Today we’d like to introduce you to Lawren Snapka.
Lawren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been an art nerd for pretty much my entire life, taking my first art class in the 6th grade. I focused on drawing and painting throughout high school and college and received a Bachelor of Arts in 2012. I loved all art mediums, including photography, but if someone would have told me that one day I would own a successful photography business I would have laughed! Being a creative mind means I’m more reserved than most, so I wouldn’t have ever imagined that my job would revolve around talking to people!
Between 2013 and 2015, my husband and I dealt with multiple significant losses in our family. We lost my Mother-In-Law, Grandma, both Step-Grandparents, and my Grandpa. We felt like we had been caught off guard as we had just gotten married at the end of 2012. With each loss, I noticed a pattern… right after someone passed away the entire family gathered to go through old photographs and tell stories. The photographs that had the most impact were the ones that were taken at random of their everyday lives. Those photos were the ones that carried a conversation and brought back so many memories.
We grieved for a couple of years, got pregnant, and then moved to the Dallas area with our 3-month-old daughter. I got involved in a lot of Facebook groups and found a Work-At-Home-Mom who made cloth diapers called Birchberry Threads. She was looking for a diaper brand rep and wanted another Mom (who had more than an iPhone) to take pictures of their child in the diapers she made. I jumped up at the opportunity to have more meaning in my life and was chosen for the role! So yes, it’s safe to say my photography career started with cloth diapers! I decided to take online classes and ended up finding Family Photojournalism (Documentary Photography), a genre of photography that I never knew existed. I jumped all in and did a 3-day intensive photography retreat with Kirsten Lewis and Jenna Schouldice where I had in-the-field training.
When I started my business, I knew that I had to include birth photography too! We hired a birth photographer (Brittany Brooks Photography) for our Birth Center birth in San Antonio and the photos we received were absolutely incredible! Every time I look back at them I learn something new about my birth went and how it felt. A lot of people thought I was crazy for wanting a photographer taking pictures while I’m pushing a baby out, but it helped me process the experience and my unique journey into Motherhood. Birth Photography fell right in with Documentary Photography, and since I am already so passionate about the natural birth process, it instantly clicked!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting any small business can be rough! To say it was a smooth road would be a lie.
However, I built a lot of strong relationships right off the bat with other birth professionals and it has gotten my business very far in a short amount of time. The biggest struggle is time management and work/life balance. Being a Work-At-Home-Mom is no joke! It’s hard when you have a lot of priorities.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a Documentary Photographer specializing in Families and Birth. I approach all of my photography sessions in a photojournalistic style, which means I do not pose or direct families in any way and I don’t interfere with a family’s normal routine. I capture moments, not actions, and am drawn to intense emotion and physical touch.
Your relationship with your family and others around you are important, and it’s what I try to document with each session. Life is not perfect… it is raw, chaotic, and sometimes just nuts! But it’s real, it’s you, and it’s beautiful. Your life is important and should be documented for what it is.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in the country in the small city of Floresville, Texas, and was one of those quiet kids who had a hard time making friends. I spent most of my days running around barefoot with our horses, goats, and other animals on the farm. I took my first art class in the 6th grade and bowled in leagues throughout Middle School and High School. My favorite days were the days spent at my Grandparents house playing crazy 8’s and Spades.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lawrenrosephotography.com
- Email: lawren@lawrenrosephotography.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lawrenrosephotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lawrenrosephotography
Image Credit:
Lane B Photography
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