Daily Inspiration: Meet Lauren Parsons

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Parsons

Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
There is so much I could share, but I will try to keep it condensed. I originally started photography in 2016 — I was a photojournalist in the Air Force for 6 years. That’s also how my husband and I met. We started out part-time as a husband and wife team photographing portrait sessions for couples and then later on weddings. We eventually moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where we decided to go full time in wedding photography. We were there for 5 years before we made the decision to move to Phoenix. My husband accepted a new job opportunity, and I now run Blue Reverie Photography solo! It’s crazy that it’s been 8 years since I first picked up a camera, and I’ve now photographed over 100 weddings.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have definitely been some struggles. We’ve moved several times, and moving to a new city and rebuilding your business and vendor community is always a challenge that takes time, hard work and patience. I also made the decision to go full time in 2020, and then went full time in spring 2021. I have absolutely zero regrets, but we all remember how tough that time was with COVID.

And then I think there’s just the normal challenges that all creative entrepreneurs face, which is finding their voice and brand style, and establishing a good work/life balance. It took me quite awhile to really settle into something that felt completely “me” – two rebrands and two custom websites to be exact – before Blue Reverie Photography was born. It was a labor of love, and I am so proud of where I am now.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I own Blue Reverie Photography, and I am a wedding and portrait photographer. I’d say I’m known for my romantic edits and the candid style of my images. Starting out as a photojournalist has really made me love taking more of a documentary approach with my couples. I recently started offering 35mm film and Super 8 films, which I absolutely love! Super 8 is such a unique way to capture a wedding day, and it has a true “home movie” aesthetic that I think will remain timeless.

I am obviously proud of the work that I create, but I think I am most proud of the relationship that I have with each of my clients. Many of them are still friends of mine, even though I may have photographed their wedding years ago. The feedback I often get is that I create an environment that makes people feel comfortable, and I think that’s my true super power, because great photographs are created when people can relax and be themselves.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Stylistically, the wedding industry is always changing, and I think that’s hard to predict. Weddings have really become a huge party and production in the last decade, and I think that’s great and that will continue in a lot of ways. But I think there is also a growing hunger from both couples and the vendor community to lean more into unposed moments, using our images to tell a real story and focus on people, rather than just making pretty pictures. Don’t get me wrong, it goes without saying that wedding pictures should be pretty, but they should also make you feel something.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bluereveriephoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluereveriephoto
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluereveriephoto
• Other: https://vimeo.com/bluereveriephoto

Image Credits
Blue Reverie Photography