Photographer Spotlight: Joshua Lawrence

Posted by: on Feb 21, 2017

Photographer Spotlight: Joshua Lawrence
Photo Courtesy of Microsoft and Joshua Lawrence
Originally trained as a draftsman, Joshua Lawrence’s precision and appreciation for the aesthetic formed the base of his unique photographic perspective. With an innate pull to explore his artistic instincts, Joshua transitioned from technical draftsman to creative, mastering the art of photography and capturing the finished products of his trade. Today, Joshua is driven by challenge and committed to perfecting his craft. Whether he’s capturing the curves of a face or the angles of a room, he believes in communicating clearly and articulately through photography, creating a deserving representation of a client’s vision. He understands the intricacies of light and shadow to create drama and believes a strong photograph is built upon detailed planning and precise execution. Based out of Victoria, B.C., Joshua works locally and abroad with commercial and individual clients alike. His work can be found at JoshuaLawrence.ca. Follow him on Instagram at @jlstudios and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Joshua-Lawrence-Studios-Inc-12119558745.     I would describe my style of photography as? I think my work is best described as clean, clear and simple.  My job as a photographer is to visually communicate, whether thats an interior space or best aspects of a product or the character of a face, and I don’t like ambiguity.  I try to make my communication as simple for the viewer to understand as possible. My dream gig would be… My dream gig is anything where my client is excited as about their project as they are about me photographing it!  I think you want something a little more specific, haha.  I love modern architecture so photographing homes where every detail down to the cushions has been taken care of is a real treat.  I’d also love to shoot a campaign for an international fitness brand but thats something I have yet to check off my bucket list. My favorite piece of gear is? Its hard to say what my favorite piece of gear is, I tend to look at gear as tools for the job and every job requires slightly different tools.  I would probably have to say my favorite thing is my Microsoft Surface tablet.  I shoot tethered to it and the combination with my Tether Tools AeroTab is amazing for me but maybe more importantly amazing for my clients.  They can see and review the progress of the shoot in real time which guarantees they get the shots they hired me to get.
“Anyone can shoot with a DSLR, but pros shoot tethered, or at least your clients will think so, and that’s half the battle.”
 

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My favorite piece of  Tether Tools gear is? My AeroTab Universal Tablet System has been amazing.  Clients love (or need as the case may be) to see the images real time as they are being captured.  Head shot clients want to see what they look like right away and the on-site review process removes the time-consuming, off-site proofing process.  Designers love to see their creations on screen as we capture them to make sure every tassel on that throw blanket is just so.  All of this works perfectly with my Microsoft Surface held firmly and conveniently in place on my AeroTab.
Photo Courtesy of Microsoft and Joshua Lawrence
What’s on your photographer gear shopping list in 2017? Where do I start!  Depending on how my year shapes up, it may be time to make the jump to medium format, there are some very interesting offerings from Fujifilm and Hasselblad in the mirrorless segment.  If that doesn’t pan out, next on the list is lenses, Nikons new 19mm tilt shift looks great and so does Sigmas Art series.  Baring those two options I’ve heard amazing things about Capture One 10. The best advice I can offer a fellow photographer would be? The best advice I could offer fellow photographers is to shoot tethered!  If you are a commercial shooter immediately you carry an air of professionalism by shooting tethered.  Anyone can shoot with a DSLR but pros shoot tethered, or at least your clients will think so, and that’s half the battle.  Plus, you will have the tremendous benefit of being able to see your images so much larger and in software which will allow you to edit on the fly.