Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Miki Lansdowne . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Miki thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
am a self-taught photographer. Around the age of seven, I became interested in cameras and photography. It started off as a hobby and with several different subjects. I became more passionate about it throughout the years and decided to cross over from hobby to professional. I started my first business, Live Wire Locals. Primarily in that business, I photograph various musical artists for the venues I partnered with in advertising. It helped me sharpen my craft and develop my eye. I learned how to capture good angles and shoot in various lighting situations. It was a lot of pressure, especially since I was not very experienced. But just throwing myself out there and taking that risk helped me. I did that for a couple of years, and then my subject matter changed. I became deeply passionate about urban exploration photography. I learned composition and natural lighting here and captured my best work. Eventually, I felt like I needed more education, so I went on to a local college. I was very excited to push myself beyond my comfort zone, but within the first semester, I started losing my passion and felt trapped. I also felt that I would not be considered a professional if I didn’t do this. One day after class, my professor asked me to stay back. She asked me a weird question, “Miki, why are you here?” Stunned, I replied, “to get an education in photography, of course.” then she just laughed and said, “no, why are you here?” I just looked at her for a minute, and then I said, “I would like to be able to talk to people and explain to them why I do things the way I do and how I do it because, honestly, I don’t know how I do it, it just happens. I figured it out along the way, and it works!” She laughed and said, “Miki, that’s called an artist! To be a professional, you don’t need to know how to talk about it or even everything about it!”. My professor then grabbed one of my photographs, sat in front of me, and said, ” Look at this; it’s amazing you already are a professional! From that point on, I just knew! I needed to continue the path I was on before going to school, and I did! Could I have stuck it out and picked up some things that would’ve helped me? Sure! But my passion came back, and the adventure I felt by figuring things out myself. So honestly, I would not trade that for anything! I’m not saying don’t go to college, I’m just saying it didn’t work for me, and if that keeps me from being a professional to some, then they are not the right fit for me, and that’s OK. Life is full of obstacles, but that’s also where growth opportunities come from in my eyes. The only obstacle that can stand in your way is yourself!
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
I fell in love with photography and abandoned buildings as a young child. Going back to my roots, the country roads of West Virginia ignited my passion for my work. I have traveled the country photographing abandoned places and enjoy setting up art shows to showcase them. My most notable trip was to Kyiv and Pripyat, Ukraine, to photograph Chornobyl; that was an experience to treasure! I am one of the founding members of the Decay Devils, a nonprofit organization and historic preservation group out of Gary, Indiana. I recently published my first book, and I thought Gary, Indiana deserved the spotlight because it is where I started doing urban exploration photography and where the Decay Devils originated, so it was perfect! It is titled “Abandoned Gary Indiana Steel Bones.” I am very proud of it. I have always dreamt of publishing my work in a book and would love to do more in the future. I have lived in various locations, and In 2013 I moved to Sacramento, California. In 2014 I did my first major art show. It was during that time I felt I was truly discovered. During the show, a lady approached me with questions about my work. We talked for a little while, and she took my card. Unknowingly, I was talking to a scout, which later led me to be featured on PBS Televisions Arts Showcase, and that interview was nominated for a 2014 Emmy award. I was also honored by Raw Natural Born Artists in Sacramento, California, as photographer of the year. I hated leaving California, but I missed family and moved back south, which also brought an excellent opportunity to be deemed one of South Magazine’s greatest photographers. Since then, publications have kept coming, and I’m grateful for those opportunities. People who know me from photography probably do not know that I’ve also been a beauty artist for 12 years! I’ve been called a Jill of trades because I enjoy so many different things! I really love the beauty industry. In the last couple of years, I started to add focus to portrait photography as well, so I really look forward to diving into that and seeing what opportunities it brings my way!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
It’s so rewarding for me when people are taken back by my photographs; I’m honored to feel their excitement! I love that they want to hear stories and ask questions. My favorite is when people tell me stories about my pictures, hearing about what they see and feel; it’s the best! Then they go home and put that art piece on their wall,. That will spark imagination and adventure in their mind, and then they will talk to others about it, and so the story continues!
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Many people don’t understand why I did not finish college for photography or have chosen such an obscure subject. They also do not understand my draw to abandoned places or why I would put myself at such risk to capture these photos. My answer is I don’t like to limit myself or take a road that doesn’t bring me happiness. I don’t follow social norms of what is considered professional, what others think I should be, or what I should do. We all have our own journey. College is a great help, but for some, it stifles creativity, and I was not willing to risk my creativity, but I will take a significant risk for that one shot! It’s a place or something you may never get the opportunity to see again or even at all! I go places most would be afraid to go, like the Chornobyl nuclear site or just some random factory in the middle of nowhere; I’ve seen magnificent churches. If I can capture it, then it will be preserved forever! In my mind, that’s pretty inspirational, and it challenges others. Go for your dreams, do things that terrify you, and conquer that fear! Step out and take the risk. Even if it’s not what others are doing, it is something you can remember forever or wish you did forever. You can take the path least taken or the one most taken; there is no wrong or right way, just what’s right for you! Either way, just go and don’t let anything limit you!
Contact Info:
- Website: mikilansdowne.com
- Instagram: @mikilansdowne
- Youtube: _
- Other: https://www.pbs.org/video/kvie-arts-showcase-photographer-miki-lansdowne/
Image Credits
Evelyn Hughes Tony and Juniper Winston Chloé Neely