Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Baca.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
It started with a roll of black and white film, the smell of the darkroom, and the excitement of seeing each photo develop in the chemicals right before my eyes.
As a freshman in college I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, all I knew was that I wanted to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in SOMETHING. With that goal in mind I signed up for my first three classes: Spanish, History and Photography (two required classes and one class that interested me). Little did I know that what started as an interest would end up becoming one of my deepest passions and callings. My first five years after graduation were spent doing every genre of photography imaginable: babies, seniors, weddings, couples, events, mini sessions, headshots, and product photography. After spending so much professional time in the field, I was left feeling uninspired and wanted to throw in the towel on more than one occasion.
In the spring of 2015 I posted in a local Facebook group for moms asking if anyone would be interested in letting me photograph their birth. The part that I loved about weddings was the natural, candid moments. Since births are naturally unposed, I felt like it might be a good fit. At the time I didn’t even know birth photography was a growing industry in our area, but I left the birth feeling rejuvenated, inspired, and ready to move the focus of my business towards documentary work.
Please tell us about your art.
I am driven by memory. For me, my personal photos and keepsakes are my most valuable possessions. I can see a photo from my childhood and immediately remember the way the air smelled or how I felt when it was taken. The preservation of these memories is what led me to documentary photography, because I want my work to reflect the realness of everyday life.
One of the things I love doing before shooting is to avidly observe the environment and my subjects. I want to understand the story that’s taking place before I attempt to capture it with my camera. It also helps to do this because I’m able to preserve the natural story as it unfolds, as much as possible, without interfering or altering the scene. Basically, I’m trying to be as true as possible to real life when I shoot.
Even more than that, I want my work to be true to the diversity of life and lifestyles in Dallas-Fort Worth. Not long after I started doing documentary-style work full-time, I began recognizing that there is often a lack diversity and representation for women of color in this kind of work. Showing the diversity of life and culture here, for me, means showing the commonalities we all share even among the unique aspects of life my clients display.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
My advice is to seek out other artists or business owners who work in the same field through Facebook groups, artist meet ups, or classes. If someone in your area isn’t organizing meet ups already, start one!
Thankfully, I have an amazing network of photographers locally and around the country that I stay connected with on a daily basis. Working for myself can be extremely lonely and sometimes I just need someone else who understands what that feels like. I have a couple of “co-workers” in particular that I chat with throughout the day as we are all in our various work spaces (home, studio, coffee shop etc.) and we all bounce ideas of the other and help each other succeed.
Contact Info:
- Address: Lane B Photography
- Website: http://www.lanebphotography.com
- Phone: 210-381-6718
- Email: info@lanebphotography.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/lanebphotography
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lanebphotography
Image Credit:
Lane B Photography
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