Today we’d like to introduce you to Lydia Thomas.
Hi Lydia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
First, I just want to say thank you so much for taking the time to interview me! I am a photographer from Nashville, Tennessee, and I am currently in London studying journalism at Goldsmiths. My goal is to be a photojournalist one day. I got into photography gradually while living overseas about five years ago. I have been falling in love with it ever since and exploring how many different directions it can take you. I have taught myself photography but I feel strongly about education and I think access to education and the professional expertise of others is a huge privilege. Being able to study in The UK has been a dream of mine for many years, and it is so surreal to finally be living it out.
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?
It has not been easy to get here, and there is still a lot I need to do to get my feet under me. I was homeschooled growing up and most of my education was up to me. This had its pros and cons of course, but one of the greatest gifts it has given me is self discipline, which I believe has carried me through a lot when I was ready to give up. I have also been working since I was young to be able to afford photography equipment and save for school. The past few months I had an internship in Nashville and began working as a photo assistant on the side. This taught me quickly how much I still had to learn and made me realize that there is a limit to what you can teach yourself. Constructive feedback is so important, especially from the experts around you. Don’t be afraid to look back at your wok and say, “This could be better” and be grateful for the peers who tell you the same. So many artists are so critical of their own work that having an outside perspective is almost necessary. The people who are honest with you about your work are your real friends. Whenever someone asks me about the challenges I have faced in my work so far it makes me smile. Life has been hard, but at the end of the day I can pick up my camera and feel the stress melt away. It is hard to think about anything other than the task at hand when I am shooting. That is what keeps me coming back. If I never made another cent (or pence:) from photography, you would still find me out on the streets with a camera.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Obviously taking photos, but more specifically why. Recently, I did a photoshoot that left me feeling more fulfilled than ever before. One was a tribute my best friend, an image about grief and the power of healing. It was personal and symbolic. I had a specific image in my head which I was able to bring to life better than I thought was possible. The second I saw it on my camera, I felt something click for me. I had a “this is it” moment and it gives me chills to think about. My best friend gave me an invaluable gift, one I’ll never be able to repay. She showed me how to heal from the past, little by little. It takes patience and it means going through not around. The photo came to encapsulate so much more than I thought it meant to begin with. In many ways happiness and success to me are comprised of these moments. It’s that feeling when you look around and realize you don’t want to be anywhere else. It’s talking to someone and realizing that they love you unconditionally. It is working for years and seeing your work pay off. It is laughing until your cheeks hurt. That is happiness to me, that is success. By those standards i am wealthy beyond measure and I cannot ask for more.
Contact information:
- Instagram: l.n.thomas
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