Meet Ursula Vari | Photographer and Author

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

Hi Ursula, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
From the moment I can remember, I always used writing and imagery as a means of expression. My father owned a 1978 Zenit camera and I remember being fascinated by it. I got such a kick out of him allowing me to press the shutter release and hearing the sound of it. As the years went by I started writing short stories and continued taking photos with my point and shoot camera. Art was always in me and I found deep refuge in the ability to express my feelings through the written word. Where I grew up art wasn’t encouraged or at least it wasn’t regarded as a means to support a prosperous life. So I set aside my dreams and honored my mother’s request to get a “proper education”. My journey eventually led me to California from Romania via Hungary. I never actually worked in my field of study which was Agricultural Economics, instead I embarked on a 16 year journey as a yoga and meditation teacher. It was in Los Angeles that I finally picked up my camera again and continued writing, not as a profession, just an outlet and a means of expression, like I did in my youth. Pretty soon I spent more time shooting than teaching yoga. Photography became my meditation, so immersed in the moment that I could barely put down my camera. Around this time I started to travel into the Peruvian Amazon and I wanted to bring back the stories, the people, the magic of the forest and I did just that through my photos and short stories that eventually culminated in my first book, Four Seconds. It really felt like the artistic career was pursuing me instead of the other way around. People started to seek me out to photograph them. It was a beautiful organic process. In 2019 I was in a debilitating car accident that put an end to my yoga career. I was left with my camera and my words. As if an invisible hand put a stop to my old life so I can honor my artistic path full time. I finished my second book, Street Dog that featured not only the greatest love story between human and canine but also my photos. The bookings and photo assignments kept coming, but it was truly through documentary photography and social commentary that I found my sweet spot. Telling stories is something that I was born to do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
There are photos that are just that, photos. Then there are photos with depth that show the essence and greatness of each being. That’s what my photos present. To truly “see” the soul in a person and have them see themselves and their greatness no matter where they are in life is a skill I behold. Perhaps it was my own soul searching through yoga that helped me go a few extra layers deeper than many photographers. I did have the “eye” but I also had to learn a lot about light, about image processing. There are photos and then there are great photos, photos that evoke something in you. The challenge was to be noticed and seen for the skill that I have in a time where there’s an overload of imagery and no one really knows what they are looking at. I learned that the people who will appreciate your art will find you, you don’t have to seek them out. It is an organic process, you just have to open yourself up to it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is exhilarating. LA is the most diverse place in all aspects. It has so much to offer. There’s so much nature around. So for some good hiking I would probably take her to Runyon Canyon, Fryman Canyon, Satwiwa loop in Thousand Oaks. Then definitely to the Venice Beach Basketball courts, my home base, and Topanga State beach. For food Cafe Gratitude, Crossroads Kitchen, Love Organic Cafe, Butcher’s Daughter, Rahel’s Vegan in Little Ethiopia, Singapore’s Banana Leaf – notice the plant-based theme here- and to the Original Farmer’s Market at the Grove. For the best espresso I would take her to Coffee Corner at the Farmer’s Market. For a quick lunch and snacks to Erewhon for our beach picnic. For Salsa dancing on Sundays evenings to 3rd street promenade, right in front of the old Apple Store. I would take her to Skid Row and would bring sandwiches and hygiene kits to the unhoused (did that already several times) and distribute it with her. When my mom was in town we prepared sandwiches and took them down to Skid Row. For a day trip I would take her to Garth’s Boulder Gardens in Yucca Valley.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Kimo Lauer has been a fantastic mentor to me through the years. The irony of it is that he was my yoga student for years and now he is my teacher and mentor, who gives me sound advice on a daily basis to navigate the world of photography and each time has me rolling on the ground with his humor. I learned so much about the business side of things from Kimo, practical wisdom you can’t find in the books.

Website: ursulavari.com

Instagram: @ursula.vari

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ursula-vari-5a296840/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UrsulaVari

Other: Ursula’s Books: STREET DOG: A MEMOIR https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737979004/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_4HCNKPW6TXKRB57MTWFZ FOUR SECONDS https://www.amazon.com/dp/1537287923/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_S3DXFJKTD6Y3PC2J46AR

Image Credits
Ryan Carter Perignon Scott Chris Staples Jahmani “Mani Love” Swanson Malik Prietto Young Boy in Belen Will Kemp, Actor Marvin, Actor Sinn Ginn Jonny Shaheri, Composer