We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lindsay Laws a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lindsay, appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?
To set students up for success, they need to be taught more basic life skills. Schools should offer more classes that will help them excel in areas of interest and aid them in choosing a suitable career for themselves. This is practiced in many European schools. This model brings more interest from the learner and they will be more likely to “want to learn”, rather than “have to learn”. Not all of us are going to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, or politicians. Of course, basics in mathematics, reading and language arts, science and history are all valuable subjects. However, I don’t agree with students being given so little to choose from when it comes to the classes they have to take, especially going into junior high and high school.
For example, we all need to know how to do laundry, cook nutritious meals, change a flat tire, learn how to pay a mortgage, safely invest our money, pick a healthcare plan, buy a car, and provide for ourselves and our families. These are things we NEED to know how to do. And while many would argue that these are skills that should be taught at home, many children don’t have a place to go home to where these skills are practiced, much less taught.
Students also need to have a variety of courses to choose from so that they can learn what they feel most confident in as a career. Classes that teach about child care and home economics, more art and music, more wood working and mechanic classes.
It’s unfortunate that so many students will go thousands of dollars into debt while wasting their time switching from one major to another at a big university when they should’ve been given the opportunity to find their passion and career path beforehand. Additionally, many students will lose confidence in themselves because they were forced to take classes that were much too advanced for them or in an area that did not suit them. Therefore, they will end up dropping out or graduating with no ambition or desire to serve themselves or the world around them.
We need doctors, engineers, lawyers and architects. But we also need pastors, chefs, carpenters, lineman, plumbers, and artists.
I feel beyond blessed to say that I have been able to turn my passion of photography into a career while still being a stay at home mother to our growing family of four. My hard working husband has been extremely supportive of me while starting my photography business after our first son was born and growing that business over the last year and a half. I was lucky enough to have found my interest in photography at a young age and practiced for years before turning it into a career. Like many though, I too felt the need to go to college to find out what I “supposed” to do. I had always loved working with children and knew I wanted to be a mother someday, so the natural choice seemed to be to become a teacher. I grew up in a family of teachers that I saw first hand positively impact so many. I wanted to help children feel confident in the classroom and carry that confidence out in all the areas of their lives just as I had seen my parents do.
So I spent two years at the University of Montana Western and one year at Salish Kootenai College studying Early Childhood Education. I worked for three years teaching preschool, then moved into the elementary school setting as a paraprofessional where I taught small group reading and worked one on one with students. Additionally, I coached middle school basketball and volleyball for two years and middle school track and field for one year.
While I did end up changing career paths, the years I spent in education and coaching are something I’m very grateful for. They have helped me become a better mother, and appreciate the time I get to spend with my children while still pursuing photography.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
When I was ten years old I received my first camera as a Christmas gift and quickly fell in love with photography. I started practicing right away, entered into several photo contests, and started doing photography in 4H. I also shadowed a few local photographers over the years. Once I reached high school I started taking senior photos, as well as a few engagement shoots.
Before starting my business, Lindsay Laws Photography, in February of 2023 I spent five years in education. I studied at universities to pursue a degree in early childhood education, and worked in both elementary and preschool settings. In addition to going to school and working as a preschool teacher and paraprofessional; I also helped coach several middle school sports.
After realizing I didn’t want to spend anymore time or money on schooling, I took some time to just work and figure out if photography was something I wanted to pick back up and start taking seriously. After our first son was born in January 2023, it seemed like the perfect time to officially launch Lindsay Laws Photography. It’s given me more flexibility than a traditional 9-5 work schedule. I’ve been able to find a balance in being a stay at home mom and having my own business.
My favorite part of my job is helping my clients capture some of the most important and joyous moments of their lives. Seeing a groom cry happy tears as his bride walks down the aisle, the beautiful miracle of a newborn baby entering the world, the starry look a young child has in their eyes when they look at their parents, or the glow and excitement a senior has as they are about to embark on a new adventure can all become treasured images that last a lifetime. One of my biggest goals is to help my clients feel carefree and confident in front of the camera. Then they can look back on that season of life and reminisce.
I work in all areas of photography including but not limited to: couples and engagements, newborn and maternity, families, mommy + me, seniors, private contracted work, and small weddings or elopements.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Growing up I was never the smartest in the class, but I worked really hard and earned high honors in elementary, middle school, high school, and even college. Because of my work ethic, that my parents modeled and instilled in me, I have been able to start my business and feel confident in the work that I do. My wish is that all young adults that may think they aren’t “smart enough” or “good enough” at something, would ditch that mindset and know that everyone has something special to offer the world. I don’t think that God would give us the passion and desire to set goals for ourselves and take chances and not give us the strength and resilience to work hard and make that happen. Believe in yourself and surround yourself with people that love and support you.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Starting a business is not cheap and it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a ton of sacrifice and a strong support system. Boy, have I been blessed with my support system. When I decided to take the jump into starting my business there was a lot that needed to be done. I needed to educate myself, I needed mentors, and obviously I needed the finances to get things rolling. My husband encouraged me to stay home with our son while he worked full time to support our family. Money was tight but we both agreed that me staying home was more important than getting a part time or full time job. We knew how important it was for our son to have his parents present, and we didn’t want to miss out on anything. I was able to be at home with our newborn and learn all that I could about starting a business. My parents were also extremely supportive as I made the decision to officially launch Lindsay Laws Photography. I needed more reliable equipment to get started. My parents loaned us the money for a new camera, laptop and other essential items.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lindsaylawsphotography.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: @lindsaylawsphotography
Image Credits
The photo in the white dress is of me and the photo was taken by @aureliakphotography