Rising Stars: Meet Caroline Lancaster

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Lancaster.

Hi Caroline, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I didn’t know much about photography until college when my grandfather passed down an old camera to me. He was cleaning out some old closets and found his Canon AE-1. For the younger folks, these cameras were produced in the 70s and 80s as very popular 35mm SLR everyday cameras.

Not having a use for it, he offered it up to me. I gladly took it, but I had no idea how to use this almost fully manual camera, nor did I know anything about the world of film. This is where my research began! I started reading books, watching YouTube videos, and reading any article I could find online. Somewhere in the middle of that, I bought my first rolls of film and started to actually take pictures. The first few rolls were… well… rough. A lot of blurry under/overexposed pictures, but I was hooked by the challenge of shooting film. It felt so much more intentional than snapping a picture on my iPhone, and because it was manual, I had more artistic control over the images.

Throughout the rest of college, I kept that camera by my side, taking pictures of anything and everything: things happening on campus, my friends getting ready for a night out, or even just the leaves changing color in the fall. I began to really love photography, but I never thought it would be more than a hobby. I graduated college and actually worked as a teacher for a few years. I felt busy and overwhelmed as a new teacher (I truly believe it is one of the hardest jobs in the world!), but I always could find some relief and joy by getting my cameras out (by this time, I had bought a few more film cameras).

I eventually transitioned into another job with much more flexibility and free time. I had more time for photography; this was the first time I considered doing it professionally. I invested in my first digital camera about two years ago. I started taking pictures for families and friends, which has slowly gotten me to where I am now!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There haven’t been any big “bumps in the road,” necessarily, but it has definitely been challenging to navigate the pathway from hobby photography to professional photography.

At first, I really wanted this step-by-step process for becoming “professional” and gaining new clients, but from talking to more experienced photographers, there really is no one way to do it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a documentary and portrait photographer shooting digital and film. I am a natural observer- I don’t like to pose people or families but rather prompt or capture them just as they are. I don’t want to take photos that look and feel stiff.

I want to take pictures that are true and authentic to the moment and, most importantly, tell a story. I deeply believe that ordinary, imperfect moments reflect the truth of our lives and our relationships. Whether it is a wedding day or a family at home on a Tuesday morning, I want to capture these moments in a no-fuss, honest way. This, I believe, is the secret to truly timeless photographs.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I studied math in college, and my full-time work is in data.

It’s a sharp contrast to my photography world, but I think also part of the reason I fell in love with photography in the first place. Photography created an outlet for me to slow down and exercise some creativity muscles that I didn’t even know I had, and it is still doing that for me today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carolinelancasterphotography.com/
• Instagram: @carolinelancaster.photo

Image Credits
Anne Russell Lancaster