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

Hi Tori, what do you attribute your success to?
Being a mom of 3 very active little ones, it’s taken a lot of dedication to get where I am today with Tori Lorraine Photography. Of course my mom-life comes first, and it’s not always easy. There are plenty of times where it feels like I have too much on my plate as it is with mom-life, but it’s my dedication to photography that makes me want to go back for seconds. Dedication is what drives me to be a full-time mom and a full-time photographer.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a little bit of a Jane of all trades. I love everything about photography. Black and white or color. 35mm film or digital. Traditional family portraits or pop art pieces. I love doing it all. Just having my camera in my hand gets me excited for my day. My work is a wide range of family portraits, pop art prints, fashion, and branding. What I feel that sets me apart from everyone else is my attention to details. I love getting all the little details in shots. The different textures and pops of color. Whether it be a bright blue color of a client’s eyes, the condensation drops rolling down a glass of an Old Fashioned, or a vintage button on a fashion piece. My eye catches the different details and I build the rest of the photo shoot off them. I think outside of the box and catch the different angles. I don’t mind getting up on a ladder or down on the ground to get the angle. I do what it takes to get the shot. What makes me proud is having some of my prints hanging up in someone’s home. When I sold my first print, I’m not going to lie. I cried. I cried the happiest of tears. They were the “I can’t believe I just did that” kind of tears. Everyone deserves to have that feeling at one point in their life because I will never forget that moment. How I got to that moment was not easy. It took a lot of frustration, relationship fights, sacrifice, and late nights to get there… But I got there. If I didn’t have all my family and friends by my side pushing me, Tori Lorraine Photography would have had a different story. They helped me learn that I am stronger and more creative than I give myself credit for. Which leads me to the answer for “what lessons you’ve learned along the way”: surround yourself with positive people. Whether it be friends and family or peers, surround yourself with people who inspire you. Challenge yourself to learn new techniques. You need positivity, inspiration, and the hunger to learn to grow more into your craft. At the end of the day, I’m really just a gal with purple hair behind the camera that loves what she does and it shows. Tori Lorraine Photography is my passion and I take pride in my work. I’m excited for the future and looking forward to capturing life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Denton is a hidden gem of North Texas. There are so many incredible places to eat and drink, I don’t even know where to begin. Of course I’d take them to the Denton Square, the heart of Denton. Eastside is always my favorite spot to hang out at, sitting in a booth out on the patio, and grabbing food from the little food truck park. Miss Angeline’s, which is right next to Eastside, is always perfect for a cocktail on the patio and hear all of the Denton street chatter. Lunch at the Chestnut Tree is always my favorite. If you get there early enough to snatch up a Chicken Pot Pie before they sell out, you feel like you’ve won the lottery. For dinner, you can never go wrong with Barley & Board or 940’s Kitchen & Cocktails. No matter what time of day, Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream or Gnome’s Cones is always good for a sweet tooth. Not too far from the square is my favorite coffee spot, Golden Boy Coffee Co. Their coffee is what fuels me through hours of photo editing. Armadillo Ale Works is always the perfect spot to hang out with friends and play the shared board games. What I love about Denton is the sense of community and closeness. This community is full of amazing people that inspire me to be a better photographer, to be a better Dentonite. I have lived in different cities throughout Texas, and Denton will forever be my home, sweet, home.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family. They have been my biggest fans from day 1. They have been there to cheer me on at my art show galleries, to be a shoulder to ugly cry on when I felt like giving up, and make me coffee while I stay up late working on edits. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for them. A shoutout also goes out to my friends. They have helped me set up for art shows and carry out my crazy photo shoot visions. I tend to get a little carried away with photography ideas, and they help keep me grounded. Lastly, the city of Denton and all my fellow Dentonites. Thank you for letting me take photos for your businesses and keeping my cups of coffee full while I work on edits. My heart will always belong to the Lil’ D. My support system is everything to me. I don’t know how I got to be so lucky to have all these incredible people in my life.

Website: http://torilorraine.com/
Instagram: @ToriLorrainePhotography
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToriLorrainePhotography/

Image Credits
Tori Lorraine Photography

Nominate someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.