Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laura Mazanec. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Laura thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

Oh gosh, that’s a hard question; I have two that tie for the most important in my eyes. When I was in college studying photography and computer science, I worked for a very small, family owned janitorial and office supply company that supplied most of the hospital systems, municipalities and civil structures like courthouses and jails, all of the local school districts, and military bases in San Antonio. The company had a GSA Contract which meant that they were able to supply any military base in the continental United States as long as they had a permanent or APO shipping address. I will skip most of the details because it became a tense situation at best but I did really connect with my primary boss and learned several critical pieces of business advice that I never heard spoken about in my business management classes. He was the owner’s son and about 25 years my senior. While his father believed that we should service anyone that contacted us because income is income, his son had a business philosophy that stuck with me. He felt that if a customer could not be kind off the bat and made overly critical assumptions about how your company ran – you could simply say no and choose not to take their business. This was a life changing revelation for me : You can simply choose not to work with someone if your vision does not align with theirs because you will more than likely never make them happy. We all want satisfied customers and of course you will run into problems along the way. But, you do not need to take abuse from a customer.

I grew up in small business; my parents owned a small electrical contracting company that specialized in the wiring of swimming pools. We wired the lights and pumps, the filtration systems and the key components that make a pool functional. I was taught at a very young age the importance of a strong work ethic and how a no call/no show employee can drastically impact a small company’s schedule and productivity. I gained skills from working in both the internal day-to-day office management side as well as working out in the field. Though I gained countless imperative and invaluable skills and business know-how like how to properly charge sales tax, how to keep a ledger, how a breaker panel functions, or how to properly work a time clock – there was one theme that stayed prevalent on both sides : integrity. If you do not have integrity, you do not have anything and it never hurts to rise above and go the extra mile for a customer. My father had several elderly women that he would go change light-bulbs and ceiling fans for while my mother would consistently go the extra step to help a customer get their inspection scheduled for a time when their dog could be inside. It’s those kinds of things people remember. Stay true to the things that you say you will do & do them with kindness in your heart and a smile on your face. If you do, those clients will become return customers – no matter your prices.

Laura, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am Laura Leigh, a professional Photographer, Photojournalist, Photo-Therapist, & trained Touch-Therapist. I am a firm believer that sometimes you do not know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. I’m often asked, “What do you do?” The answer is not all that simple and it is more than just a job title that you can tack at the front of a name. I’m not just a photographer or a journalist; I’m a storyteller, counseling guide, and a mirror. I help those that are struggling to see the good in themselves feel anew. I do not believe in excessive photoshopping or dodging the burns, but rather embracing the art of exploring what makes each wound heal and every step of that forward motion that creates growth. I’m here to hold your hand, give you all the hugs and words of encouragement, to celebrate your successes and to grieve your losses alongside you. Photography-therapy and photojournalism are tools that can be utilized to create not just art, but the self expression of every traumatic or elating event. If we can harness those feelings, that emotion, that passion – we can create something so raw together : we can showcase you, the real you. I’m here to make your moments into tangible memories to remind you of all the magic, should you ever forget.

I offer sessions from Monday – Friday, unless previously discussed. My office hours are 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM and my phone goes on “do not disturb” after business hours unless we have an appointment planned. We set up a time and date depending on both client and photographer availability. I offer travel and adventure sessions throughout the year except on major holidays. I do a lot of things & take a lot of pictures. I’m paid to travel the miles for the adventure we can take together. I offer one on one sessions at my in-home office and studio space, but I prefer a more natural light and setting when applicable. The earth can be so nurturing and an essential for personal development in healing past traumas. The greener, the better! Meet me in the mountains and we will have a meeting of the minds. Show me a waterfall, and we will dive right in. Show me the stars and I will show you you’re worth more than all the galaxies. Start me a fire and we will display the seven wonders of your body’s empowerment. Let us play in the rain and I will help you dry the tears. If you’re not catching my drift yet, I go where the camera and soul bond leads us. I’m at your service, just tell me where to go or come on by and let’s have a cup of tea and dig through the client closet.

Photography is something very dear to my heart and I feel that expressing oneself should not come from just one format or medium. I am in love with the art of storytelling and I want to hear what you have to say. Our session isn’t just about getting the right angle or the perfect shot but about getting in touch with who you are and what you have to offer yourself. Finding purpose can help guide us through the toughest of moments. Truth be told, my camera and this artform saved my life when I was wrapped so deep in the arms of depression that I almost lost. If my passion can help just one person in some minuscule way, it will all have been worth it.

