Meet Laura Austin | Photographer

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

Hi Laura, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
This question brings up a favorite quote of mine from Suzy Kassem, “Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will”. Thanks to my parents I was raised to believe that there were no limitations on what I could achieve. Everything was attainable if you put in the work. So when I was bushy-tailed, bright-eyed, and starting my career, nothing seemed like a risk. I knew what I wanted and pursued it without hesitation… and that certainly propelled my career to a certain point.

It’s interesting to look back at now and realize that all these years under my belt and the adversities that come along with that, have made me a little more cautious. Putting on blinders and just doing what I felt was right, be it career or life choices, was easier back then. But in this day and age with social media etc. I think we can become constricted by what we think others expect of us and try to continue to perpetuate that. Looks like it is time to go back to my risk-taking ways of my unadulterated youth and jump off of that diving board headfirst again.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
That’s a long-winded question. My professional photography exists in the commercial space… shooting advertising/content in the sports, lifestyle, travel, clothing, and food spaces. However my personal work is more documentary/journalistic focused. I prefer to be a fly-on-the-wall and document things happening around me than tell people how to pose to look good… but one has to make a living somehow.

What sets me apart? I guess as a photographer, my background in studying graphic design as opposed to photography. I spent some time at RISD in their design program and the concepts of composition, color, visual hierarchy, etc (which are all aspects of taking a photo) were drilled into my mind in a different way than someone studying photography. So if you look at my images there is a graphic element to them, lots of negative space, a focus on clean lines, and so on. When I look through the viewfinder I am kind of laying out a page as opposed to just taking a snapshot. To me the composition of the background is just as important as the subject… if you take the model/person out of the photo, I want what is behind them to still be a compelling image. Which is a benefit and a detriment, sometimes I think I should focus more on making the person look good.

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.
The thing I love most about LA is it is a “choose your own adventure” type of place, there’s something for everyone. I could go on for DAYS about my favorite spots, but here is a list to make it more digestible:

Bars:
Melody – great natural wine bar/bungalow with rotating food pop-ups
Walt’s – low-key, well designed, pinball machines, hot dogs
High Tops – gay sports bar with good food, cocktails, and food… and you can watch sports without being surrounded by bros
Drawing Room -best dive bar in LA

Restaurants:
Breakfast –
Bub & Grandma’s
Nick’s Cafe
All Time
Lunch –
Turkey Hoagie from La Sorted’s
Aguachile from Playita Mariscos
Burger from Rita’s Deluxe
Dinner –
Saffy’s
Hama Sushi
Anajak Thai

Activities:

A show at The Greek
A hike to Eaton Canyon Falls
Karaoke in Little Tokyo or Koreatown
A walk on Matador Beach in Malibu
Tea service at Huntington Gardens
Walking through the maze that is The Last Bookstore

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s too many… from my family, to my teachers, and friends. Pursuing a creative career is a very vulnerable thing, and any bit of encouragement you get along the way can help tune out all the voices in your head, or externally whispering words of doubt. But if I’m going to name names I’ll say my parents Katherine, Paul, Cindy, and Christopher… my teachers Mr. May, Mrs. Nimick, Ms. Cozzens, and Mr. Kennell, Mr. Murphy… and friends Ebo, Jeff, Gus, and Vivianne.

Website: http://www.lauraaustinphoto.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura_austin/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laustindesign

Twitter: https://x.com/LAustin_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraJayneAustin

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=ZEqq8bi-9z7F0S-A-8uj8w

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LauraAustin

Image Credits
All photos shot by me