Austin, TX // Lauren
Halie Johnson
I have been putting off this whole blog thing for a while now. It could be because I know that once I start, I have to keep it up to date; it could also be that I haven't written about anything since high school and it no longer comes naturally to me. I have always used excuses such as: "a photo is worth a thousand words" or "I want my photos to tell a story without using words". Lately, I have come to realize that it is important to talk about what these photos mean to me, as well as my clients. When I was in art school, I loved looking at my classmates' photos and creating my own story, then listening to theirs and comparing the two.
I spent most of my summer in Austin, Texas with the intention of meeting and photographing as many new people as possible. I had only been there a week when I accidentally dropped my camera off a cliff...into the water. I was there with someone I had just met that day, so I tried my best to hold my composure until I got back to my car where I screamed and cussed and screamed and punched the steering wheel repeatedly. I didn't leave the house for days. I literally felt nauseous for a week and a half, until my grandpa graciously lent me the money to purchase a new camera and told me to pay him back when the time was right. Although I was so thankful and happy to be holding a camera again, I couldn't help but analyze the situation and think there was a reason for it all happening. I had thoughts like: "Do I even deserve a camera? Maybe this isn't what I am meant to do after all?".
I had the camera for over a week before seeing Lauren and deciding it was time to quit moping and actually use the damn thing. Lauren walked by me at a coffee / sandwich shop and I immediately fell in love with her curly hair. If ya can't have it, photograph it. I wrote my information on a napkin as I mustered up the confidence to approach her. I was unreasonably nervous, like the first day of Public Speaking class (that I dropped right after class was dismissed). I never expected her to contact me, but she texted me a few hours later saying that she would love to work with me. I was shocked when she said she hadn't modeled before; hopefully these photos have convinced her to start.
