We were lucky to catch up with Diana Lundin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Diana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

It’s surreal, all of my younger interests… animals, photography, writing… have all morphed into the business I’m still crafting today but in ways I never imagined.

I was introduced to a darkroom in high school and between that and my newspaper and yearbook work, I began on a crumbly little trail that eventually became my career as a photojournalist.

And through the usual nudges and cataclysmic life events, my path eventually led to a layoff and me — at 51 — to start my pet photography business.

Now, do I wish I had started earlier? Hell yes. At some point in my education, I realized one of the things I was so fearful about (studio lighting) was a paper tiger. I was scared of something that had no teeth, once learned. What I should have been fearful about was business. But I went down my path blithely unaware that marketing and business savvy were even more important than learning lighting. Which I would have learned anyway. And now I’m known for my lighting. But not my marketing.

But as Voltaire said, this is the best of all possible worlds, because now, there is a market for pet photography, which didn’t exist at the time I started picking up a digital camera and learning the tools of the digital world. And because I came in before the market became flooded with pet photographers, I also have extra years of experience that keeps me out of the lower- and mid-photography price ranges where everything kind of looks the same.

I don’t like everything looking the same so I have really pushed to be an innovator in this genre. Sometimes it’s been cool, sometimes it’s a bust, but I am taking things I’ve learned in other types of photography to see what I can offer that’s different in the animal space. Cinematic. Painterly. Human, even when it comes to the animals.

One thing I’m doing is combining my now highly developed photography skills with journalism to see where I can poke around and make a difference, either because it’s amusing, amazing, emotional or has a deep message. I’m more intentional. I think in concepts now, both for my clients and for personal amusement and growth.

I’m the photographer you choose when you want something different. I’m going to work with you to create something really special and meaningful and artistic. I’m not the one you hire when you want 500 images on a disk and you’re just thrilled to have that many images. That’s not me. I’m here to create something special. Not everyone values that and that’s perfectly okay because I need the time and space to create for those that do.

I don’t think I could have progressed in my business without the life experiences and skills I’ve gotten as I’ve gotten older. One thing I will say that maybe might have been different in an earlier time (ha, no back pain) is that while I feel my photography has always been very contemporary, it doesn’t have the looseness and maybe spontaneity I see of some of the younger photographers but my mind just doesn’t think that way. I used to say the same thing about my writing when I was in my 30s. So I guess this really is the best of all possible worlds.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I solve a very clear problem for my clients. They will outlive their pets. They will have their phones stuffed with images of their pet. Don’t get me wrong, they will love these images. I come in when they want something special to commemorate the relationship they have with their dog or cat. Something unique. Artistic. Something they can’t do for themselves. And something no other photographer does in terms of style or technique. Not common.

I create framed wall portraits and albums for my clients. I work with local artisans to create stunning framed printed pieces and my albums come from Europe with fine craftsmanship.

I am a full-service photographer, I wouldn’t dream of leaving you with a pile of images that you don’t know what to do with. We make art here. It’s unique because you and your pet have a unique life together. And I’m here to capture a beautiful slice of it and give it back to you for you to enjoy the rest of your life.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My current journey is pushing me to look beyond my pet photography, which don’t get me wrong, I adore, to reintroduce myself to my initial love of journalism, specifically photojournalism. I’ve become really interested in climate change and the effect on, well, everything. I’m embarking on a project, which I can’t say too much about yet, that takes a very personal look at that subject through the lens of an unusual set of climate refugees. I believe I can do good amplifying voices through my writing and photography and that’s what I intend to do so it’s become very mission-driven work I seek now.

And always, always be available for my dog and cat photography clients because I love that work as well, it’s so joyful. So I’m transitioning a bit to find meaningful projects as well as client work that pushes what’s typically available in Los Angeles. A little different look. I want the veggies and the dessert.

Also, I just want to say, even though I have a journalism degree with a photojournalism emphasis, there was a big, long gap of not doing those two things, especially at the same time. I didn’t go full-time in pet photography until 2013.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I never ever thought of myself as an artist growing up, you know, that talent never expressed itself. I became interested in photography in high school but a legit artist? No. But after competing in international competitions for a number of years, I really honed some skills. I dabbled in all kind of things, seeing what stuck. You can learn a technique from a master, but all of your previous training and life experiences just cannot let you be a carbon copy of that master. It always comes out differently. So in this evolution, I just kept picking up things I liked, kind of smashed it together, and it turned into things I loved. And then, of course, it becomes things you’re bored by. I like to experiment, to break things in me that need broken, like my quest for perfection in competition. Now I don’t really like the perfection. I want to mess up perfection’s hair. That’s rewarding. I want my work to have some truth, some emotion, some beauty and some bite. Feel the joy or the sadness or humor or whatever.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dianalundin.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/dlundin
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diana.lundin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianalundin/

Image Credits

Diana Lundin