Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Mazanec.
Hi Laura, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Kimberly was always my inspiration, my hero, and honestly still is; I wanted to be her when I grew up. I started taking pictures in high school to connect with my older sister when she started college. She wanted to be a photographer, and frankly, I wanted to do everything she wanted to do. Then – I grew up and finally learned to want to be myself, leaning on the aspirations of the sister whose footsteps I attempted to follow. Kimberly ended up as a hospice nurse, and I went to school for photojournalism. While in school, I met a young man that became the reason for my first tattoo and the inspiration for my company name. Between classes, we would fold paper airplanes and write happy notes inside to shoot at people walking up and down the stairs. We were both of the philosophy that bringing a smile to someone could entirely change their day. This dear friend passed, but his memory lived on. He knew what I was meant to do long before I did. A few months later, my camera saved my life and shifted my perspective entirely. From there forward, I want to help people see themselves in a different light & change the narrative.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh, not! There will always be naysayers telling you that anything artistic is not a sustainable career path, and for the longest time, I honestly started to think that they might be right. There will also be those that love to hate on you. I removed people from my life for toxicity and growth, and it caused a lot of “bad press,” so to speak. Rumors started, and I was asked not to attend my gallery night. Photographs I took to feel confident about my body surfaced, and I had to change my phone number 9 times in 3 years. I used to fear bad reviews because I felt it would sink this ship before I could get it on the open sea. Financial struggles and my physical health have also been difficult to navigate. I photographed two weddings wearing adult diapers because I had lost bladder control while trying to get an Endometriosis diagnosis. I have had 9 surgeries since 2018, so money was a major battle for the better part of a decade. I’ve spent thousands on my client’s closet and studio – that takes time. Just as I was ready to launch into shooting full time – BOOM – enter a pandemic, stage right.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
People ask me all the time what I do. That is hard to put into a couple of sentences and make the message stick. I’m a photojournalist specializing in a fringe photography field: phototherapy. While this sounds a little overwhelming, it’s easier than people want to make it out to be. I offer various services, from holiday portraits to weddings, family photos to headshots, and branding sessions to boudoir and intimate portraiture. I offer a calm and soothing environment where we can sit down and get to the nitty-gritty of why you are booking a session. I want to know not just what you intend to accomplish and gain, but I also want to know -you-. Who are you? Who do you want to be? This sets what I do apart from any other type of photography. It is truly a customized session with an immersive emotional experience. By the time we finish, I want you to feel magnetic and complete, just as you are. I ask questions, and I listen. I guide you in asking yourself questions you never thought to consider in self-expression or self-acceptance. I make coping suggestions and allow you the space to be seen, heard truly, and felt. Tangible photo packages include tactile immersion to help you relive the experience anytime you need that radical self-love.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My father had this t-shirt that had a guy surfing on the back of it. For years, I thought it was a picture of him – I have no idea why but he never corrected my assumption. Until I was 11 or 12, I thought the guy on the surfboard was my dad, even though he looked nothing like him. I was crushed when I found out it was not him. He wore that silly shirt all the time, and now that he’s gone, that memory gives me a ridiculous laugh and warm fuzzies like I’m a kid all over again.
Pricing:
- Couples & Sentiment Package (Weddings) $4500
- Pregnancy | Surrogacy Package (Maternity) $600
- Collection No. 0 (Boudoir) $1200
- Bornday Baddie Boudoir Experience $2000
- Bestie Boudie Bash $3000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://paperplanephoto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperplanephoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaperPlanePhotographs
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaperPhotoSA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/paper-plane-photographs-pflugerville
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@paperplanephoto?lang=en
Image Credits
All people in photographs have been clients of Paper Plane Photographs.
