Meet Laura Gysberg | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Gysberg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had my first daughter in December of 2015 and my second in February of 2017. I had decided to stay at home with them while they were young, but I found myself at home with two babies and struggling with
my identity as a new mother. My husband had given me a beautiful camera kit for Christmas one year
because I loved taking pictures, but it sat in its box until I was cleaning out a closet and finally opened it.
This made my husband very happy as he had nagged me to open it for well over a year. I had always
enjoyed taking pictures, and it was the perfect time to teach myself how to really take them. I spent
hours upon hours reading, watching videos, and taking classes to teach myself how to use my camera,
followed by months and months shooting anyone that would let me before I ever thought about making
this an actual business. Entering motherhood is difficult, and I was thankful to have something that felt
like just mine while I was giving my all to my babies. It allowed me a creative outlet, I could get out and
talk to real grown-ups. It helped me flourish both as a mom and a budding photographer, and I think the
timing of picking up that camera was everything. It can be a daunting thing to try something new, I am
forever grateful for the friends that saw how excited and passionate I was about photography,
encouraged and supported me, including letting me use them as models to practice on. I have now had
my business running for a few years and it continues to be something that fills my cup. I’ve gotten to
meet some of the most amazing people and am forever grateful for those that trust me to capture their
memories.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Funny enough, I would not consider myself an innately artistic person. I have a great love for the arts, but that has not always translated outwardly. Photography has been something that challenges me to be more creative, to think out of the box, to come up with a vision and then execute it. What I have most learned from this is to keep going for it. It does not always come easy. Even when I feel creative blocks I tell myself to keep trying, keep focusing, and seek that inspiration. There are so many amazing photographers out there and connecting with others is also a huge positive in this profession. I fully appreciate a “community over competition” outlook, and I have been blessed with friends in the photography community that welcome the same. We all need to support and uplift one another! These are the things that make me excited.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Tacoma is an amazing city- it’s not called Grit City for nothing! I would take someone downtown to the Thea Foss Waterway area for the views and the architecture at the Museum of Glass. The waterfront area is also another stop with beautiful water views, and often a view of Mt. Rainier. There are countless great restaurants to eat at in that area as well. Chamber’s Bay is another must see view, (you get the theme of gorgeous views here). Point Defiance is a famous stop as well, boasting a dreamy rose garden, zoo, beach, and trails on trails. I’d take them to eat at one of the many awesome and tasty restaurants on 6th Ave or in the Proctor district, and grab a beer at one of the many breweries our city has.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t have had near the courage to follow thru with trying to make this a business without the encouragement and love from Jenny Zuniga of Zuniga Photography!

Instagram: @lauragysbergphoto

Facebook: facebook.com/lauragysbergphoto