Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about who you are.

Hello, I’m Lau! I’m driven by creativity and connections. Surfing and photography are my two biggest passions, both allowing me to be present mentally in different ways. As I have diagnosed ADHD, it’s usually hard to focus and not be distracted.

I’ve always loved traveling. In January 2020, after ditching my big American corporation job, I left to travel for what I thought would be 6 months, but it ended up being 2 years. Thanks to the pandemic, I had the chance to live in Indonesia, and it truly changed my life. My years living abroad allowed me to understand that, although it’s exciting to always see new places, I personally need to stay long enough in some destinations to build a sense of community.

I’ve built a life that lets me work while being able to be wherever I want, when I want (as much as possible), so I can easily come back to my roots when I miss my friends and family.

I’m currently based between Montréal, Québec City, and Nicaragua.

When did you get into photography and what made you stick with it?

I got into photography for as far back as I can remember holding a camera. I was maybe 8 or 9, and my parents got my siblings and me some disposable cameras to take pictures while on holiday. I remember my dad telling me many years later that I’ve always had a sense of composure and was meticulous when taking my photos.

Throughout my teenage years, I had the chance to receive an analog Canon Rebel 2000 and got into developing my own film for a couple of months. Unfortunately, even though my dad really encouraged me and helped me build back up the darkroom he had at my grandparents’ place when he was younger, I think the complexity and time-consuming process grew the enthusiasm out of me. I then got a digital version of the same camera.

During my university life, I wasn’t getting out my camera as much as before, mainly using it for big occasions. Also, with the arrival of smartphones and Instagram, I started to get more into the art of editing. Many years later, missing the feeling of holding a camera, I bought a tiny one that would be more practical to bring when traveling. It was a Canon MS50. Once again, even though I would sometimes bring it out, my phone was taking over.

All that said, even if I stopped using cameras for many years, photography always stuck with me—whatever I had as a tool to take pictures. The reason why? It’s mostly because I love capturing moments, memories, and beautiful places, and being able to share how I see things with other people is quite fulfilling.

When did you realize that photography was something you wanted to do as a career/work?

When I was younger, it would’ve been my dream to be a photographer, but the imposter syndrome hit hard. To me, it felt like all the technicality was an important part of it, and it was too boring for me at the time to dig through it. I really started to offer my services as a photographer this year, as a complementary service to my offer in social media.

When I was in Nicaragua, I shamefully burned myself badly on my scooter, which forced me to stop surfing and stay out of the water for 2 weeks. Weirdly, it was the first time I was traveling without any cameras. Luckily, two friends, Alden and Bastien, allowed me to use their cameras, and it all started there. People asked for private photo shoots, product photography, or event coverage.

This accident was a true blessing in disguise, as that was the moment everything shifted. It helped quiet down the imposter syndrome that had followed me up to that point.|

With photography being part of your full-time job, do you still find yourself taking photos for pure enjoyment outside of work?

YES! Now that I’m officially back to it, I bring my camera almost everywhere. It allows me to stay away from my phone. Working in social media makes it hard sometimes to disconnect, but using my camera makes it easier to really be present.

I like working on personal projects to develop my vision. My friends are talented and beautiful people that I love to showcase in creative ways. While it helps me practice and refine my skills, it also gives them the chance to have beautiful photos of themselves—and who doesn’t appreciate a good picture of themselves? :)

The only downside is that it takes me a while to make time to edit the personal projects, but I always end up delivering!

You work across content creation, social media, and photography—how do all those different parts of your work influence each other?

To have a good presence on social media, you need good content. To have good content, you need to be creative. To be creative, you need to see things differently. Photographers see things differently.

I started my freelance career only offering social media management, and it quickly evolved into content creation. I was mainly editing content taken by other creators, which I still do, but I now offer my photography services when I feel my style fits with my clients’ needs.
When my style doesn’t fit, I’m happy to continue helping the photographer community around me. (For example, for food content: @etiennebay.

You shoot everything from events to portraits to products—what type of shoot gets you the most creatively fired up, and why?

The main thing I love to photograph is people. People doing things. What fires up my creativity the most is shooting products or services for companies that are used to very standard images and trust my vision.

I truly believe a good photographer can give an artsy vibe to anything if their clients are flexible.

I personally prefer working with natural light, so whenever I shoot products, I’m most creative when the setup leans more toward lifestyle than something staged—mostly because it’s fun to work with the environment around me.

What’s your go-to gear setup these days? Any favorites you always bring with you?

At the moment, my go-to is a Canon R6 Mark II with a 24–105mm lens. This lens is versatile and easy to adapt to any kind of photo shoot. I love bringing my 70–200mm whenever it’s the right environment. It’s so easy for me to get creative with this one.

As I’m a very minimal person who moves around a lot, I aim to keep it simple as much as possible to be able to bring everything with me everywhere. In my camera bag I usually have another 16–35mm and my adapter, as I bought secondhand extra gear to have as backup.

Are there any other photographers, artists, or creators that really inspire you creatively?

My friend Mel Hager (@hag.mel). She is simply amazing. I met her when I was living in Indonesia. She’s a truly passionate and talented photographer. Her work ethic is on point, and I wish I could master greens editing as well as she does.

You offer everything from photography and video to strategy and editing—where do you think clients get the most out of hiring you for the full package?

When clients hire me for the full package, they get one creative lead who fully understands their vision from start to finish. It saves time, keeps everything aligned, and creates more coherent content.

That said, I know my strengths—and one of them is knowing when to collaborate with other people if it serves the bigger picture. For me, it’s not about doing it all, it’s about making sure the clients get the best outcome possible.

And lastly, what’s the best way for someone to reach out if they want to collaborate or book you?

Easiest way to book a photo shoot or any social media services is by email at bonjour@laupsocial.com
Or you can also just say hello on my IG @lauperras.

Thank you for the opportunity to reflect and to share a bit of my story with you, @stademagazine!