The Story Behind the Photo

Today we welcome back, Lauren Welles, someone with whom we’ve spoken with a number of times over the years. Lauren left a successful 16-year career as a corporate attorney to follow her passion for photography, which she has been doing professionally now for a little over a decade. She is primarily self-taught, and her photography has taught her even more about herself than the subjects she has photographed. She believes that, as human beings, we are much more alike than we are different; her passion for street, documentary and event photography reflects that. 

Over the last few years, Lauren has spent more of her time teaching others what she’s learned, often revisiting the way she imparts information, attempting to simplify her language and instruction as much as possible.  In addition to being a Leica Akademie instructor, Lauren teaches photography to high school students from underserved communities at the NYC SALT program in New York City. In collaboration with Leica Akademie, this August Lauren will be giving a workshop about learning how to see, which she says is a skill that anyone can learn, regardless of how proficient one is with the technical aspects of their camera.

A selection of Lauren’s street photos

Links from the show

• Lauren’s Website
• Lauren’s Manhattan/Coney Island Workshop
• Instagram
• B&H Podcast interview with Jean Furth about her Little League book and project