Meet Laura Eleanor Williams | Freelance Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Eleanor Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura Eleanor, how has your work-life balance changed over time?

I’ll be honest, this is a constant work in progress! There are some strategies I’ve found helpful, but the way I approach it depends largely on my phase of life/current priorities. A couple of years ago I felt frantic, as if I had fallen behind and had to catch up on accomplishing things. Heading into spring semester (my last at UGA before graduating), I knew there were some changes in balance I had to make. At the end of fall semester I was editing a handful of photoshoots, including my first wedding. I was also smack dab in the middle of finals. One night I was rushing to write a paper due the next morning and started panicking as I thought of all the other finals I had to take, photoshoots I needed to edit, and commitments I’d made. Next thing I knew I was sitting on my roommate’s floor hyperventilating. One roommate was holding my hand, another was giving me her comfort blanket, and another was holding a cold washcloth to my forehead. Not my finest moment, but looking back it was not surprising at all. The problem boiled down to that I was compensating for my insecurity about the value of my work by giving back way more photos than necessary, setting very few boundaries for when and where I work, and expecting myself to be able to have a busy social life, grow my business, and graduate magna cum laude. Individually all of those things were very reachable, but add them up and it becomes a little less straightforward. I finished the semester and got everything done, but I was fatigued in every way. I started to realize that the things that might make my life easier might also make my business better. First step was becoming more decisive with photo selection. I was giving back too many photos. I always want to give as many options back as possible, but sometimes less is truly more. My clients don’t need 4 virtually lookalike photos. Part of my job is making executive decisions on the photo selection so that they don’t have to sift through as much. I can still give ample options without making myself crazy. Expecting all of your photos to turn out superb just is not realistic. If you are trying to give back every single photo that turns out decent, you will inevitably end up with a lot less satisfaction as you look at the finished product. Focus on what stands out and be able to spend extra time and attention on editing.

Part of what makes balance hard is that photography is my passion and is something I want to be spending my time doing. Photographers have less structure than most other professionals, and while that can be amazing, it also means you have to be making sure you have boundaries in place. I’m curious to see how much my boundaries change as I begin to transition into full time photography now that I’ve graduated. I graduated in May after going through my busiest grad season yet with a full load and busy social calendar. Yet there were some clients I let fall through the cracks because I couldn’t keep up with communications, I needed to accept a lot of encouragement and help from friends, and I graduated just 0.01 under the magna cum laude GPA. Could I have done more to have gotten that higher level of honors? Absolutely. I might have been capable but that doesn’t mean I needed to do more. When I started college, my goal was to not flunk out. As I began to see what I was capable of, I wanted to push myself more and more. But my achievements do not make me who I am. When I think about balance in my life, I try to think about things I am missing because of schedule or lack of energy. I never want to put the people I love on the back burner while I burn the candle at both ends. Working long hours does not mean a lack of balance necessarily, especially when it is something with purpose that you love. Just remember that you are not your productivity. I don’t know who decided that your life’s meaning was based on your productivity, but I’d like to have a chat with them. Check in with yourself and do not assume that you will lose momentum by readjusting the way you do some things. Also, if you are working another job or just doing photography a little on the side, that does not make you less professional! Your professionalism is established in many other ways. You are still a photographer.

The US tends to glorify busyness so much that it can often feel as though you are lazy if you want more balance in your life. So much self-esteem gets tied to your career. You are so much more than what you do! I am currently studying in Norway for the summer, and it has been refreshing to witness such a different, more balanced approach to work. Plenty of people here are passionate about their work, but it seems to be a lot less defining of who they are. While of course it is not always possible to cut down on the hours you work, it is helpful to throw out the idea that prioritizing things above work is lazy or shows lack of dedication. One does not negate the other. It is difficult to enjoy and appreciate everything on your plate when it is too full. What does your balanced plate look like? And I don’t mean the nutritional plate! Draw a plate and portion out where you want to be spending your time. Don’t overthink it. Then draw another with all the things that currently occupy your time and energy. Look at how they match up. What can you make smaller? What needs to be made bigger? What might need to go altogether? You probably will not be able to instantly redesign your whole plate, but sometimes you become so focused on all the things you “should” do that you forget the things that you truly want and need to prioritize. Where do you need to be giving yourself more grace? Maybe you can only adjust your plate a little for now, but bit by bit and day by day you can move closer to a plate that reflects your priorities — free from outside pressures and voices. Your balance might look like laziness to others. Or it might look like complete chaos. Busy does not mean full, and slow does not mean empty.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Sometimes I feel that having fewer interests would make my life easier, or at least simpler. But that is just not me. Having ten thousand interests is great until suddenly you can’t decide what to do with the time you have. This has definitely been true within my photography career. I love photographing graduating seniors, capturing love stories through weddings and engagements, documenting events, and everything in between. That makes up most of what I do, and I want to keep doing it! However, I also adore wildlife photography, sports photography, and journalistic photography. I have had to focus more on what is financially practical (don’t get me wrong, I love what I am doing), but I want to make sure that I still dip my toes where I can. After all, photography is my creative outlet and passion. Just because I have something that is working for me professionally does not mean that I stop exploring photography. You’ve got to keep your creativity at the center of it. After all, many people can take good pictures, so honestly the best thing you can do is make sure you are keeping yourself interested. For me, I get very sentimental about photography. I want my portraits to feel timeless, romantic, classic, and personal. But as I do different types of photography, that changes. I’ve stopped worrying so much about my style staying consistent. Variation is part of the creative process!

I used to be so worried about what my clients would think of the edits that I would sometimes send back multiple versions of the same photo just in case. I still do that occasionally when I see potential for multiple editing styles, but I have to trust that if I am being hired, then they already know and like my style. Only compare for inspiration. And keep in mind the thousands of photos that were not posted when you look at a photographer’s social media and see perfect consistency in quality and style. When you stare at a photo you’ve been editing for long enough, you probably are never going to see it for what it is. So give yourself grace and a little credit!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
It is no secret that ATL is a great spot for concerts! This past year I’ve seen Leon, Marina, and Taylor Swift in ATL. All very different vibes in very different venues. They are of course very well-known names, but there are so many local ATL talents! Between Athens and ATL I’ve hit the concert jackpot. I would take a friend to a couple of concerts — an intimate one and a bigger one. There is no place like the Roxy in my opinion! I think my perfect day showing off Atlanta would start with a run to any small, local coffee shop, a trip to the botanical gardens, brunch at any place that has a good eggs Benedict, a thrifting run, and a concert in the evening.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it until I am blue in the face; my big brother is why I am where I am. Ben bought me my first camera and built up my confidence in my work. I have more than one person who I owe thanks to though. I have been lucky to have patient friends to help me understand my camera and equipment better. My lifelong friend, Josiah Lavender, is an incredibly talented bird/nature photographer, and we have had countless nerdy conversations about cameras, editing, and our dream photography gigs. His enthusiasm for photography has pushed me to keep taking pictures and lean into my own style. Even though I do not (currently) do nature photography, those are the photographers who tend to inspire me most. Paul Nicklen is of course the first to come to mind. That is partially due to how he uses his work for the betterment of our natural world. Every kind of photography has the power to create change. Pictures can capture activism, but also inspire it. As our environment is the most pressing matter of our time, conveying the urgency of climate change and the immeasurable value of our natural resources through photography is truly a vital piece of the puzzle.

Website: https://www.lauraeleanorphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraeleanorphoto/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080346634120

Image Credits
For photo of me: Jean-Luc Mohele