Organic, minimalist and ethereal are just some of the words
that may come to mind when viewing the works of photographer Laura Shafer. Many
of her pieces are otherworldly, and clearly reflect a greater connection to a higher power.
Born in Philadelphia, Shafer was introduced to the fine arts
at a young age. Her grandmother and mother supported the arts and placed her in
art and music classes early on. By age ten she received her first camera and her
first piano. Through the years Shafer remained creatively inclined—she sketched
and painted when she could, and found a good deal of inspiration from her
brothers who were jazz musicians. Art had always been a significant part of her
life, but it could not be her sole focus because she had more pressing
responsibilities.
Shafer, the mother of seven children, found herself busy
raising them while working a full time job as a medical assistant. She had
moved from Philadelphia, and was living in Georgia. In 2008 while working with
the Air Force as a Pharmacy Technician, Shafer moved to San Diego. The beauty
of the city—its mountains and beaches—inspired her to pick up her cellphone
camera and begin shooting images around her neighborhood. She found immeasurable
joy in photography, and was thoroughly inspired by her surroundings, so in 2009 she purchased her first camera—a Canon, and began shooting on a more consistent
basis.
A self-taught photographer, Shafer is what one might call an
intuitive artist. She creates from an emotional and spiritual place, and feels
that her gift and passion for photography developed at an immensely important
time in her life. Photography became her
release and with it, she says, “God made her feel brand new.”
Shafer’s photography is inimitable, not only because of her
shooting style, but also because of the focus of much of her subjects. From time to time she picks up a paintbrush because
she enjoys the art of creating abstracts, however her abstracts are often created just to be photographed. Texture and detail intrigue
her the most, and her focus on the minutiae has allowed her to shoot imagery of
fascinating things that others often overlook.
Seemingly mundane items like clothing tags, hair, blades of grass, and grains of sand
are the focus of some of her pieces, but it is her perceptiveness and the way
that she captures these elements that is even more fascinating. For years
Shafer has worn corrective lenses so that she can function in everyday life,
however when she photographs, she doesn’t need the lenses. She believes that
with photography she has developed a “new eye,” and enhanced sense of sight. Her new vision through photography
has allowed her to capture imagery that inspires others to see beyond what they
comprehend.
Her recent series entitled, “Souls,” feature candid imagery
of everyday people standing near the water’s edge. She says that while
photographing the people, she began to see them in a different manner—as if
they were standing with their own souls. From that inspiration she created
double imagery that mimics the connection between the person and their spirit. Shafer
says that she feels led to her photography, and says of each shoot, “If I had not been here to see this, I would
not have gotten that shot...” For her, every life experience is a fascinating
one, and she believes that photography is an important guardian of history and memory. “It’s
like looking back on life and everywhere we've stepped.”
This powerful spiritual connection that she feels when she
creates is evident in her work and her vision. Many of her images are very
sentimental, and will never be shared with the public for that reason. The
passion that she has developed for the art is evident in the time that she
takes to edit each image, and to present the image to the viewer. As with any
artist, Shafer wants to present her best work—pieces that resonate with the
viewer while still telling the story of who she is as an artist.
She is inspired by a variety of artists and photographers
including, but not limited to, Marc Baptiste, Rosalind McGary, and Mimi Yoon.
She says that she will continue to photograph regardless of circumstance.
Although the market can be challenging, she is gaining ground and recognition
for her magnificent gift.
Laura Shafer is an inspired creative. Her imagery is organic
and distinct, and comes from an authentic place. I encourage you to support her work, and
purchase her amazing photography. She is currently represented by Monarch Art
and Frame, and is a featured brand on Slim Enterprises. Please follow the links below to view more of
her work and to purchase.
She leaves words of encouragement for emerging
photographers:
The Life and Times of creative, Xander Raymond, could sound like that of a thrilling Stephen King novel with its captivating character, theme, and plot, but Xander Raymond’s life is no novel. His is a true story of darkness, love, brilliance, creativity, survival and triumph—all driven by pure undulating passion, and a connection to a power higher than himself.
Raymond was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was raised there by his grandmother. As an avid reader, Raymond developed a love for words early on. He remembers traveling to the library on the bus, and being disappointed when his grandmother set limits on how many books he could bring home because of the distance. It wasn’t just books that captivated him; some of his early creative influences came from the music that his grandmother played for him like Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye, but he remembers even more vividly, his introduction to artists like Barbara Streisand, and Frank Sinatra by his teachers during his young years.
He developed a definitive ear for fine music like opera, and classical, in addition to urban music like rap and rhythm and blues. Raymond learned early on to appreciate the lyrical content, and the substantive message in the music. It was those messages that drew him into writing, and by his teenage years he was writing his own musical lyrics. Raymond was developing a love for fine literature and its language, through books and through music, however, he was also dealing with profound life issues that would leave him spiraling out of control.
Paris | Raymond looking through Helmut Newton's "Sumo"
(photo by j. stone)
While living in Cincinnati, Raymond lived in one of the most degraded areas of the city, where gangs, violence and drug activity were a part of everyday life. The bleak landscape filled with broken bottles, and remnants of shattered lives deeply impacted him, and by the time he moved to Columbus, Ohio (in his teenage years) he had grown accustomed to the rough lifestyle. Life in Columbus was not easier, and according to Raymond, the environment actually went from "bad to worse." It was the late 80’s and early 90’s and crack had just begun to permeate the urban neighborhoods. Drug dealers were marking their territories on every corner, and their flashy lifestyle began to intrigue Raymond. It wasn’t long before he himself became enveloped. “You can’t be angry at the wolf when it bites a steak that’s rubbed on its face,” he says of the temptation to partake in a lifestyle that seems to be the heartbeat of many of the inner cities in America.