The process of setting up a session varies from client to client depending on your photography need/desire and the state of the world. I require a consultation from all clients except charitable donations in order to better assess your photography, photo-therapy, or touch-therapy needs. This is non-negotiable and is a means of making sure that we are not only a good model + photographer or cuddler & cuddlee match but it also allows us to get to know one another a little better in order to remove some of the day-of jitters. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are equipped for video conferencing consolations via FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Chat, and various other methods.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’m going to take an entirely different approach than most of the interviewed business owners will detail on; as a creative, I feel your most valuable resource is not a tangible asset like what brand of computer you work off, AI editing or Photoshop developments, which art screen has better color range – but rather your intuitive draw. I wish I had started my journey by trusting my gut on what felt right in editing and angles, in backdrop colors or patterns and styling choices. As a photographer, one of the hands down best investments I have made for my company and career path has been finding a camera that I connect with. I am shooting with a Canon EOS 5D Mark ii. This camera was first released in September of 2008 and is a full frame, 21 megapixel investment. While my camera body is 15 years old, I have upgraded most of my lenses that improve the quality of my shots. I was told in school that you can “never beat good glass,” and while I agree with this sentiment, I also disagree. If you have a camera body that does not feel right in your hands, you do not know how to adequately work the manual functions of, or you have not creatively bonded with – your photos will be lacking depth and heart. Cameras and photographers bmeond instinctively. Sure, you can learn a craft and the basic “rules” of photography but you can also tell when a photographer is emotionally linked to their subject matter and to their tools of the trade. In 2011, I tested out cameras at a San Antonio camera shop and fell head over feet for the 5D Mark ii. I could not tell you why and there were certainly plenty of other options and better quality cameras by that point; it just felt right in my hands and around my neck. I ended up upgrading the Summer of 2012 and while there was a massive learning curve in going from more of an anyone’s camera to a professional grade, I think it turned out for the best. The lesson here is that there will always be some new, pristine, state-of-the-art gadget on the market. Someone is always going to out rank you and out-shoot you in quality or quantity. It’s the heart of the art and the feel that make your work stand out and worthy of someone’s time and monetary investment. If you want to connect with your clients, no matter your field, make sure your heart is in your work. Trust what feels right to you and you will attract clients that feel the same about your work. At the end of the day, you have to be proud of what you do because we are our own biggest critics. Trust. The. Process. Trust yourself.

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

My first paid client as an established business was a family friend/the godmother of a client turned friend. I met the first client years ago while building my boudoir portfolio, just before Covid crashed down on us. We were unable to work together for quite some time due to the pandemic and our personal health concerns but when we met up, it was magic. The photographs turned out . . . differently than expected. We planned for an outdoor session but ran into groups of people on a usually desolate trail which made us uncomfortable. We ended the outdoor adventure when entering a stream to find a large snake coming to the surface and straight towards us. I’m an outdoorsy kind of gal but I could not identify the type of snake, so we felt it best to move along. We ended up back at my house, taking pictures in my crowded and not ready for photos due to renovations studio. We had about a quarter of the room to utilize as my partner and I had been using the room for storage while we painted other rooms of our house. A large mid-century antique desk stood firm in the direct center of the room. Neither of us could move it and neither of us had the mobility to use it to our advantage. At the end of the seven hours we spent together, we had a total of about 10 usable photos. While the photographic results of the session did not turn out as intended, we both learned a lot about where we were in our health and wellness journeys and she learned a lot about where she was at in her relationship with her body. She had previously done some modeling but had a recent brain surgery. Several years later, she is still working to get where she wants to be in her relationship with her body but if we had not persisted – she may have never ended up confronting her feelings about her medical trauma, her condition and subsequent treatment. It was profound and left us both in awe of the emotions that flooded out in the weeks and months after. She has actually mentioned this experience on her podcast bringing awareness to how common chronic illnesses are and the details of her condition.

This experience was so life-changing that she sent her godmother my way. We will call her Miss. S. While I cannot discuss the life circumstances that lead Miss. S to my studio for a boudoir session, I can detail on the what and why. Every February 14th, I throw a “Be Your own Valentine” special. I go all out and buy my clients those silly heart boxes of chocolates and write them a hand-made Valentine. We have a hand-crafted charcuterie board and a professional hair and make-up artist is present to style them. We always have an all out ball with laughter and dancing – blasting those girl power tunes. Miss S was my first client to book and her session was straight up FIRE. I have seen few people own their misfortunes and past trauma and come to life, flourishing and radiating self-awareness and acceptance of their body and divine feminine quite the way she did. She knocked it out of the park – she started her session stiff, unsure of herself and left feeling powerful and strong, sexy and satisfied with who and how she was in that exact moment. I do a before & after snapshot with an Instamax so that my clients can tangibly see the progression of their body language. Miss S was in shock; she cried in seeing how much she relaxed and felt herself. It was moving and beautiful and reminded me exactly why I do what I do. Both of these women left my studio having had profound mental and emotional changes and realizations about the connection of their bodies, minds, and souls. This is the most incredible of feelings as a creative mind and as an artist and business owner : Changing perception and changing lives. This is the power of what we can do and inspire with our talents and time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://paperplanephoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperplanephoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaperPlanePhotographs
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaperPhotoSA
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/paper-plane-photographs-pflugerville
• Other: Boudoir Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/paperplanephotointimates Boudoir Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/people/Paper-Plane-Photographs-Intimates/100091319171818/?sk=about Cuddle Therapy Listing : https://cuddlist.com/lauraleigh/ Cuddle Therapy Listing 2 : https://www.cuddlecomfort.com/JustPlaneCuddle