We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marcella Laine. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marcella below.

Marcella, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I was 23 when I quit my full-time job and pursued photography. I was a little over a year out of college, and had been working a few design jobs which were within my degree of graphic arts and design. I moved to a new city for a corporate job that was super comfortable, for the first time in my life I had financial security, and was experiencing tons of benefits of working for a large company. As a quick-to-romanticize life artist, there were parts of me that loved walking downtown through the maze of buildings, and acting like I knew what I was doing as an adult. Day to day was easeful, and I received praise often. It was a place that I could have comfortably settled into, and stayed long term. But very quickly I realized that I was no longer growing every day, and that stagnancy really spooked me.

Then I had an opportunity that I simply couldn’t turn down; to travel to Cambodia and spend a month on a sustainable farm, documenting the process of implementing a regenerative system that would provide stable jobs, profits and food for the community there. I knew the minute I took the call that I would have to quit my full time job, but it wasn’t even a question as this was the kind of opportunity that I had dreamt about. I committed that day and put in my two weeks within the month.

After that trip, I decided that being a freelancer was for me, and I pursued photography full-time. I’ve never thought twice about it.

Whenever I’m asked how I knew when to transition to full-time self-employed, I say that the world was just working in my favor pushing me in the direction I was supposed to go, and that I was too dumb to be scared. I never would have anticipated my career to be where it is today, and I know that simply taking the opportunities as they arose and pursuing them passionately was the most important thing I ever did.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Hello! I go by Marci, or Marcella Laine, and am a photographer and artist based in Seattle, Washington. I primarily document real-life couples and their unique relationships and experiences. I have found that making people feel comfortable and beautiful and creating something meaningful that captures their essence is one of the most fulfilling things I could do. I feel incredibly lucky to get to travel around the world experiencing beautiful celebrations of love and community, speaking and leading other artists, and witnessing some of the most beautiful scenes of natural landscapes this planet has to provide. I have been lucky enough to shoot proposals in front of the Italian Dolomite’s most dramatic peaks, engagement photos on Ireland’s windy Cliffs of Moher, and wedding portraits in the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert. I have led photo and personal growth workshops in Washington’s Mt Rainier National Park, and California’s Joshua Tree Desert, with a mission of appreciating our natural land, respect of its true heritage, and principles to promote responsible recreation in the outdoors. My work has taken me across the country dozens of times, and I am endlessly inspired by the different ways to view a scene, and the ever-evolving and changing expeirence of human relationships. To witness hundreds of different ways to love one another is always a healing path.

I feel extremely lucky to have found a niche where I am able to combine passions for people, experiences, the outdoors, and authenticity. I also sell prints and products of my landscape photos, always some of my favorite work, of which all proceeds are donated to the First Nations Land Stewardship Program, The goal of which is to provide assistance to support Native ecological stewardship and improve Native control of and access to ancestral lands.

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

Similar to what I mentioned before, I learned early on that my source of fulfillment came from feeling growth in my day to day, knowing that I was continuously evolving not only as an artist but also within my communities, personally, and through experiences. I feel so grateful that the path I’m on allows me to connect with people from all walks of life, and continue to learn without stagnancy but curiously and openly.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media has been an incredibly powerful tool for me over the years, it’s truly a beautiful source for creators to present their living portfolios to the public with little to no expense. For me, it’s always been a space to be inspired, to connect, and to share things I’m proud of with the world. It’s a vulnerable thing to put your art out there, hoping others connect with it, so being able to do so online eliminates some of that intimidation. My growth has been consistent and natural since I began my account in 2016, what works for me is just being present and putting yourself out there. With time, you will find growth and trends in how and what you share, and eventually, a voice to represent your work. Another unique aspect of social media is that it allows followers to attach a person to the work they are consuming, which is a really powerful way to gain brand loyalty. As I strengthened my voice, and began comfortably sharing my values, perspective, interests, and some personal insight, my clients (the people who pay my salary, not just the ones who follow me) grew to share those interests and my photography became that much more meaningful. It is an incredibly special thing to share vulnerability through subject / photographer connection, and to do so with those who similarly crave authenticity, nature, and vulnerability makes the fact that it’s my job surreal.

Contact Info:

• Website: marcellalaine.com
• Instagram: @marcellalaine
• Facebook: Marcella Laine Photography

Image Credits
Main Image of me: India Earl