The Benefits of Negative Space
Artist Interview with Laura Evans
Laura Evans with Lensbaby Edge 50
Q: When did you start taking photographs? Why did you continue?
A: I am not sure why I started I just knew I wanted to study it when I was 16. I have continued because I have discovered over the years that it is part of me & without it I feel like something is missing.
Q: Which is your favorite Lensbaby lens and why?
Laura Evans with Lensbaby Edge 50
Q: What tips do you have for beginners just learning how to use Edge Optics?
A: A little bit of bend goes a long way & start shooting at apertures higher than you would normally. When you miss your focus with a Lensbaby there is not saving the image.
Q: What professional photographers have influenced your work, and how do you incorporate their techniques into your photographs?
A: There have been so many over the years, especially when I was studying for my degree. I love iconic photography which is very different to what I shoot today but it inspires me to keep trying. I'm also incredible lucky to have crazy talented photography friends who push me to keep shooting, & work harder & to achieve my goals.
Laura Evans with Lensbaby Edge 50
Q: What is the most difficult part of being a photographer?
A: Not having enough time to do all the things I want. Right now I work full time so photography doesn't get the focus it used to so when I vacation I make the most of it!
Q: Do you have formal training as a photographer or are you self-taught? What was that journey like?
A: I started with an A-Level in photography & it was my photography teacher who taught me that I was good at something, he pushed me at a time when I didn't know what I wanted to do or be. Then through my degree in Photography I was lucky to have great teachers who helped me discover myself in my work & push my own boundaries.
Laura Evans with Lensbaby Edge 35
Q: What details do you believe make the best photographs? How do you go about focusing on them in your work?
A: It's the small things that make the best photos to me. I am also a huge fan of negative space!
Q: What inspires you most?
A: Right now travel photography is my jam. I want to go out & see all the things, visit all the places & take all the photos!
Q: What's your favorite quote?
A: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover." –Mark Twain.
Laura Evans with Lensbaby Double Glass
Q: What is your favorite subject to photograph?
A: My son but he is 10 now & doesn't like me as much. But anything when I am traveling & getting outside.
Q: How would you describe your photography style?
A: It has a vintage nostalgic feel.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of being a photographer?
A: When someone tells me an image I took brings them back to a time, a place, a person or a feeling.
Q: How do you bring the best out of your models? What tips do you have?
A: I tell really corny kid jokes!