Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura McLauchlin.
Hi Laura, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up, my dad always loved taking photos but would never refer to himself as a photographer. He is insanely talented and inspired/ taught me along the way. We had a black and white darkroom in our home, and I remember vividly the smell of the chemicals and spending hours out there playing while he developed photos. It’s fitting that I do what I do today when I look back now. In high school, I was on the journalism team as a photographer. Now this was the era that you shoot film, take it to Walmart, and go back in an hour to excitedly look at all your pictures as you flip through them in your hands.
Post-college, I ended up working in education and took a while to find myself again. While teaching elementary, I actually started performing in a local Dallas Circus as a hand balancer and aerialist- Lone Star Circus. I lived for the gigs, the excitement and put all my creative energy into choreographing routines. I should include that I lived in the Plano area and also had a horse that I stabled close to my house. Circus gigs basically paid for my horse’s boarding costs.
After getting married I moved past Rockwall. At the time we had five horses, and because of the new location, driving, teaching, and taking care of everything I just couldn’t keep training. It’s hard to close a chapter of your life sometimes… but this is what led me to photography. I started photographing friends, then landed three weddings… and here I am today, surviving my first full year in wedding photography.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every small business has struggles. While I was teaching and shooting, I knew I wanted to move to photography full time. I knew in the future when we started having children, I wanted to be home and have something I could scale with the season of life I was in.
The biggest struggle is time! Our son is now two years old, so I balance being a mom first, business owner, taking care of now nine horses (I know!), marketing, editing, and shooting sessions. I have found it’s important to place realistic expectations on what I can get done, and outsource the rest.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I started shooting family photography, then moved to weddings. I still do both, but I split brands and websites to differentiate the two.
I describe my wedding photography, Laura McLauchlin Photography- as creative, classic, documentary wedding photography. I love capturing the real moments of the day and including movement. I want the photos to tell the story of the day and try to stay away from posing the day as much as possible. I will shoot film photography (old school film) at time but use a variety of cameras to bring the entire day together as a whole.
My family photography is described as candid and focused on love and light-soaked moments. I went with the name Childhood Documented because I believe it perfectly fits what I do.
I love shooting weddings and family photography alike, as they are both so different- it allows me to try different things creatively!
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Don’t give up. Sounds so cliche but in this industry, like so many others- sometimes you just have to stick it out to make it. Keep pushing, but know when to give yourself a creative break.
Also, value your work. In this era- we are surrounded by hundreds of Facebook photographers. Your work has to prove that you can do something different, so make sure to show that.
And lastly- social media is not everything. Don’t undervalue your relationships with local businesses, actual people, and serving your community with your talent.
Pricing:
- Family sessions start at $450+
- Engagements start at $450+
- Weddings start at $3,000
Contact Info:
- Email: lauramclauchlinphotogra
phy@gmail.com - Website: lauradallasphotograph
y.com - Instagram: instagram.com/
laura.mclauchlin - Other: childhoodocumented.com
Image Credits
Laura McLauchlin Photography
Childhood Documented Photography
