Join us in congratulating Natalie Landrum on becoming one of our newest Unraveled Expert Artists!

Natalie is a full-time photographer who resides in Hudson, Florida with her two human children, dog, two parakeets, fish, and hubby. She is open to anything/everything creative but mainly photographs elopements, weddings, maternity, family, and boudoir. Nat travels worldwide not just for weddings/elopements but also sessions. If she had to pick 5 random words to describe herself it would be: quirky, nerdy, silly, happy, and stubborn (Virgo).

Welcome Natalie! We are so thrilled to have you in our community and NOW a UEA!

For more inspiration from Natalie check out her social links below:

Here is Natalie, Unraveled…

What inspires your art?

Many elements inspire my art. It can be something as simple as a piece of cloth or clothing, my environment, a museum art piece... Most of all, it is my clients. The stories they share with me about themselves, family, partner, etc... really gets my creativity going. Every human is unique and the more I learn about them, the more I can make their photos truly feel like a peak within their world.

What do you shoot with? Camera body and favorite lens?

Z6ii 35mm 1.8 nikkor I primarily photograph with my 35mm but I like to challenge myself once and a while and use a different lens.

What other ways do you express your creativity?

I have fallen in love with watercoloring and pastels. I try to paint at least once a day to keep practicing and improve/learn new techniques.

How do you de-stress at the end of the day?

I'll be honest, my favorite thing to do at the end of the day is end with a little 420 in my jungle lanai, listening to the birds singing their songs.

What kind of music do you listen to while editing?

Sometimes I listen to music while other times I'm watching a series. Currently, I'm almost done with Fear the Walking Dead. My music taste is all over the place (indie, heavy metal, pop, rap, etc...). These days, I've been going between indie and 90s rnb.

What is your favorite book?

I have books I would call my favorite: harry potter, the mortal instruments, lord of the rings...but there is one that sticks out to me: The Hollow Kingdom. When I was in High School, I randomly picked this book for a project. I immediately fell in love with it. Goblins, fairies, underground world...what's not to like?

Name one movie that inspires you.

That is so hard because I am a lover of cinematography and there are so many movies that I love - not just the story but how they told it through the lens. Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightley is one of my favorite movies all around. The story is lovely to being with but the coloring and overall cinemtography is absolutely stunning. I listened to the directors cut serveral times to learn how they did particular scenes.

How do you handle self-doubt or creative slumps?

Whenever I get into the slumps I do a few things: Go out in nature. One of my favorite parts of the day is when I can sneak away to my "jungle" lanai to have a few moments to myself. I make sure to surround myself with nature as much as possible. It helps me to relax and pay attention to all of my senses. Gardening...oh I love to garden. I grew up watching my papa tend to his orchard and garden and my mom creating elaborate flower boxes all over the farm. I never thought of myself as having a "green thumb" but now that I'm in my 30s, I'm finally putting into practice everything they've taught me. A good ole fun creative session is almost a sure way to pull me out of a slump. No matter if there were days or months worth of planning it, they're always fun.

What has been the most difficult part of your creative journey?

One of the most difficult obstacles in my journey was learning to "let go" and not being afraid to create from my soul. I've always battled anxiety ever since I was a kid, and I would constantly be worried about what other people were thinking of me. When you put your art out for the world to see, you want people to support it but not everyone is going to. Not everyone is going to look at your art and feel something. I used to get so butt hurt if someone didn't hire me. Now I see it as a sign that it just wasn't a good fit. I would rather be myself and only be hired by those who truly love and appreciate me and my art.

What is your favorite pizza topping?

All things veggie! But I do love the classic cheese.

What is your most favorite kind of light and why?

To be honest, I can't pick a favorite. I love all kinds of lighting (natural and man-made). It's just so fun to experiment and challenge myself through different lighting scenarios. I do have to say I have done a few night wedding ceremonies and they have to be one of my favorites.

Who is one of your favorite photographers?

Every artist is unique. They bring their own special quality and "fairy dust" to their art. There are just so many people to name so I'm just going to jot names down (in no particular order): moody dark room polina washington foggy stories royallune studios nina and derek ohh ginger vladen lysenko art of chuy estherscanon

What is your favorite course or lesson at Unraveled?

I honestly cannot pick just one. I love all the courses for what they bring to others. I love this community and so excited that I can be a more integrated part.