Lauren Ray can think of no better way to spend her day than getting around town with her trusty camera in hand, and we wholeheartedly support that desire. We had a bit of a chitchat with the burgeoning shutterbug, which you can have a gander at below.



What is your name and how old are you? My name is Lauren and I am 24 years old.

Where were you born and where do you live now? I was born in Vancouver, Canada and I still live there! However, as much as I enjoy Vancouver, I’d be jazzed to try living somewhere other than my hometown.



How does where you live affect your photography? Living in a place that is so familiar has been a pleasure, because I love photographing people I’m surrounded by and I think many of them are finally used to me and my flash popping off all the time!

When did you first know you wanted to be a photographer? I first liked the idea of photography when I was gifted a Spice Girls Polaroid camera at my sixth birthday party! When I got older, I noticed I felt blue any time I forgot to bring a camera with me, even for a short trip down the street to buy a popsicle or something. That is when I knew I wanted to be a photographer, for sure.

What kind of subjects interest you the most? Friends, flowers, strangers, dogs, pools and oceans, bands, the desert, youth, boring things, jazzy things, weird things, things I don’t understand or am afraid of, my family, beaches, lizards, chandeliers, my bedroom, the colour blue, people jogging, bad tattoos, hairstyles, parrots, decorations, plants of all kind, rascals, night time, collections, funny t-shirts, bruises… lots!



What do you shoot on (digital or analogue) and why do you choose to use that type? I use 35mm colour film, (mostly) with flash. I like this combination because it creates a spectacle of no matter what it is you’re taking a picture of. For a camera, I usually use some sort of SLR or point-and-shoot… whatever is in my backpack that day!

What kinds of ideas are you working on at the moment? One project I’ve been working on is called “Wildflowers”, which is inspired by a book of the same title by Joel Meyerowitz. It is a collection of different types of flowers I have seen and photographed, whether they’re false and decorative, growing colourfully in nature, or as a print on a sweater – all kinds! Life’s moments (and photography itself) are like flowers – they bloom and they fade.



If you were to teach a photography appreciation class, what kind of lessons would you try to teach your students? This is a special question because I’ve actually been considering becoming a photography teacher. It’s my dream job! I would attempt to teach the importance of being sincere in your work and just shooting what you know. Celebrating the everyday through photography, and in doing so, understanding yourself more clearly.



What advice can you offer on finding your personal style or aesthetic? In my opinion, the best jewel of advice I could give to anybody would be to bring a camera everywhere you go. Even keeping it around your neck like a dorky tourist so that it is accessible! If something dazzles you, keep it forever by taking a picture of it.

What are your thoughts on the rise of mobile phone photography and Instagram? I don’t take phone photography seriously at all, my personal instagram page is just full of low quality, pixelated squares depicting my silly life. However, I did recently make an instagram account for my film photographs, @photosbylaurenray.

What is the strangest thing or thought that has inspired a photo? This is a very tricky question! I’ve done many strange things in order to get a picture, from chasing a couple down the beach because they had matching blonde hair and Slayer shirts, to climbing over security guards onto a stage in front of thousands of people to take a picture of the lead singer smoking five cigarettes at once… Ss for thoughts, they are always a bit weird and I don’t always know where they come from, but that’s OK.

Where can we see more of your work? laurenjray.com