it, and they taught me how to use it. I loved how I could instantly see the photo I took and it was a tangible memory. I would take photos of my friends or anything I found remotely interesting, having no real sense of photography as an art but rather something that brought me joy. My mom loved taking photos of every single family event and was not satisfied with the photos that her phone could take. So one year, my brother and I pooled together our money and bought our mom a shiny red Canon Powershot for Christmas. She loved it and immediately started taking photos that day. I wanted to learn how all the settings worked so I could know but also to help my mom be able to utilize everything. My parents saw how interested I was in this tiny (but mighty) point and shoot, and decided to surprise me with a Nikon D50 as a high school graduation gift. I was so happy and I used that thing to death. I ended up buying another digital camera a few years later – the latest and greatest in mirrorless technology – the Sony a6000. I was taking photos and videos every single day. But something felt off and I wasn’t sure why. I wasn’t feeling satisfied with the process. It was almost TOO instant. I wanted more out of my personal experience with the cameras. When I was in my early 20s, my grandfather gave me his old Nikon F2 cameras. I tinkered with them and wasn’t able to get the shutter or advance to work so I gave up after a few days of trying. Remembering that I had those, I put down the Sony and revisited those two. I followed Youtube tutorials on how to take apart cameras and fix things that could be causing issues, to no avail. I then made it my mission to find another film camera somehow. One day, I went to my favorite thrift store and found a Minolta x7000 with a bag, all the original manuals and a flash….for $45. I could not pass this up. I immediately purchased it and I learned my way around that camera for years after. As soon as I felt comfortable using it, I needed more. I went to my local Mike’s Camera and found a Minolta Dynax 800si. It looked more like a digital camera and had a lot of automatic settings, but I looked it up and the reviews on the photos it produced were great so of course I bought it. I used this camera more than I used my Nikon D50. I took it with me on every trip out of the house. Walking my dog around the neighborhood? Brought my Minolta. Meeting up with a friend for a coffee? Brought my Minolta. We were attached at the hip; I truly went nowhere without it. This started a huge uptick in my camera collecting. Not even 2 years later, I had accumulated 3 SX-70s, a Canonet from my dad, a Polaroid Sun 600 from the thrift, tons of unusable (albeit very cool looking) old cameras from vintage shops all over California, 2 110 cameras from my mom, 3 film point and shoots, a few old rangefinders from Yashica (thanks Jacynda and Val!!!!) and Canon, a TLR, a Mamiya645, a Hasselblad, a 4×5, peel apart pack film cameras and have been borrowing some 8×10 cameras! On top of all that….I had figured out the very simple fix for my grandfather’s cameras. Of course…they just needed new batteries. Now, present day, I still have most of these cameras (plus a few more!) and the collecting just never stops. I have shot weddings with these very cameras. I have done work for musical artists such as Chaka Khan, Michael McDonald, Aloe Blacc, Teddy Swims. I have worked with brands like Google, Gorewear, and incredible designers from the Philippines like Alegría Studios, Balay Ni Atong, Natalya Lagdameo, Neil Felipp, Filip+Inna and more. I have also been featured in magazines such as PAPER, Analog Forever and Pamplemousse. Little barely even 10 year old me never would have thought that this is where I would be today. Not many things in life bring me as much joy and satisfaction as shooting film. I feel like this is what I was meant to do. And it all started with an old Polaroid camera.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As artists, we have this tendency to doubt our art and feel like we aren’t adequate enough or start comparing our work and success to other peoples’. This has been one of the biggest struggles for me. Going through phases of major self-doubt followed by affirmation of my talent and my worth. I appreciate my close friends and partner for always believing in me and reminding me when I get down on myself. Without them, I probably would have given up a long time ago. I owe a lot to them.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in film photography specifically! I am focusing a lot on portraiture and story-telling at the moment. I am loving being able to document people in their lives and share their stories. I have had many people tell me my photos are dreamy and being a pisces, there is no better compliment! I think at this moment I am most proud of not giving up. Even through my doubts, I pushed forward. I have been able to experience some incredible things I would not have otherwise if I had given up on photography. I think what sets me apart from others is my love for getting to know my subjects on a more personal level and conveying that through the photos I take of them. It is so important to me to make sure the people I photograph are comfortable and feel like they can be their authentic selves around me.

How do you think about happiness?
Food. I love food so much. Specifically cheese and carbs. I might be able to live off of cheese and bread for the rest of my life. Matcha tonics. Waking up feeling completely and truly rested. Reading new books. Rewatching my favorite shows. My dog, Timmy. A hot shower after a long day. Meeting new people. When my partner remembers something small about me that I told him one time. Supporting my friends’ art/dreams. These are the things in life that keep me going. With how grim the future appears lately, it’s important to me to grasp on to the little things that bring joy to my life and recognize how impactful they are.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laurenmarcellephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenmarcelle

Image Credits
Lauren Marcelle (me)