Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Erwin.
Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I picked up my first camera in 2017. It was gifted to me and was just a simple little point and shoot. I started spending my days off work taking photos of birds and butterflies and eventually moved on to models and landscapes a couple of years later, after a short break to save up for a nicer camera. I shoot primarily Nikon these days, and I am absolutely in love with what I do. There were definitely times I thought about giving up, but thankfully I have a wonderful support system that pushed me to keep going. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of my lovely friends.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road started out rocky. When I first started doing photography, no one believed in me, including myself. I had no money for equipment, and I was working 55 to 60 hours a week at two jobs. I thought for sure it would be a somewhat fun hobby at best and that I would be stuck working my part-time restaurant job forever. It took a few years to come around to the mindset that if I wanted to make something more out of it, I had to take myself seriously and put in the effort. By that point, a lot of my friends were basically yelling at me daily to use the skill and potential I had to do something bigger than I was. While I still work at that part-time restaurant job, I am also building a much bigger name for myself in the photography world and am working quickly towards doing photography full time.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love to shoot anything moody. If I can use my passion to invoke a feeling, I am absolutely going to and I think that is exactly what I am good at. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I like to think that my photos write novels. I am by no means the best ever at what I do, and I have a lot to learn as well. My work is ever-changing and I grow more everyday and every shoot. But I think what sets me apart from a lot of people is my resourcefulness. I have never had the money to put into nice equipment and fancy lenses. My first year of shooting models consisted propping my camera up with a trash can and my hair straightener and taking hundreds of self-portraits in my tiny studio apartment in Seattle. I would practice until the sun came up and I was exhausted most nights. I was also using my phone to edit because my computer wouldn’t run any editing software. Sometimes, you just have to work with what you’ve got.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
PATIENCE IS KEY. You have to be willing to put in the work and the effort. And you absolutely have to be patient with yourself. It won’t happen overnight and you cannot put yourself on a timeline, life is full of setbacks and disappointments. As long as you’re happy with what you’re creating and what you’re working towards, that’s all that matters. Ignore other people, don’t compare yourself to others, take your time and have fun with what you’re doing.
Pricing:
- Full Session $100/Hr
- Minis $75 Flat
- Polaroid Session $75 Flat
Contact Info:
- Email: laurenerwin@live.com
- Website: laurenerwin.smugmug.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/brokesticksphoto
Image Credits
Models: Lilith Jenovax, Bunny, Ash, Reevie.
