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

Lu, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Like many artists, my love for art began at an early age. My mother was a painter, and her art turned out to be one of my greatest inspirations. She loved Impressionism and as I became exposed to it, I learned about the style and painters of that era. Their use of light, color, highlights, and shadows deeply resonated with me and became a big influence and inspiration for my photography.

I traveled frequently with my family and enjoyed capturing the world I was discovering with my camera. Photography remained a hobby for many years and it was not until I became a web designer that the demand for images allowed me to bring photography into my workflow. I developed expertise in numerous software programs such as Photoshop, Camera Raw, and Lightroom, which I now use in my photographic artistry. It didn’t take long for me to realize that photography had soon turned into a passion and was no longer a hobby. The realization that web design only partly satisfied my desire for creativity and art, combined with my love for travel, made it clear that I wanted to pursue a career in photography.

Once I decided to transition from web design to photography as my primary occupation I realized that it was a must to learn everything there is to know about photography as an art and as a business. That is when I enrolled at NYIP. The Complete Course in Professional Photography was excellent and gave me the additional knowledge I needed to start my photography business. Not only did it cover every technical aspect and type of photography but also covered photography as a business and how to start your own business.

Once I felt prepared for all aspects of starting a photography business I founded Lu Ross Photography, Inc. initially working from my home studio. Through my travels photographing landscapes, nature, and cityscapes I created a large portfolio of images. With this in hand, I used my knowledge and expertise in web design to create my website www.LuRossPhotography.com to advertise my artwork.

Photography and travel have come together as one, in the subject matter and essence of my work. I have photographed spectacular locations, and have always been in search of the unique, the remote, and the undiscovered. As time went by, my photographic vision began to change. I began to dig deeper into the world of art and my subconscious to come up with work that was more thought-provoking instead of just capturing the “iconic” shot. This is where my journey changed direction to include abstract photography in my collection of work. At this point, I began to draw not only from Impressionism but also from Abstract Expressionism.

I believe that the primary quality required to become a successful photographer is passion. If you love what you do then you will be successful. My goal is to share my love of photography by creating compelling images that inspire and connect with the viewer. Dedication and patience are important as well. It takes long days and many hours of work to create a top quality image. Not only do you spend long days in the field but also in post-processing.

You also need to have a strong interest in learning. We live in a digital world and not only do you need to learn every aspect of your equipment but also learn how to use the vast number of software programs to post-process your images, such as Lightroom, Photoshop, and many others.
Learning is a lifetime process so we all need to keep learning and stay up to date. Technology moves fast!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I’m Lu Ross, and I want to bring you calm and happiness by inspiring you to become more connected to nature. I’m a fine art nature photographer and digital artist, instructor, author, exhibiting artist, conservationist, and National Parks artist. I’ve spent a lifetime exploring the world and observing Mother Nature. I’ve come to realize that the beauty, peace, and joy we experience while out in the wilderness has a very real and strong healing power. My mission is to share the emotional connection that I feel with The Natural World. It’s this feeling of closeness and unity with the world around me that I want to share with you. I invite you to experience Zen and oneness with creation through my art.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Read my extended bio here: My Artist Journey
Read my Artist Statement here: Creating The Image

I’M ALWAYS READY TO ASSIST YOU

If you want to bring the beauty, energy, and power of nature indoors, you can explore my portfolios on “Nature Photography” or “Abstracts in Nature”.

Creating a space to relax from the daily stress is becoming more and more important every day. If you want some ideas on how to accomplish this you can read “The Importance of Color” and “The Spirit of Autumn”  on Art Insights.

Do you need to visualize my art in your space? Email me at info@LuRossPhotography.com or follow the steps on my website at My Art On Your Wall.

If you are a conservationist and are not sure know how to contribute, let me share the “Give Back To Nature Project” You can participate in re-forestation and help our planet as well as the human race.

If you want to connect deeper you can sign up for “Art Insights” here and get my monthly articles and a free wallpaper for your desktop and mobile devices.

My artwork is currently on exhibit at Dana Bay Gallery in Dana Point, CA. Over the years I have sold my artwork at galleries, shows, and museums such as the Wildling Museum of Art & Nature, Desert Light Gallery – as an Artist in Residence for the Mojave National Preserve Artists Foundation, Alice-Rice Gallery in Laguna Beach, Art-A-Fair Fine Art Festival in Laguna Beach, Art San Diego – Contemporary Art Show, Quorum Art Gallery in Laguna Beach, and Dana Bay Gallery.

I published my first book “Elements of Mojave “ in 2019. My work has been featured in numerous newspaper articles and published in many magazines such as Laguna Beach Magazine, Premiere OC-Orange Coast Magazine, Hobie Hotline Magazine, Laguna Beach Independent Newspaper, Desert Light Magazine, Harboring the Good Life – Dana Point’s visitors’ guidebook, San Juan Capistrano Treasures – visitors’ guidebook, and the Santa Barbara News-Press.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to share my emotional connection with Mother Nature and express its peace, love, and, joy through my art. I use my photography as a visual language to communicate and inspire. It’s a tool with which to create awareness of the sacredness of nature and pay homage to the amazing world we live in as well as encourage its preservation. I want to inspire you to become more connected to nature. My ultimate goal as an artist is to alluringly convey the healing power of art and nature so you can fully experience it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a photographer and digital artist is that I get to make a living doing what I love to do. My two biggest passions are travel and photography. I get to travel and photograph the world; its nature, cities, people, and cultures. By sharing my images I intend for the viewer to make an emotional connection to these subjects and at the same time, I want to bring awareness to the beauty that exists all around us. Photography has opened up a whole new world for me and I hope that my work impacts my viewers in a similar way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lurossphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lurossphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuRossPhotography/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lurossphotography/
• Other: Mojave National Preserve Artist in Residence project: Art is available for sale at the MNP website with 40% of the proceeds benefiting the National Park Service.
• My book “Elements of Mojave” is for sale at Amazon and BLURB.

• Artists Giving Back: A percentage of my art sales go to planting trees in developing countries.