Rarely have I scrolled through a portfolio that is more smile-inducing, joyful, and full of life than that of Lauren Pressey. Her knack for capturing the life in and of a home shines vividly from each shot she snaps leaving a residual grin behind. Having previously shared her thoughts on work/life balance on HAVEN we just had to invite this vivacious woman back to update us on how the balancing act (both literal and figurative) is going.
Your portfolio is absolutely amazing. Your interior shots seem to exude as much life as your portraits. What’s the key to capturing and transcribing the life of a room?
Thank you so much! Creating interior compositions that capture the essence of the project is where things really get fun. I love walking into a space and envisioning the vignettes or moments that will make the viewer fall in love. Every inch of the room is taken into account because details are everything.
Capturing how the architect envisioned the natural light playing into a space is also hugely important to me – whether I’m using an external light source or not. Adding people into the mix and seeing how they tie it all together is the cherry on top.
In March we featured a post you wrote about finding a happy work/life balance. This can be especially difficult when traveling between LA and NY for work as you do. What has work/life balance looked like for you over the last six months?
I would be lying if I said the last 6 mo/year has been a ton of fun! It’s been a crazy year (for everyone), but we’ve made the most of it. I’m back to traveling for work and my kids are back to school which has saved all of our sanity. I truly believe in what I do and how important it is to show my kids how a strong work-ethic can make for a very fulfilling life. I love what I do – I even love my to-do list! Knowing when to put the phone and computer away to hang out and be ridiculous with the kids can be challenging, but making the effort and enjoying the chaos is what it’s all about for me. We’re all just doing the best we can and I think they see and appreciate that!
While scrolling through your Insta I got a good chuckle from the shots of you taking photos from a bathtub or wedged into a tight corner. Can you share a moment when you went the extra mile to get ‘the shot’?
There hasn’t been a photoshoot where I have avoided wedging into a small corner or didn’t huddle on top of a toilet in a teeny powder bath. It’s fun and challenging and always makes for great behind the scenes photos. Some of my favorites are climbing into a bathroom window to get just the right angle, hanging from a stair railing while an assistant held me up from behind, getting on top of my car for the perfect exterior shot, and almost falling into pools on numerous occasions (somehow my tripod always needs to be right at the edge of the pool deck).
What is vital to having an excellent photographer/designer relationship?
Designers very quickly become friends. You’re spending long hours together and doing a lot of crazy things to get the shot, it really can be so much fun. Building those relationships is key when it comes to having clients long-term and it is one of the many perks of the job. When you become friends, it hardly feels like work at all (and then the editing begins!).
Where can we find you when you’re not behind the lens?
I live in the South Bay of LA and love to be outdoors. My two teenagers and two golden retrievers keep me pretty busy. I love exploring my own city – discovering new restaurants and hiking all over L.A. with the pups. I also love to travel and am always planning my next trip around personal photography projects.
Your work has been published across myriad prestigious platforms. Can you share some advice for new photographers who’d like to get published as well?
Don’t be afraid to connect directly with art directors, editors, and writers at publications you are interested in. Many writers contribute to several different publications and are always looking for new and exciting content. They want to see your work!
