Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Cockfield.
Hi Laura, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My family moved quite a bit when I was growing up and my father took a lot of photographs of our travels. We’d visit family in Alabama and everyone would gather around the slide projector to watch the show. It gave me a keen appreciation for photography and how photographs can tell stories and enhance your memories. But, like a lot of photographers, I started my own photographer story by wanting beautiful portraits of my children. And not just cute, smiley snapshots, but beautiful, formal portraits. So I began to take portrait photography seriously around 1995. I traded an old laptop for a used Pentax Rx7 and took a leisure course at Louisiana State University. From there I bought the text books used at universities for teaching photography and read every book the local library had to offer. Soon, friends started asking me to take pictures of their kids, and my “side hustle” was born — taking family, baby and high school senior portraits on location. When I moved to Santa Fe in 2018, I opened a full service studio, working with professionals, actors, models, as well as families. Having a large studio space really gave me the freedom to explore formal portraiture. But New Mexico also brought out the “artist” in me and I started exploring landscape and abstract fine art photography. I currently have works for sale in a studio in Santa Fe as well as my website. My husband and I recently relocated to Southport, NC and I am once again working on location with families. I have always read advice from various professional photographers who say you have to choose a genre and focus on that if you want to be successful. But I haven’t found that to be true. And I can’t choose just one. I love portraits – both formal and candid, lifestyle photography as well as landscape and abstract photography. I figure if you love it, learn to do it and the work will come.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At first it was sometimes hard to balance a full time day job and a side hustle, while raising a family. Luckily my family was very supportive. My daughter was a perfect little muse while I was learning portraiture and my son (whose is an artist) really helped me explore abstract photography.
I guess the biggest struggle came with the advent of social media; when clients stopped wanting prints and just wanted the digital images to share online. I absolutely understand the desire to share the images; but with our busy lives I noticed clients never got around to ordering prints of their images; satisfied to have them live on their phones. I don’t know about other photographers, but when I take a portrait, my mission is always to get it framed on a wall.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Formal portraiture is my first love. You know the kind that is meant to be printed large on canvas and framed on the wall. I love a formal portrait of an individual where you really explore their face and energy. I love to look at it and I love to photograph it. And I love having a client trust me and allow me to style and pose them. The trend in the last 20 years however has moved to more informal and fun family portraiture, so I’m excited to accommodate my clients either way. I know what it is to want pictures of your family having fun and smiling. Those images are so important to have. Your children grow so fast as your family changes so quickly. It’s a privilege to capture these images for clients.
I’m really proud of the work I’ve done for my clients and the relationships I’ve built. When a client comes back to me again and again, it’s such an honor.
I’m also proud of my abstract art. Leaning in to that side of me and bringing a spiritual aspect to my work feels very satisfying. No client; just me and my camera. When my first gallery piece sold, it was such a thrill.
I hope that by exploring multiple aspects of photography, my work stands out and my sessions with clients feel more like participating in art than like a photo shoot.
What are your plans for the future?
My hope for my new seaside location is that I have the opportunity to again work with a variety of clients — professionals, families, artists; exploring the light and color of the coast and making new art — both portraiture and abstract fine art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lauracockfield.com
- Instagram: lcphotog
- Facebook: Laura Cockfield Photography
- Yelp: Laura Cockfield Photography
