Luna Sweetheart: Lauren Woods on Capturing Vulnerability and True Expression
☆ By MARTINA TAYLOR ☆
TO SHOWCASE SOMEONE EXACTLY AS YOU VIEW THEM — photography requires putting your lens on a person in a very particular way. To see beneath the walls and projections of persona and uncover someone’s true self is a task not just anyone with a camera can achieve. But Lauren Woods is not a commonplace photographer.
Woods — who goes by the moniker “Portrait Mami” online — is a film photographer, creative director, and stylist. With a portfolio full of portraits of highly saturated individuals, both tender and vulnerable, Woods has gained recognition through their focus showcasing the queer community, people of color, and other unique individuals. They were recently commissioned by Apple for the series “Hometown,” a series “highlighting 32 Black photographers from across the United States.”
This talent and recognition didn’t come from out of the blue; Woods says it took years of “blood sweat, tears, and anxiety” to build up their artistic process. They’re constantly growing and improving even now, surrounding themselves with positive influences and energy. The creative also processes Borderline Personality Disorder on the daily, and have learned to be more unapologetic in their embodiment of self. “Black Queer people deserve to take up space,” they said. “Creatives with mental health disabilities deserve to take up space. I’m here to show it can be done, provide opportunities for others, and tell stories that matter.”
Uniquely situated as both a photographer and creative director, Woods does not deny the usefulness of these skills in crafting the perfect image. “To be a photographer, I think it’s imperative to be a director as well,” Woods explained, noting that the two go hand in hand. Directing helps to bring emotion and movement to the surface of a photograph, and the two collaborate well in their “cohesive ability to tell a story within a single image or multiple images.”
Vulnerability simmers on the surface of a Portrait Mami image, ready to envelop the viewer in a soft embrace. Woods asserts that you can be soft and strong at the same time: “It’s okay to be vulnerable,” they said. “It’s okay to speak up and take space as a queer/trans/non-binary person and/or person of color.” When looking at their work, the North Carolina-based photographer wants you to know you belong. “I want [people] to feel seen. I want everyone to feel like they belong.”
In telling these stories, Woods must work closely with their models in order to preserve the authenticity of a portrait. Photography, they said, “highlights and amplifies all the best, vulnerable parts of [a person]” and allows everyone to be themselves. Portraiture is, after all, one of the most epic forms of collaboration — the fruits of a community using their unique gifts to create a unified artwork. “I’ve had the pleasure to work with such an incredible, diverse number of people and tell their stories,” Woods added. “I thank them deeply for trusting my vision and being a part of my creative process.”
Some of these special people have been none other than actresses Ariela Barer and Allegra Acosta from Marvel’s Runaways. A faithful Marvel fan, Woods has gone to comic-cons and cosplays, so when they found out that the people behind their two favorite characters followed them online, they knew what had to be done. “The opportunity presented itself and I decided to take it,” Woods said, and after a little chatting in the DMs, a plan was formed. “Ariela and Allegra were so down to Earth and amazing and so encouraging. It was an incredible, successful team of POCs in LA working on set, and I couldn’t feel more blessed and honored in that moment.” Sometimes dreams can come true.
While that shoot was a highlight of Wood’s 2020, they won’t deny how difficult the past year has been as a creative and just a person struggling to make it through. As for advice for their fellow creatives, Woods urges letting go of preconceived notions and embracing the practice of “adapting and falling into the unknown.” This isn’t a good time for anyone, and you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself or expect too much of your abilities. “Some of your best work can come out of sticky situations and launch you into the path that’s meant for you,” Woods noted. Patience and being kind to yourself can take you far, they said, advocating taking time to explore and transform. “Move forward at your own pace — this isn’t a race. Take this time to explore new things and see how it transforms and inspires.”
The photographer has been doing their own share of exploration lately, finding inspiration in unexpected places like their headphones. Woods gushed over directors and musicians such as Quinn Wilson and King Princess, a “dynamic queer duo that just nails their visuals every time.” The songs and music videos for “La Luz” Kali Uchis and “Cherries” by Hope Tala have also brought much to Wood’s vision. “The color palettes, ethereal tenderness, the drama, the passion — it truly feeds my soul and has inspired me to work harder and be more intentional with what I create and not to ‘create just to post.’”
This inspiration is not the only thing Woods will be taking into the new year — gratitude is one of them, and this awareness of their blessings pushes the photographer to build community to nourish and give back to. “My intentions are to keep doing work that matters to me, building healthy relationships, giving back more to marginalized creators, and to keep this flow going.” Believing in yourself is an uphill battle when the world seems so precarious, but Woods tells us they’re putting their best foot forward, and “trusting myself more that I’ve got this.” That’s an energy we could all use, and something about Woods shows they’re more than willing to share.
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