Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Lowe.
Hi Leslie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The first photograph I ever took hangs on the fridge of my small mill house in Greenville, SC. It shows a young man and woman, my parents, smiling at the camera from their perch on a meticulously-made-up day bed. I remember the pride and importance I felt, as a four-year-old, holding the camera in my small hands and pressing the shutter button. My parents couldn’t have known in that moment, but allowing me to hold the camera, set up a shot, and press the shutter button would open the gate to a passion and job that has impacted my life dramatically.
I was given my first digital camera in 2000. From that point on, I carried a camera with me and took photographs of everything I saw. In 2007 I studied photography and ceramics at the Fine Art Center in Greenville. I assisted my first wedding in 2007, and from there took on more and more engagement and wedding clients. I also [begrudgingly] shot my first birth in 2007, after my mother asked me to document the birth of my youngest sister. I might have begun photographing the birth begrudgingly, but by the time my sister was born I was enthralled- documenting the moment of birth took me into a totally new realm photographically.
Birth photography wasn’t a photography specialty in 2007, so I continued to book weddings and engagements, but slowly moved more and more toward dissatisfaction with this specialty. In 2012 I read an article about two women who had started a birth photography business in Texas, and a puzzle piece fell into place- this was my specialty. I spent the year of 2013 booking and shooting births, and my business began to move forward rapidly. However, in Summer of 2014, my husband and I decided to pack our suitcases and move to the Netherlands where we lived until 2017. Between 2014 and 2017 I moved 2 times internationally, became pregnant three times, and successfully delivered two babies (in the Netherlands and in the US). My photography business stalled from 2014 through 2018- motherhood and expat living took a massive toll on me, and I decided to step away from photography for a time.
In 2018 we bought a house in the Upstate of SC and decided to settle for the foreseeable future. In April of 2019, my husband encouraged me to revitalize my birth photography business, and by June 2019 Green and Grey Photo was born. As my business was reborn, my understanding of being a business owner underwent a transformation. Through the last 3 and a half years, I’ve come to understand that having a work/life balance in the creative world takes humility, a willingness to let go of potential business, and a generosity mindset. I’ve begun a mentorship program that aims to help aspiring or struggling photographers find their niche and run their businesses well. I’ve discovered that worth and satisfaction don’t come from viral posts, published work, or book covers. For me, the worth and satisfaction of birth photography have always been found inside the birth space. Being able to stand in the gap of truth, documenting reality with an awareness of the spiritual and mystical elements that are at play, watching God move through and beside and surround women in their greatest need, this is my why. Being able to capture these moments for women is my why.
I don’t know what the future holds for Green and Grey. I’ve learned the importance of leaning into where I am in life- understanding that life changes like the tide, going out and coming in, and that I can find stability in that. Just like that preteen with that ever-present digital camera, I’ll be waiting, ready to capture every second. Just like that little 4-year-old snapping her first photo, there may be a host of unknowns down the road, but I feel the wonder of the possibilities all the same.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve struggled to maintain a business while living overseas, eventually resigning to the fact that I couldn’t make it happen at that time. I’ve stalled out during pregnancies and postpartum periods, and when the energy of our family demanded my attention. Starting and stopping forces a halt in momentum. I’ve also struggled with imposter syndrome – the feeling that there’s no way my work is good enough for someone to hire me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Birth and Documentary Photographer and Videographer
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My husband, for talking through all of my crazy ideas and encouraging me to reach for goals. My parents, for letting me take that first picture, for encouraging me to pick up a camera, for taking me to auditions for the Fine Arts Center, for buying me my first digital camera and then my first DSLR, and for being so encouraging of my work. They’re really the reason I’m a photographer in the first place.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.greenandgreyphoto.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/greenandgreyphoto
