We were lucky to catch up with Natalie Lacek recently and have shared our conversation below.
Natalie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My name is Natalie Lacek and I am a photographer based in Pittsburgh, PA. My company, Natalie Lacek Photography, LLC, strives to give my clients the best experience possible with photos they can enjoy forever. Beyond my photography services, my business mission is to empower others while creating images to reflect individuality. Everyone is unique, and sometimes it can be hard not to compare yourself to others (I know I’ve been there). With my business, I hope that every client, friend, and person that I reach will leave with a sense of confidence. This is especially important to me and my photo services so that I capture authenticity in people and moments that are special to them. Photos do not have to be perfect, they just have to tell your story, and storytelling is where my business thrives. I personally have been on a long journey of finding my own self-confidence and I hope that with my photography people will grow a little more kinder to themselves and see how to embrace their individuality.
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 got into photography in middle school when I was gifted a camera for my birthday. From there, I never put it down. I would photograph nature, friends, family, even just around the house and was always fascinated by how much control the camera gives us to create our own images. Upon graduating high school, I attended Point Park University and obtained my Bachelors of Fine Art in Photography. Through this program, I learned what it truly means to create images and how they can be present in the real world. While working on various photo projects, especially editorial and fashion portraiture, I grew passionate about climate change and how we treat our planet. I became invested in understanding how fashion is contributing directly to climate change and presented my thesis project on this topic. While exploring this heavy topic, I started developing my freelance photography business and brand. I am proud to say that my brand values doing good whether that is for the community or our planet as a whole. I am in this industry to make a change, not just to create trendy photos. I want people to leave sessions with me feeling empowered, while also knowing they are giving their money to a business that does good and cares for the world around it.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being a photographer, for me, is the ability to make a change. Whether that is through creating images for a family photo shoot or developing a long-term socially important photographic project, or providing images for another small business’s marketing materials, I value the ability to make a difference in someones life no matter how big or small. Photos live forever and they allow us to look back and relive beautiful memories.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I feel like sometimes creative fields can be overlooked as just a hobby. Creative people see the world differently, and if they are building their own business around their craft, like me, it is not an easy journey by any means. Finding your unique style, creating a brand for yourself, and so many other factors go into building a creative career. I feel like I could speak for most creatives here when I say that we all just want to feel fulfilled, and creating art with whatever medium you prefer, gives us a sense of purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.natalielacek.com
- Instagram: @natlacek
- Facebook: Natalie Lacek Photography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-lacek-5b7415199/