Unraveled Expert Artist Interview, Natalie Van, UEA
Natalie is a wife & mama to two beautifully wild boys. She is also a baby & family photographer in Los Angeles California, where she loves to capture mamas & families purely as they are. Best known for her use of light, glowing skin-tones and beach shoots, Natalie’s work is recognizable and leaves you longing to feel the ocean air on your skin. She has a way of capturing freedom and pure joy in her imagery – whether it is in her family, maternity or newborn work. Her instagram bio describes her as “fast talking, moon loving, foul mouthed.” We are on board with all of that but we will also add in super sweet, incredibly talented and just plain cool.
We are stoked to welcome her as an Unraveled Expert Artist and future instructor. The future is bright for Natalie here at Unraveled! To learn more about becoming a UEA, please go HERE. Our UEA’s are leaders in the community and the first to receive instructor opportunities as they arise.
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Here is Natalie, Unraveled…
What inspires your art?
Movement, & moments. I'm obsessed with the thought of freezing a moment in time. I want my sessions to be a collection of the sweetest moments during a session. I really try to capture the way a certain moment is making me feel at the time, whether it be emotive, joyful, chaotic, etc. I also loooove capturing movement. The idea of bringing some fluidity to images really fascinates me, & I love finding new ways of capturing all of the constant moving going on around me.
What do you shoot with? Camera body and favorite lens?
I shot solely on my Canon 5d miii with the 24-70 II for FOUR YEARS STRAIGHT. I got so comfortable, that the thought of switching bodies or lens, literally did not cross my mind once in those 4 years. After changing my style & the way I shoot, I've now changed to the Canon 1dx miii, & the 35 1.4 II. Sometimes I'll throw on my 85 1.8 if I feel I want to get a more intimate shot. I decided to go with the 1dx over the R series, cause I really wanted a fast shooting camera that was hardy enough to sustain all of the weather conditions I shoot in without me having to worry about babying it too much. It's also the camera I take on our travels, so I knew I needed a solid camera body.
What other ways do you express your creativity?
Honestly, this is it y'all. Growing up, I remember thinking that everyone had their "thing." The thing they were good at, had a natural talent for. I tried so desperately to find my "thing" all throughout middle school & high school. I took a photography class my senior year of high school & remember thinking "damn.. I should have started this a while ago." & while I knew there was a spark there, the intimidation of learning something completely foreign & new completely terrified me. When my first son was born, I wanted to take really cute 'Tumbler & Pinterest" pictures. I naively thought that getting a new & fancy (canon rebel) camera would FOR SURE, guaranteed, give me those picturesque images. So when they didn't, I found myself again, moving on. It wasn't until my second was born & watching countless amounts of YouTube videos, I decided it was time to buckle up, & learn the damn thing. It took me 6 years to start, but what I learned was that people don't just "have a thing," they WORK towards their thing, they pour themselves entirely into their thing, they nurture their thing until that thing, eventually, whole heartedly becomes them. For now, all of my passion & energy is going into my ever evolving craft, so I think this will be for a bit!
How do you de-stress at the end of the day?
An elevated scalding hot bath.
What kind of music do you listen to while editing?
If I'm listening to music, it's most likely country, Jack Johnson, or some stuff that hits me deep in the feels. I like to balance it out between music, podcasts, & stand up comedy too-- just depends on my mood!
What is your favorite book?
My ultimate favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. My son's middle name is Atticus-- after Mr. Finch himself!
Name one movie that inspires you.
I'm actually not a big movie person (tv series junkie here!) but was SOOOOOO inspired by the Joker movie with Joaquin Phoenix. I don't think I ever even used the word "cinematography" before watching it, but hot damn the cinematography in that movie was BEAUTIFUL. The color choices & tones, the composition, the framing, the music-- it all hit me, not only an aesthetic level, but a visually emotional level if that even makes sense. Yeah the storyline was good, but just the way they made that movie was gorgeous.
How do you handle self-doubt or creative slumps?
I use to self loathe during those seasons of life. If I'm being honest, those thoughts & feelings can still creep in from time to time. If I'm in the right mind set, I can usually talk myself out of the self doubt. I remind myself that ultimately, the art I create is an extension of me & my journey in this field. And that through this process, I owe it to myself to be authentically me. Whether that means people love it or hate it. In hind site, it's so easy to type those words out, but it took me YEARS to realize & truly believe that-- & even then it's something I need to constantly remind myself of.
The creative slumps are harder for me to get out of. I'm the kind of person that if I'm feeling overwhelmed in life, I shut down emotionally. Usually that tends to be personal or creative shooting for me. It's terrifying because I'm aware that I'm in the slump, but the longer time goes by, the more my motivation goes with it. It's like I can literally feel it depleting-- so dramatic right? LOL. So, when I have a little bit of energy stored up, I'll baby step my way back. I'll start with picking up my camera one day, the next I'll try to visualize & capture a particular image I want, when my confidence comes back, I'll set up a model call, etc. One big thing 2020 taught me was that I'm a very baby step kind of person!
What has been the most difficult part of your creative journey?
In short, finding & following my voice within my work-- letting it seep out of all my images. Quarantine really gave me the courage to fully shoot in a way that fuels my creativity. Letting go of what I think clients want & producing images & sessions that speak just as much to me, as the clients I work with.
What is your favorite pizza topping?
Extra Pineapple with bacon & jalapeños! If it's at a fancy pizza place, I'll add arugula to it too!
What is your most favorite kind of light and why?
That gooey, drippy golden light right before the sun sets with light to moderate cloud coverage! Those sunsets are so epic & really transform the tones of an image. I'm not so much a fan of crazy dramatic skies, but I loooove me some beautiful pastel sunsets.
Who is one of your favorite photographers?
UUUGHHH, I can't just pick one! I'm constantly inspired by Jodi Lynn, Tarah Sweeney, Sophie Lea Photography, Jesse Salter & sooooo many more!
What is your favorite course or lesson at Unraveled?
I love the technical lessons like the gif maker, & Anna Caitlin's double exposure course-- which reminds me I really need to try those!
