We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lara Agnew. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lara below.
Lara, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?
I have been afraid of failure for as long as I can remember. I grew up thinking I needed to present any new skill as competence. I felt uncomfortable being a beginner at just about anything-a sport, music, being a student, etc. I even shied away from my own voice worried it wouldn’t be “right”. In 4th grade, I had a teacher, Mr. Gilman, that showed me how fun life could be if you took risks. He made us feel like failure was just one step of the education process, not a catastrophic ending. I quickly learned that without taking risks, life is less colorful, less meaningful and less interesting.
My curiosity mixed with my desire to experience life pushed me through many uncomfortable moments which lead to inner growth and learning many new things. One particularly pivotal experience for me that helped me move past my fear of failure was working for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). At NOLS, part of my job was to teach leadership skills. Among the primary leadership skills were: judgment and decision making, self awareness, tolerance for adversity and uncertainty, and competence. Learning, teaching and actively practicing these skills developed my ability to take risks more often. It motivated me to take more adventures to far flung places, to work as a field biologist in the desert while living out of my truck and learning many new skills. Eventually my NOLS education and experience prepared me for when I started my own photography business. Despite the voices in my head telling me I wasn’t good enough or trying to convince myself that the risk was too uncomfortable to take, I kept moving toward a lifelong dream. I learned, once again, that discomfort is a part of the risk taking process. You have to move through it to get to the other side.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a photographer who loves working with people and the natural world to help tell stories.
But first, it’s important to know how I got here. I was born and raised in the Puget Sound of Washington State. From an early age I was keenly aware that my sensitivity to the world was different than many of those around me. I was easily moved by watching the clouds drift by or noticing how artfully mother nature created flowers. I spent the first 20+ years of my life in the Evergreen State, taking each college summer to adventure afar and learn something new. Post college, I worked as an outdoor educator taking students on 30 day wilderness courses in places as far as Arctic Norway and as close to home as the Wind River Mountains. I worked as a field biologist in the Mojave desert and many odd jobs in between. Eventually, I traded my backpack for a home with four walls and worked for the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming in town. Working for NOLS created many rich opportunities for growth and learning. I met and worked with some truly remarkable humans from around the globe who shared a common mission to develop strong leaders, to help foster an appreciation for the natural world and develop outdoor skills.
My experience with the natural world, my curiosity and sensitivity, my love of art, and my appreciation of people and their stories, ultimately coalesced when I became a photographer. When I was 18 and leaving high school behind, I told everyone I was going to be a photographer. However, I took several detours before this happened. Only in retrospect do I see how necessary that part of my journey was in order for me to be where I am today. Documenting people and their story is something that is a deeply meaningful to me, and brings me endless joy. I believe it is a gift to share space with someone, to learn about them, to photograph them, and to be uncomfortable together.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Take risks – You need to be able to move through discomfort in order to experience the fruits of growth and learning. It is hard but the rewards really are rich.
Use your voice – As cliche as this sounds, it is easy to be lured into thinking you need to be like someone else or that your voice doesn’t matter. It does. People are attracted to people who are truly themselves. Your voice doesn’t have to be loud and bold. It can be gentle and quiet. The importat thing is that it is yours.
Be curious – It is hard being new at something or being the new person in a group of strangers. Stay curious. Something beautiful will come out of your experience. It just might not be what you expected.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
There is not one particular book or person that has been the most important source of my development. I am benefited from the wisdom and talent of many including Mary Oliver, Anne Lamott, Ghandi, Dalai Lama, David James Duncan, Gilda Radner, music, poetry and comedy of all kinds, and so many more!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laraagnew.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laraagnewphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laraagnewphotography
Image Credits
for the photo of me in the blue dress, please credit: Cristal Wallin All other photos by me, lara agnew photography
