From photographing the architecture of Chicago, to the wildlife of Antarctica, Lauri Novak has been sharing her unique perspective with the Flickr community since 2012.
Lauri Novak, a fine art photographer who lives just an hour outside of Chicago, loves photographing the architecture of the city. Photography has always been part of Lauri’s life. “From art class in high school to taking ballet classes for longer than I care to admit, I’ve always been creative in some way. It defines part of who I am.”
For fifty years, Lauri has had a camera of some kind. “I was the one always taking photos in school, trying my hand at the usual yearbook and school newspaper photographer roles. They weren’t for me. I learned things along the way and consider it all part of the journey of ‘seeing.’” However, it was when Lauri started traveling that a whole new set of opportunities opened up for her.
Lauri defines her photography style as unique and thought-provoking. “I tend to keep my images simple and clean and use composition to create perspectives that are not typical no matter what the subject is.” She explained that her goal when creating images is to show the viewer something they may not have noticed or seen before.
Her photography reflects both her perspective and personality. “I have always had a bit of a different way of looking at the world. I feel fortunate to not have gone along with the crowd, just following trends. Even though it wasn’t always seen as “right,” my viewpoint and way of being have pushed through in my work.”
Lauri is continually learning new techniques, she explains. “Relying on my sense of play and childlike wonder in order to create and grow in my art.”
Lauri can be inspired by anything. “It could be the way the light is reflected in a glass of wine or a shadow on the floor.” Her inner dialogue helps her navigate her creative process. “When I look at something, I ask myself, “How can I see this and photograph it differently? What is a way no one has photographed this before?” I try to answer these two questions as I approach almost any subject I photograph.”
Her current gear of choice consists of: Canon 6D with the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens and a Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD lens.
Lauri also owns a Canon 50mm f1/8 STM lens, a Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens, and a Canon AE-1 program that she still uses from time to time.
Lauri is a member of our pilot Flickr Print Sellers program, which you can read more about here. We asked her to share one of the photos she loves most from her Print Shop submissions and to give a little backstory about the image.
“The different shades of green and the shapes of the seats caught my attention”, Lauri said about her photograph “Olympic Stadium Munich Green Layers of Stadium Seating”. She continued, “I was photographing parts of the Olympic stadium from wide shots to details. Using my Tamron 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens enabled me to pull in and make a bit of an abstract out of it.” Lauri’s editing of this photo was mostly to clean it up and she used Adobe Lightroom for finishing touches.
Along with photography, Lauri is passionate about travel. “All I’ve ever really known I wanted to do in life is to travel and take photos.” She’s also passionate about helping others on their own creative paths. “I love being outdoors in the fresh air. Walking trails in forest preserves and parks near where I live, especially in winter after fresh snow. It’s very peaceful and centering.”
Lauri has been a Flickr member for over a decade and when asked what she loves about it she says she appreciates the variety and styles of subjects you can find. She also enjoys the diversity of the Flickr community and being able to see the world through so many other perspectives
Check out more of Lauri’s work in her Flickr Print Shop Gallery and her Flickr site,
You can find and contact Lauri via her website LauriNovak.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurinovakphoto/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauriNovakPhotography
Medium: https://medium.com/@LauriNovakPhoto
Or send her a message on Flickr!
