Meet Lua White | Portrait & Music Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lua White and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lua, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had been tentatively exploring photography since my teens, but really started to deep dive toward the end of 2021, when my husband gave me a Sony ZV-1 camera as an early Christmas gift. I started taking the camera out to local concerts and planning portrait sessions with my close friends, and in practicing on a regular basis, quickly realized that I was much more passionate about photography than I had previously thought. In early 2022, I upgraded my camera to a Sony A7iii, created a website, and started charging introductory prices for my work. I wanted the opportunity to expand my client base past friends and family, and to take a more serious, intentional approach to what was quickly turning from a casual hobby into a potential future career.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My artistic journey has been varied and ever-changing. I would definitely consider myself a serial hobbyist, and have a history of quickly moving from one thing to another. Photography has been the one thing to have broken that pattern and stuck, and I find myself learning more and becoming even more passionate about it as time goes on. As any new small business owner or artist can attest to, there have been challenges, but my photography journey has been much more invigorating than frustrating. I am lucky to have a great day job to fall back on, which has saved me from the pressures of growing a business with any time-related or monetary goals in mind. My photography business has been something that I’ve been able to take at my own pace, and for the most part, I have only accepted jobs that I’ve had a genuine interest in and felt artistically connected to. I am most proud of the fact that, through photography, I’ve finally been able to break my own cycle of momentary passions and really commit myself to an art form. I am extremely excited to keep learning and exploring more styles, subjects, and formats in the future, and also, hopefully, to grow my photography into a more serious, or even primary, business.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As an East Dallas native, my favorite spot for both photography and leisure has always been The Arboretum. I would consider myself to be fairly outdoorsy, so I am always seeking out new gardens, trails, and preserves, but The Arboretum has always taken the nature-related cake for me. As far as night life goes, my favorite spot hands-down is Deep Ellum; specifically Three Links bar & music venue. Almost all of the local shows that I have photographed have been at Three Links, and every event there has been a great time. I wasn’t very aware of the Dallas music scene until meeting my husband, who has been active in DFW area bands for 10+ years, but I’ve been really excited to discover that we have such talented musicians, and such an innovative and thriving music scene here. As you’ll see on my Instagram page, some of my favorite (and most frequently photographed) local bands are Rosegarden Funeral Party, Deep Red, Thyroids, and Van Damme.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my husband, Scott, who has always been my biggest supporter in anything that I have pursued. His passion, creativity, and work ethic inspire me daily.

Website: luawhite.com

Instagram: @luasphotos

Image Credits
Personal Photo taken by Jackie Loubriel.