Lauren is a Seattle based freelance photographer we met on set and through creative friends in our community. Her energy, sense of adventure and drive is contagious and really resonates with us. Brands like Nordstrom are drawn to her work for its attention to detail, while her portraits capture natural movement and warmth. Wether on a large set or shooting a close friend, Lauren’s goal is to create images she can be proud of and to live an extraordinary life on her own terms.
We had the pleasure to visit her beautiful new home in Seward Park on a sunny afternoon. The space felt as though it had been lived in for many years, with layers of tapestries, rock collections, and photos from adventures. With Camino Del Sol by Antena playing in the background, we sat down to talk about her new home, life on the road and upcoming ambitions.
"We won the lottery with this place! How long of a lease can we sign? I love that there’s a window in the bathroom to another part of the house so natural light still gets in. There’s a ton of storage, so many weird little built-ins between the studs. You just don’t see details like that in newer houses. Also since we lucked out with a sick view, it shouldn’t be too hard to get someone to stay at our place and watch the cats when we want to hit the road. Lastly, our neighbors are cool. They sent their little boys over with eggs from their chickens when we moved in."
"What makes me truly happy is shooting while traveling, film-portraits, and I’m trying to find a space for that professionally. I’ve honestly been pretty happy lately just doing that sort of stuff for my own self satisfaction. I don’t feel like my jobs are my identity, and recently coming to that conclusion has actually been really relieving."
"I like connecting with people, getting them comfortable. Just talking and asking questions. I like getting to know the person a little bit first before I shoot them. Being in front of the camera can be such a weird thing but being behind it is too. You’ve got all the power. How you deal with that really affects the outcome of a shoot."
"I have a little collection of tiles I found on a beach in Morocco- in retrospect I feel bad for taking them, but at the same time they are some of my most treasured items. My dad picked out the knife from my grandpa’s collection when he passed away and gave it to me. It mostly gets used to open packages. I’m not letting that thing leave the house!"
"Everything involved with overland travel has always appealed to both Barry and myself. The freedom, self sufficiency and ability to take your home base wherever you go is a really comforting way to get around and see new places! Deciding where to sleep every night is always exciting. It just feels like you’re leaving yourself open to more possibilities.
Most weekends we make it up into the Strait to camp. Our last trip was extra fun because we had a bigger crew than usual come out, so there was lots of mad good group cooking and fun times. Always a rad time hanging with eagles and mobbing around in sand dunes. My vibe this summer is hard chilling."
Lauren Colton
Website: http://www.laurencolton.photo/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/lecolton/