He was young, and wanted what he saw, so he became deeply involved in the drug lifestyle. "I was a drug addict myself," he candidly states, "I was addicted to the money." After several years of living the life, Raymond had inevitably developed enemies. According to Raymond, there weren’t many options for getting out and many who lived that lifestyle often ended up dead, or in jail—so one day when gunshots rang out like, “a fireworks celebration”, he thought that his life was going to end.
Raymond says he remembers feeling the burn of the first gunshot to his leg. The next shot would sever his spine, and he instantly felt himself drop to the ground. He knew in that very moment that he was paralyzed because he never felt the last two shots, and he could no longer move. He lay there on the concrete contemplating whether the shooters were coming to "finish the job," but they never did.
Family members rushed to Raymond’s side, and doctors gave his mother a bleak outlook, telling her that he would not make it through the night. He survived, and spent two months in the hospital—the first month dealing with the tremendous physical pain from being shot, and the second month learning how to function in the world as a paraplegic.
Even after suffering a near death experience and tremendous emotional and physical pain, Raymond didn’t leave the lifestyle. Just two years later he was shot again, adding two more gunshots wounds to his already ravaged body. Understandably so, he had grown disillusioned and angry at the world and all who came around him, because he had not yet come to terms with the reality of his situation. The tragedy of his circumstance ate at him daily and he sunk into a depression that he himself wasn’t even aware of. He surrounded himself in darkness, decorating his home with dark curtains, couches, and rugs, and he purchased hearses’ to use them as vehicles. Raymond says that even the pets that he had during that time were “dark, and deadly”. The people around him always knew him to be an eclectic soul so the changes didn’t strike them as too odd, but Raymond, who had ostensibly grown comfortable with death and morbidity, was unwittingly dying within.
It seems that one day (many years later) he had an epiphany, because he awoke to the decision that he was going to just stop—stop dealing, and stop living a negative life. One day he just decided that he wanted and needed it all to end. He simply felt that it was time to change, and he wanted the light back in his life. He had gone through more than most people could bear, and it was time for a new beginning. He had always had the support of family and friends, and they continued to encourage him during his transition. His darkness became light, and though he wrote during his dark times, he began to focus on it even more so. He lightened up his home, and filled his life with the love of family and friends. It was then that he decided that he would go back to school to learn more about the technical aspects of writing. School served him well, and Raymond graduated at the top of his class. As a prolific writer, Raymond says that he feels, “channeled through,” because often times he writes in his sleep. He sometimes awakens to find a notebook on his lap, and new stories penned.
It was his love for writing that drew him into photography. Although he approached photography initially from an experimental point of view, he knew that the medium was a powerful one. As a writer, photography was secondary to him, however he appreciated its story telling capabilities, and wanted to learn how to, “intertwine the philosophies of the two.” The quote, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” resonates with him, because his goal as a photographer is to tell a story, with what he calls, “80,000 words.” He is essentially attempting to create narratives with the photographs, bringing to life an instantaneous interpretation of his writings.
Raymond has developed true love for the medium, and has travelled to several countries in Europe to photograph. He has also had an opportunity to meet and photograph some remarkable celebrities, including Cornel West, and his favorite Emcee, Rakim, whom he met in London. He photographs landscapes, architecture and people and he also works with professional models—while on occasion modeling himself.
Raymond says of travelling around Europe, “It’s surreal!” He says that he could have never been able to fathom traveling those distances as a child coming from the “projects, poverty and struggle.” He says that he is most intrigued by the fascinating architecture, and stained glass in many of the church windows, in addition to the castles in Britain, France and Germany.
For Raymond, the act of photographing doesn’t always come easily, but like many of the challenges he’s faced in his life, he’s learned to work through it. He sometimes deals with excruciating pain while shooting, but pain does not inhibit him—he continues to push through because he feels that his survival was for a greater purpose—one bigger than he, and he's on a constant journey to pursue that purpose.
On The Cross (2010)
Xander Raymond is man of will, driven by a greater power. He feels a powerful connection to God, and feels that his circumstance was God’s way of ‘sitting him’ down. Though he would choose not to be paralyzed, if he had a choice, he feels that the circumstances that led to his paralysis needed to happen so that he could be the person that he is today. He believes that his voice, and power to impact the lives of others, is greater now than it would have been at any other point in his life. He wants the youth to be aware of the decisions that they make. Raymond believes that many negative stereotypes are glorified, and youth want to emulate the negative without recognizing the consequences of their choices.
These days Xander Raymond is working on his novel, and continuing to photograph his narratives. He believes that God moves within him, and feels guided in his writing and his photography. Raymond says that he’s following an "unseen path, one that will lead him to where he needs to be."
He shares some words or encouragement given to him by author Walter Mosley, and Dr. Cornel West:
“Write everyday...”
-Walter Mosley
“Keep in mind the black authors that came before you, and build on their legacy.”
-Dr. Cornel West
These words resonated with him, and he hopes that they resonate with young creatives who are pursuing their passions.
All things are possible through strength, will, passion, and faith, and Xander Raymond’s life is a living example. He came through darkness, and found his own magnificent light, and we thank him for sharing that light with the world.
“Don't stop. If I can do it on wheels you can do it on feet. Whatever the masses tell you, take that put it in your passion gas tank and use it for fuel.”
To find out more about Xander Raymond, connect with him on Facebook. Hear his story for yourself by watching his interview in London with Feline Territory TV.
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