When I sat down with Lauren Poss of Lolly Poss photography, I immediately knew Lauren embodied everything Macaroni Kids and the Wiregrass stands for. Lauren, apart from being a mom and having a thriving photography business, has a special place in her heart for outreach in our area. I interviewed Lauren about her life, photography, and her special little one. I hope you enjoy meeting Lauren as much as I did!
How did you begin your photography career? What inspired you to switch careers to photography?
I started my photography business shortly after my oldest daughter was born. I remember looking through Pinterest and thinking “I can totally take pictures like these”, and then quickly realizing just how much actually goes into taking professional newborn portraits, and deciding I should probably invest some time and energy into learning to do it right.
Tell us some of your favorite things about being a photographer. What are your favorite subjects/pieces? What do you enjoy shooting?
Can I say “all of it?!” I really do love it all! If I had to pick just one, I’d have to pick newborns. I can’t imagine any job better than snuggling brand new babies and curling them into tiny little buckets, dressing them up, and watching new moms and dads and older siblings just soak them in.
I also really love cake smashes. I love to design sets around party themes and plan out all the tiny details. And who doesn’t love cake?!
You are going to go ahead and schedule Christmas minis sessions for September - why now? How do we sign up?
Typically photographers begin planning Christmas sessions around September and shoot in October and November. But this year, with Covid-19 lurking behind every corner, I wanted to get the sessions done as early as possible to try to beat out any more potential quarantines as cold and flu season starts to ramp up. I know some people may be concerned about finding outfits for Christmas sessions in the middle of summer, but I've taken care of that already for you! I've put together shopping lists of outfits for every member of a family (mom, dad, big boy, little boy, big girl, and little girl) that totally coordinate with the photo sets, and you can click and buy your favorites directly from those links. And if you don't want to purchase anything new, you can use the shopping lists as inspiration to look through last year's closet and find something perfect!
Covid may have been the reason why I bumped the Christmas minis earlier this year, but I am seriously thinking about keeping them at the same time next year! Why not get them out of the way and add a big check on your to-do list before all of the craziness of the holiday season kicks in?! "
There is a link on my website or you can type in www.lollypossphotography.appointlet.com
You have one very special little boy. Tell us about him, how he's shaped your art, and changed your family.
Bowen Rives is 2.5 and our youngest of 3, and is our little “homie with an
extra chromie”. We learned shortly after his (very traumatic) birth that Bowen has
Down Syndrome. It took us a couple days to digest the news, but once we did, we
quickly realized that that little extra chromosome packed a lot of extra love (and
sassiness)! We do receive some early intervention therapies to help keep Bowen
progressing in his gross motor and speech milestones, but otherwise, he’s pretty
much like any other 2 year old. He is obsessed with Baby Shark, his big sisters,
and getting into the trash can, dirty laundry, and dog food. He does, however, love
to sit and pose for the camera! He’s definitely one of my favorite subjects to
photograph!
How do you use your photography to give back to the Wiregrass community? How does photography fit into our community?
Shortly after we got Bowen’s diagnosis I remember saying to my husband, “We go to the largest church in town, and I don’t know a single person with Down syndrome. Are we going to have to go through this all alone?” We quickly learned we were NOT alone, and there is actually a very large and active Down syndrome support group here in the Wiregrass. I didn’t want other people to go their whole lives without having the joy of knowing these amazing individuals, so I began what I call the “Business Buddies” project. I pair up local businesses here in the Wiregrass with kids that have Down syndrome and photograph them in custom themed photoshoots and then display their portraits in the stores. My hope is that people will see their beautiful faces all over town, and it will spark conversations and help build relationships. I am excited that so many businesses have come on board and said yes to inclusion and acceptance. Plus, they’re pretty stinkin' cute, if I do say so myself!
