member Spotlight: laura griffin
laura!! tell us about yourself:
I grew up in Michigan surrounded by too many mosquitoes. Now based in the west of Ireland as a full-time family photographer, I’ve swapped the Great Lakes for the Atlantic (but I’m convinced the mosquitoes followed me). When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me swimming and trying to avoid jellies, sea or river kayaking along the west coast of Ireland, out in the garden attempting to grow more vegetables than rocks, or in the kitchen enjoying some kimchi.
What’s in your camera bag?
My camera bag usually holds two Sony A7IV bodies, a 35mm f1.4 GM, and a Tamron 28–75mm f2.8. The 35mm stays on for most of my family work, but the Tamron earns its place when needed. Alongside that it holds spare batteries, backup SD cards, a rain cover (essential in Ireland), an ND filter, water, and a stash of granola bars, plus the occasional emergency jellies.
How did you first begin your photography journey?
In my 20s, I caught the travel bug and picked up a Nikon Coolpix along the way. What started as a way to remember new places and experiences grew into a self-taught photography journey that I’m still on. Now, my images are less about remembering and more about exploring connection and a sense of belonging to people, places, and the environments we inhabit.
What moments or things are you most drawn to while photographing?
What draws me to photograph is constantly evolving depending on where I am in life. Over the past year after renovating and moving into our home, I’ve become especially aware of its newness, knowing how quickly these details will become familiar. The way light moves through each room throughout the day and seasons, the sounds of the house and surrounding wildlife, the local roads we are exploring. It’s all part of a wider curiosity I have about home and how we define it, what we fill it with, how it shapes us.
Regardless of what life experiences I’m going through though, I’m always drawn to subtle moments. The small gestures, fleeting interactions, and quiet reactions that often go unnoticed but can say so much about who we are in this time and place.
I am also drawn to the sea and enjoy photographing what it brings in, what it takes away, and how people (and pets) enjoy it in our own personal way. It’s a place that I find when I leave, I feel a bit lighter (and my hair a bit more tangled).
Out of all of your images, which one is your current favorite and why?
Laura’s Current Favorite Image
Oh this is a toughie. I have a few favourites, but one that currently brings back a strong feeling is this image of a murmuration. I had been researching where and when to watch these starling formations in Ireland as timing can be tricky. After a few failed attempts, I was able to catch this small murmuration this past February on a quiet country road in Limerick.
While it was breathtaking to witness these birds seemingly moving as one, there was something equally wonderful about the shared experience around it. It was truly lovely to have conversations with complete strangers as well as being able to have a comfortable shared silence as we chose to slow down, look up and enjoy nature.
Check out more of Laura’s work:
Website
Instagram
