Whether you're shooting professionally or happy snaps of your family - we're all looking to capture more creative photos and memories. Lauren Bramlett explains why her Lensbaby lenses now hardly ever come off her camera.

Tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi. I’m Lauren. I live in the upstate of South Carolina with my 14 year old daughter and 2 pups. I work a 9-5 job at Clemson University and do photography on the side.

We live in a great location that’s close to lakes and mountains, so we spend a lot of our free time hiking, swimming, or just being outside in general.

What is your favorite subject/genre to shoot?

My favorite subject to shoot is my daughter and our daily adventures. Or just childhood in general. I do enjoy client work, but shooting for myself and my family is my passion. However, as she is growing older and not around as much, I’m having to find new things to shoot.

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity to me means shooting with your heart. Pushing boundaries and breaking rules. I want to grow and evolve as a photographer, and that means trying new things. Sometimes it doesn’t work and that’s ok.

I recently went shooting with a friend, she had a standard lens and I brought several Lensbaby lenses. We were shooting the same subject, but to me, the Lensbaby photos really stood out. These lenses definitely help me in staying creative. And if I’m ever feeling in a photography rut, I break out a Lensbaby that I haven’t used in a while and that more times than not it helps break the rut.

When did you discover your passion for visual creation?

I have always enjoyed taking photos. I remember having polaroid pictures posted all over my room as a child. I got serious about it though after my daughter was born. I had a point and shoot for the first year of her life and it wasn’t taking photos like I wanted. She dropped it and broke it, so after that I decided to invest in my first DSLR (a Nikon D40). I became obsessed after that and started learning everything I could about photography and light.

Where do you find inspiration and motivation for your work?

I follow a ton of great photographers on social media and seeing their constant amazing work keeps me motivated. I love to see the way people use different lighting situations and wonder how I would have shot that scene.

How do you continue to push yourself to grow & evolve as an artist?

As my daughter is getting older, she is away more and just doesn’t like having her photo taken as much as when she was younger. I’m having to find new subjects/things to photograph.

I always read or study photography material. I love to look at the work of others and study their photos. Light is what catches my attention. I look at light everywhere (riding down the road, in my home, at the park, tv and movies, etc.) and think to myself how I could use that lighting situation for a photo.

How did you discover Lensbaby?

I saw a photo online years ago taken with the double-glass optic and just fell in love with the look. It made that ordinary photo stand out from all the others and I knew that’s what I wanted. I bought the double-glass and when I got it I was so excited, but after trying it a few times I couldn’t get the hang of it so I put it away for months. One day my daughter was swinging outside and I thought this would be a perfect photo for the Double Glass optic. I nailed the focus, got the look I was going for and haven’t put down my Lensbaby since.

Why do you enjoy shooting with Lensbaby lenses?

The flare. The blur. The isolation of the subject. It’s so different than a normal lens. I feel the effect these lenses create truly make a photo stand out. You can completely change the effect of the photo by simply tilting the lens. How fun is that?!