Meet Micah Laplante | Photographer, Videographer, YouTuber

We had the good fortune of connecting with Micah Laplante and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Micah, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I always had an insatiable need to create. Most jobs I held pryer to owning my business were physical jobs that prevented me from using my imagination in a creative way. I was often distracted and dissatisfied with whatever I was doing. So I spent a lot of my free time creating either videos or pieces of art in the form of illustration and photography. Always had some sort of project going until I started getting asked to do some paid work. Eventually, I started the business so I could address my taxes properly because of the income I was gaining. Then it just felt right and I quit my full-time carpet cleaning job with my wife’s support and just dove headfirst into working full-time for myself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Mostly photography and video these days. Thats what I have been enjoying the most success in the past 2 years. It’s hard to sit here and say that I’m special. I think we all want to be, some of us get there. Some start off that way. Some have to work a little harder. I have always had an extra dose of Imagination. I love exploring, and putting the two together has usually been a bonus. I never really stick to a formula, I try to put my personality into the work I care about. The best compliment I have ever received about my photography is that I am good at capturing the “essence” of people. In the video work I do, I try to keep the feeling human. To see things from another angle or point of view. Maybe so others can see the world as I do for a few minutes. But most importantly I think I like to avoid niches. I think niches kill creativity. They certainly have their place, especially from a business standpoint. But I think limiting yourself to one kind of work can limit your growth in others. For instance, photography helped my compositions in illustration. Editing photos helped me achieve a better understanding of color and helped my video color grading. Animation helped me understand timing and intention used in all filmmaking.

By exploring different facets of art you can grow differently than some that stick to a specific craft. Not necessarily better, but different. Maybe it’s just a way I have to deal with my ADHD, but I do believe it’s helped me grow. Speaking of ADHD, I’d say that may just be my biggest challenge with owning a business and running it efficiently. I’m glad that I and a larger population are beginning to understand that condition better. It’s exactly a lack of concentration that’s the issue, it’s a lack of ability to regulate it well. Which is an issue if you have timelines to do things. I’m trying to get better at how much to put on myself at one time. Usually too much but I’m getting better. Also, I’m learning to forgive myself if I have a particular bad brain day. Sometimes you just lose a day. And that’s ok. I’ll have other days that are great and get a ton accomplished. Ultimately I get to do the thing I love, and that’s fantastic.

My biggest passion for the Laplanet Arts brand is my YouTube channel of the same name. On the channel, I explore topics in the creative spaces that mean a lot to me. Eventually, the goal is to be full-time on the platform. To be able to create videos that I care a lot about at my pace and without having to search out work seems like a dream come true. I’m pretty optimistic about the brand’s future.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Atlanta has a ton of places for just that. We already have had a few friends come to visit us and explore this very question. Ok, for us usually the first place we take people is Krog street market. Incredible food of all kinds there. Then we hop on the beltline and go to Ponce City Market. The vibes there are immaculate, especially if you have never been. Great food and overall feel to the industrial wood and steel factory esthetic. For smaller restaurants, you have to try Figo. A severely underappreciated Italian restaurant where you can order anything and be happy with it. Buy their homemade olive oil. It’s perfection. For deserts go to the southern pie company. A+ pies. And you can’t go wrong with Jeni’s Icecream. After You’ve gorged yourself, sleep it off and the next day go to the high museum and GA Aquarium. Best Aquarium I have ever been to. After that a relaxed evening at one of the many outstanding breweries like Reformation Brewery, or a night at Avalon, or Halcyon. Lots of waterfalls and nature to take in just an hour and a half north around Helen if you love nature too.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh man. What a loaded question, I remember all the support I have gotten along the way, but in recent years I have to thank my wife for letting me do the work that I do. All freelance work has its ups and downs. So her sticking through the tough times with me has me grateful. Early on in my teen years, I can think of two specific individuals that helped jumpstart me early on with what I needed to practice what eventually would be my career. First was a family friend Marie that was really more of an aunt to me, she bought me an animation software that I poured hours into. Then a year later loaned me money to buy a laptop to start editing videos and photos on. That laptop carried me 5 years until I needed the upgrade to officially start my business. The second person to thank was another family friend John that also shared a passion for making videos. He had a second license to the Adobe creative suite, which at the time was incredibly expensive. But he gave it to me to use on the laptop that Marie helped me get. That’s what really sent me on my way and I’m incredibly grateful to those two for helping me start early on.

Website: www.laplanetarts.com

Instagram: @laplanet_arts

Twitter: @LaplanetArts

Facebook: @LaplanetArts

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LaplanetArts

Other: Alternate Instagram for commercial work @LaplanetFilms

Image Credits
Photos by Micah Laplante from Laplanet Arts