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“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. “~ Pablo Picasso
A great deal goes into the beautiful and awesome photographs we see as the outcome of her work. Years of experience and knowledge, and an eye for how to capture just that picture that will draw you into the moment. Lauren Payne has worked in many areas of photography beginning with her father’s challenging national fishing business where she worked after graduating from Oklahoma State University. At the business, she performed all types of marketing and other tasks, but photography was the real passion.
She says while many of her photography projects may take a day, those fishing competitions would be week-long endeavors that then took her into the night editing the right shot and writing articles for the next day’s newspaper. She fondly remembers shooting tournaments in almost every state and almost every lake where they occurred. Her nightly search for the perfect photo made her the right photographer for the job, while everyone else celebrated the day’s catch.
Working on these fishing expeditions put her as one of the only females in the male-driven industry, and she was known as “the girl who’d eat all the sandwiches” since she was on the boat early getting her equipment prepared to go, always hungry and ready to eat their lunch well before noon. When Payne took her first photographs, she was hooked, but she knew she wanted to improve her skills. So, while she still worked full time with her family’s business, she took online photography classes with Nikon and other places, worked internships and simply lived and breathed photography with all the time she could. As her skills increased, so did the beauty in the elements that enhance her photographs. She continues to challenge herself in her skills and growth and is a member of the Professional Photographers of America.
Although she’s known as a sports photographer (as a single mother of three athletic children, she’s busy on that front), and a woman who also loves to take on the role as a business photographer on many occasions, she says, “Weddings are really my niche.” She loves the challenge of this and says the commitment to a wedding doesn’t allow you to be distracted – not even by illness: “Wedding photographers don’t get to call in sick.” She remembers shooting sick in Oklahoma City on a day when the videographer from Tulsa also showed up to shoot when he was ill, and once shooting at 8 1/2 months pregnant in the heat of July. These are some of her favorite shoots because they remind her to be humble and keep in mind the joy of others that she brings with her job. The day is the most important in a bride’s life, and you cannot disappoint her.
Photography is a passion for Payne, and she states, “God put me here.” When she shoots a wedding, she knows she will feel the love there and her photographs can “breathe life into that and let God come through.” She enjoys getting to help the wedding party see what is truly important in that special day.
When asked about some of her other favorite wedding sessions, she mentions ones on the beach in Florida, with fun and the water, but also a wonderful Vietnamese wedding in Oklahoma City where she was able to embrace the culture of others. What she appreciated most was some of the elements of that culture’s traditions among people that she brought back and mentioned to other wedding celebrants who were able to bring them into their own receptions as they greeted guests after the ceremonies. Spreading ways to show kindness and love is something Payne celebrates as part of her passion in her profession.
Payne has a work hard, play hard attitude which has served her well. She knows how to take care of her business to keep it moving forward, but she has also figured out how to juggle her time to be with her three children as the mom they need. Payne says, “When I think of my deadlines, I remember, the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do is be a mom. In this job, I get to have the time to be able to be a mom. I can say, ‘You guys are on fall break, I’m on fall break.’” Being a photographer and having this level of flexibility in her schedule is exactly what this active mom-of-three needs. She says whenever she’s unsure of the path she should take, she asks, “God, why am I here?” What she always remembers is, it is never just about her. It is never just about us. There is always more we must consider. Whether that is family, others around us in our community, we must consider all as we are led.
For Payne, she loves that her work has grown where she can include others. She loves the idea of “Moms helping moms.” Now, her photography business has been able to hire others both in photographing team sports and when selling wedding packages with second shooters. Payne wants more people involved and hopes to grow in that direction and continue to employ others.
Payne does fun projects as well. For instance, she teamed up with Andy Hicks to create the popular firemen’s calendar fundraising project for Northern Oklahoma Humane Society. She enjoys having fun, helping others and being creative.
Personally, just for her, she hopes to also expand her writing in ways that can also help others, exploring some of the life she’s lived and experiences she has went through in ways that may let others know they are not alone. Her photography has helped give her a voice, albeit a visual one, that opens a beautiful door for her. Payne says, “I know where I’m at is where I’m supposed to be.”
You can find Lauren Renee Photography’s website at Laurenreneephotography.com to check out some of her beautiful wedding photography work and to find further contact information. You can also find her under Lauren Renee Photography on Facebook.
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When she shoots a wedding, Lauren knows she will feel the love there and her photographs can “breathe life into that and let God come through.”
Payne says, “When I think of my deadlines, I remember, the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do is be a mom. In this job, I get to have the time to be able to be a mom. I can say, ‘You guys are on fall break, I’m on fall break.’”
Photograph Information:
Photographs 1-4 are provided by and used with permission of Lauren Renee Photography
1: Lauren on the boat shooting at a fishing competition
2: Lauren in rain gear shooting
3: Lauren in a creek bed capturing a photo of a family
4: B&W photo of Lauren while shooting
6: Photograph of Lauren taken by Cervantes at our recent interview
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