Photographer Feature: Lana MacNaughton

Name
Lanakila (Lana)

Tumblr | Flickr

Age
23

Location
Portland

Who or what sparked your interest in photography?
My friend in high school got a D50 for his birthday. We were 16. He would tromp around school with it and I became zealous and wanted in. My parents got me a D50 for my 18th and from that I was hooked. Film is my true passion but digital allowed me to sharpen my eye.

Who are some of your favorite photographers?
Sarah Moon, Aneta Bartos, Ellen Rogers

Do you have any formal education in photography or are you self taught?
Self taught, a few seminars here and there.

Is photography your career?
It is developing into one. I couple photography with graphic design which is what I am in school for right now.

How long did it take you to turn photography from a hobby into a career?
It has been a slow process, one that continues to be difficult but worth it. It has been roughly 3 years.

Do you currently do portrait work (children, babies, weddings, etc) as part of your career or does your income primarily come from personal projects, print sales, and publications?
I shoot all of the above what ever will help me pay for film. I hope to be able to support myself by print sales, one day!

Do you have any tips for photographers who are trying to move from hobbyists to full time and earning a livable income?
Shoot as much as you can find people that inspire you and think about their creative process. Go where the light is.

Are you currently working on any photography projects?
I am always scouting for models around town to shoot and try to keep my blog fresh with new images. I am always doing freelance which is not very much fun but it brings in the bacon.

If you won a $400 million lottery how would you use it?
I would buy a BSA 1968 motorcycle, get a large format camera, buy a English dog, an old victorian house in the west hills and travel the world and shoot.

What is your favorite thing to photograph and why?
People and landscapes. I like to create my own world when I shoot, a face and a body is tool to visually communicate what I am feeling. Landscapes help me to create the world that I wish I lived in.

Where do you find and how do you instruct your models?
Facebook has been a huge help with models. I'll post pictures and people contact me or I contact them. I am a fan of allowing the moment to do what it wants. I want whoever I am shooting to feel comfortabe. I lightly instruct, move around a lot, have an idea in my head that I will bring out one way or another.

Do you listen to music while you shoot? If so, what is on your photo shoot play list?
Not usually unless in the studio. Baths, Star Slinger, Toro y moi, CFCF, Fever Ray, Starfucker, Com Truise

What kind of camera(s) do you use? What is your "go to" lens?
I started out with the Holga, which I still love. I have moved on to a cx hasselblad body and my go to lens is a 50 mm f4 lens.

What do you do when you are feeling uninspired?
I get nervous because I just want to shoot it but know that I have to get all the pieces to the puzzle before I cant (location, model, light)

Future photography goals?
I think I am going to get into product photography. I live in Portland so product sells since we have Nike, Adidas, Columbia. My dream is to be a high fashion portrait photographer.

Describe a day in your life that includes photography:
Yesterday I ran out to Sauvies Island with my mom set up a tripod in a field and took long exposures. Sauvies is one of the most beautiful place I know.

What does your work flow consist of?
Depends on the job, usually downloading images, selecting best, curves, skin correction.

Three interesting facts about yourself?

1. I have a littlefoot dinosaur tattoo on my inner right arm. 
2. I dont drink or do drugs. 
3. I am my worst critic.

What, if anything, do you do to promote your photography? Approximately how much time do you spend per day/week on promoting your photography online?
Word of mouth, blog, my site is in the making. Not enough!