Lauren Mitchell
Lauren Jean photography
Lauren Jean photography
Lauren’s Influences: wow, so many .... I love Wendy Whitacre from Blue Lily photography because of her use of color. Her tones are warm and cool all the same time. I love Mika Beth Edwards for her clarity in her pictures. Her subjects are sharp, while her background in beautifully blurred. It really draws your eye to the subject of her picture. I also admire jasmine Star for her ability to use words to enhance her pictures. Her blog posts really draw you into her thinking behind the camera. She makes you feel involved in her pictures.
Her Camera: (in 2011) A Nikon d700
Transitions in Creativity
I don't really think my creativity transitioned into my adult life at all at first. I think my creativity was put on hold in Jr high when I was diagnosed with dyslexia. School had always been difficult for me. And now that I was in Jr high there seemed to be more of a divide between the kids who could "DO" school and the ones who could not.
I had never even realized I was dyslexic when I was younger. I loved writing and reading so no one ever picked up on it. As a teenager I still loved those things but I felt that I was not allowed to use my creativity because I struggled in school and had bad grades. I think I buried a lot of my creative energy deep inside.
I also became a mother and a wife at a very young age. I was in way over my head and I actually thought that if I took time to develop interests outside of my child, I was some how failing as a mother. I see a lot of young and not so young mothers fall into that same trap. We are pre programmed to put everything about "us" on hold when we have a baby. That if we develop passions outside of or family we are somehow selfish.
I don't really think my creativity transitioned into my adult life at all at first. I think my creativity was put on hold in Jr high when I was diagnosed with dyslexia. School had always been difficult for me. And now that I was in Jr high there seemed to be more of a divide between the kids who could "DO" school and the ones who could not.
I had never even realized I was dyslexic when I was younger. I loved writing and reading so no one ever picked up on it. As a teenager I still loved those things but I felt that I was not allowed to use my creativity because I struggled in school and had bad grades. I think I buried a lot of my creative energy deep inside.
I also became a mother and a wife at a very young age. I was in way over my head and I actually thought that if I took time to develop interests outside of my child, I was some how failing as a mother. I see a lot of young and not so young mothers fall into that same trap. We are pre programmed to put everything about "us" on hold when we have a baby. That if we develop passions outside of or family we are somehow selfish.
That thinking couldn’t be FURTHER from the truth. When I was finally delivered from a very bad set of circumstances in my first marriage I finally felt like I had the desire to find out who I was. And I realized that it didn't take away from my children. It added to their lives when mommy was happy. I also love that I am a role model for creativity for my daughters.
The transition didn't happen overnight. And there are days when I still feel guilty writing that blog post or editing that picture. But then I take a step back and remember that this is OK.
More than ok. This is necessary.
The transition didn't happen overnight. And there are days when I still feel guilty writing that blog post or editing that picture. But then I take a step back and remember that this is OK.
More than ok. This is necessary.
This answer may sound cheesy but it's true. As a photographer I paint with light. My camera is my paintbrush, the world my canvas and the light my paint. God is the creator of the light. Every time I see the way the light is casting on a subject, I am reminded of God’s light shining from within us.
God is in all creativity because he is the creator!! And I believe that God especially put the desire to create in women. We are made for creation. It is our job. When I finally realized that God was not only ok with me being creative but I was called to be creative. It put a whole new spin on things for me. It made blogging the memories of my family, taking time in the morning to read and reflect on things, and spending time learning more about my craft seem more like a higher calling then things I just enjoyed doing.
Currently I am working on growing my photography business and trusting that God will lead me right where I need to be. My dream is that one day He will need me to be in the middle of Africa photographing his hurting children and bringing those images back home to his children in America. I want to take pictures that move people to action. The pictures that speak a thousand words.
That’s my dream.
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