Life and Work with Lily McLaughlin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lily McLaughlin.

Lily, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My name is Lily McLaughlin. I’m 25 years old, and I’m a photographer who is currently based out of Chicago, IL. I’m adopted from China, and I grew up in Medina, Ohio. I’ve done a lot of different things in my life. When I found my love for photography, everything clicked. Creating has never been something that deals with just the surface. I didn’t understand that until I got older and continued to grow with my craft. The start of my career was in the music industry. This started my time as a tour photographer. My whole life was in one place or one job, and I knew I wanted to see more. The next four years of my life. I was back and forth between freelancing and the music industry.

Each tour or project had something new. It took me to a deeper place of purpose. In my work, I have three main components that I’ve discovered. Perspective, Color, and Emotion. I learned quickly I captured what I felt in the moment. Today, I’m continuing to apply all of the things I’ve learned over these last six years to my work now and in the future. I wouldn’t be where I am creatively or personally without every chapter in my story. I’m grateful for it all. It has led me to create in a way that will spark a deeper meaning and start a new conversation.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t always been easy and it will never be easy. As I’ve gotten older I’ve been able to find gratitude in the trials I face and have faced. My advice is this: Regardless of your success, humble yourself enough to be a student every single day. I continue to learn everyday, I never know as much as I think I do. It has brought me to a place of continued gratitude for my past and my present.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m a photographer and I specialize in portraits. I’m known for the colors and the emotion within my photos. It’s always been really nice to hear people to say they know when it’s my photo because it has a “Lily” vibe. When I work, I focus a lot on the moment that is being created. I’m proud of a lot of the things that I’ve done. I don’t feel that there’s one that sticks out from the rest, because they’ve all become really special to me. I will say one of the best feelings is when a project turns out better than you thought it would. I believe the way that I capture emotion and color sets me apart from others.

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
Women, women of color, and the LGBTQ community are still struggling to have their voices heard. We’ve made a lot of progress as a country and all over the world, but there is still so much that needs to be done. As I continue to grow personally and in my career, I hope to find more ways to contribute to breaking down those barriers.

We need strong people to lead us, especially right now. There are so many people out there who have fought tooth and nail to be themselves. That’s something we need more of in every industry. People who aren’t afraid to openly and fearlessly be themselves. It feels like sometimes people are afraid of that. Imagine if they weren’t.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lilymclaughlin.work
• Email: lily.p.mclaughlin@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lily.p.mclaughlin/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lily.mclaughlin1
• Twitter: @Lilyypearl

 
Image Credit:
Photographer- Lily P. McLaughlin

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