Life & Work with Eliza Ladensohn of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eliza Ladensohn

Hi Eliza, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started out as a fashion designer, launching and running my own women’s underwear line, Sloane & Tate here in LA. I achieved success with it – I was featured in Vogue, carried in Barneys, and worn by celebrities like Miley Cyrus in Rolling Stone. However, I was left longing for more. I wanted that feeling where you can’t wait to jump out of bed, because you love what you do so much. I did some real soul searching and realized that my favorite days at work were on the set of the campaign photo shoots. I loved creative directing and putting the team together. I loved seeing the images in my head come to life. I loved the excitement that comes from the collaboration of everyone working together to bring the vision into reality. I realized – I want to be a photographer! Oh and also, I need to learn how to use a camera!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My parents were both photographers for their college newspapers. My grandmother was a fashion illustrator – before there were fashion photos in magazines like Vogue, they used fashion illustrations. Photography has always been all around me, but I just wasn’t ready to see it. I found photography and photography found me exactly when the time was right. I needed to learn the lessons of what I wanted and how I wanted to do things. I had to become who I am today to navigate to where I want to go. When I realized what I wanted to do, I didn’t know how to get there. How do I become a photographer? I knew that my experience in fashion and my background of having been on the client side would serve me well. But photography is a technical skill that must be learned, and practiced, and honed. So, I started taking classes wherever I could find them. I started learning how to do it, just the same way I had taught myself how to design clothing. Once I started shooting, I knew this felt different from anything I had ever done before. I wanted to do it all the time and to live in that world where it was me and my camera and the model and the crew. It was a leap of faith, but the certainty and passion I’ve felt since I’ve started down this path have been unparalleled.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a fashion and portrait photographer. I love shooting for brands, as well as photographing visual artists, musicians, writers and other creative people. I’m known for my studio and outdoor high contrast black and white photos, but I also enjoy playing with color too. I’m drawn to the themes of androgyny, archetypes, powerful women, minimalism, as well as the tensions between high and low, modern and traditional.

For me it’s all about the people, it’s all about the moment. It’s about the magic that happens when I am entrusted to create something new, something that has never existed – whether it’s with another artist who I get to photograph or for a brand that is choosing me to help bring their vision to life. It’s truly the most fulfilling experience. Once you’ve photographed someone there is a special bond that will always live on, not just through the images, but through the experience of creating that moment together.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
I’d like to thank all the people who have taken a chance on me, hired me, cheered for me, believed in me, and encouraged me. The photographer, George Simian, who is a total legend, talented photographer, and teacher who has coached me and helped me keep growing as a photographer. Boundless gratitude to my wife, Ariel, whose unwavering belief in me has been the spark that lights the way, and for her countless hours spent in front of the camera for me. Finally, I am grateful to and inspired by the photographers who made me feel understood in their art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elizaladensohn.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizaladensohn/

Image Credits
Eliza Halley Ladensohn