For Lauren Deusing of LA Free Film, photography means more than capturing memorable moments; it’s a calling. Her earliest memories live on within candid snapshots taken on film. The film camera, an ever-present fixture of her younger years, is something that she gravitated toward from the start. “I grew up with my parents always having film cameras. I use my parents’ film camera on my shoots now. That’s something really special to me,” she shares.

When the time came for her to decide on a career path, Lauren felt directionless. It was this moment when she leaned on photography as a familiar, yet promising, outlet. Slowly, she took on projects while she looked to God for guidance, and for a full year, her prayer was persistent, “Lord, if you want me doing this, I am going to pray that you’ll bring me more work than I know what to do with. Give me such a clear direction of what you want me to do with my life.”

While she began to find success in her hometown, she ultimately felt led to leap. Honoring the direction she was given, she made the move to Florida’s 30A to pursue her passion full time. The move was a moment of complete and total surrender to something beyond herself. “I got more work than I knew what to do with. It was such an answered prayer. It was an outpouring of people. It was just so sweet,” Lauren recalls.

The creative opportunity that photography offers is what continues to keep Lauren enamored with the process. “I absolutely love telling stories. That’s my main goal: to genuinely and authentically tell stories,” she muses. Through both film and digital shoots, Lauren weaves a tale that thoughtfully represents each subject’s story.

Her shoots are all about movement, interactions, and observation. In her words, “I really do think that people have fun at our shoots. Making it as natural as possible is my goal. It’s just carefree and candid, honestly.” She utilizes film to capture that effortlessly nostalgic feel that makes modern moments feel like golden memories. “It’s just timeless. You can’t recreate it as much as you try. I feel like it’s the most genuine form of photography,” Lauren explains.

While her style of shooting and choice of medium play a role in creating a priceless product, it’s the connections made through her work that are truly irreplaceable. An experience from a recent shoot speaks to the significance of her sessions: “I did a shoot where the daughter said, ‘We don’t know how much longer my mom’s going to be around. She has cancer.'” In these moments, Lauren feels honored to be the one to capture the deep connections between loved ones. “Knowing that they’re going to look back on those photos someday when they’re gone is what brings me to tears when I’m with them,” she shares candidly.

Above all, for Lauren, photography serves as both a mission and a ministry. Through connecting, capturing, and curating, she blends her love of people with her love of her craft. “My job is a gift to me. I am so uplifted by everyone that I get to meet. Now I get to live in my dream location, doing what I love, and I can’t express how thankful I am for the job that I have.” She holds her heart in alignment with the very attitude that allowed for this dream to become a reality, and she never takes the blessing or the bigger picture for granted.

“I really am just living each day for whatever I can get from Him.”

Learn more about Lauren’s work here. Follow along on Instagram here.