Tell us a little about your backgrounds. We’re both creatives who spend equal time working out in the world and from home. I’m a freelance photographer specializing in weddings, portraits, and events, but my work is continually evolving. Kyle’s a web developer for Treehouse, a startup creating an online school for technology learning. We collaborate during wedding season when Kyle joins me as a second photographer.

Tell us about yourselves and your work: what you’re passionate about, what inspires you, and where you’re going. I spent a lot of time studying art and design while in school, and photography has been a natural progression into a field where I can hold onto my creativity and make a living. People, beauty, and happiness inspire me, and I feel fortunate to work with clients during their most joyful times.

Kyle’s worked professionally as a graphic designer, photographer, web developer, and snowboard instructor. He’s driven by a love of nature and simplicity, and created a social backpacking network for the Pacific Northwest called Went Hiking. At Treehouse, he garners inspiration from helping people get better jobs and improve their lives through technology learning.

I think this David Bowie quote sums up each of our lives: “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”

Tell us about your space. What’s your aesthetic? What do you like or dislike about it? I love all things vintage, and Kyle appreciates a more modern aesthetic. Our apartment has taken on an eclectic combination of our individual tastes that we both appreciate.

The apartment was built in the early 1900s and is bursting with vintage charm. Our favorite room is the sun porch, which is gloriously warm and bright and is currently serving as a small library.

We could definitely use an extra room for our office area. Both of our desks are sharing space with the dining room, which isn’t ideal, but it works for now.

There is a SAYL Chair in your office area. Why did you choose it? I was extremely picky about this decision because too many office chairs are bulky and unappealing. We both love Herman Miller designs, so when it came time to choose an ergonomic chair for Kyle to sit and program in every day, it was an easy choice. The SAYL is attractive and comfortable, and I appreciate its low profile and lightweight look. We would definitely recommend it to others!

Photos: Christy Cassano-Meyer

Give us a little insight on your background. I’m originally from Wisconsin and graduated from UW-Madison with a Bachelor of Science in Art. I was artistic from a very young age. At about age 12, I got very interested in the then-new home computer technologies of the early 80′s. I grew up right along with the rapid advancement of computer graphics. As there was no computer graphics major at the time, I took to many forms of art, including photography. I also had a strong interest in architecture and studied some of that curriculum. I landed a job at a local computer graphics company before graduating. The company grew rapidly and I helped develop software (from the artist viewpoint) that was widely used in the movie industry. It wasn’t long before my ambition caused me to pack up and move to L.A. I started working in the visual effects industry just as it was blossoming. This was 1992. I rose to a supervisor level and worked on over 20 major movies during my film career. The last film I worked on is “The Life of Pi” directed by Ang Lee, which comes out November 21.

How long have you been a photographer? Well, I’ve been a photographer on the side ever since college, but started thinking about it as a serious career change a few years ago. I had the opportunity to study with and assist one of world’s leading architectural photographers, Tim Griffith. This really took my work to the next level and I knew I was ready to go full time. The gradual transition has allowed me time to acquire the costly cameras, tilt-shift lenses, lighting, and computer equipment necessary for the best results. I also feel my 20-year experience in supervising the fine details of film visuals really gives me an edge to produce outstanding architectural photography in which details and precision are paramount. Today’s best architectural photography requires extensive post production, which is very similar to compositing in the visual effects field.

While Los Angeles has world-class architecture and is responsible for my love of mid-century modernist architecture in particular, I felt a desire to explore life in a new city and the mountains of Colorado came calling. I now live in my own mid-century home in Denver. I quickly went to work as a top photographer for the regional magazine Modern In Denver. It’s allowed me to meet many people in the design industry here and I look forward to the rapid growth of my business.

Tell us what you’re passionate about, what inspires you, and where you’re going. My admiration for the modernist architects and seeing their work firsthand in California really ignited my interest in architectural photography. I studied the works of great modernist photographers: Julius Shulman, Ezra Stoller, Ernie Braun, and Balthazar Korab. Photographers such as those give me plenty of inspiration to continue to fine-tune my craft. Although a much smaller market than Los Angeles, Denver has many fine architectural firms and the city has a booming art scene and really great restaurants. I appreciate how the smaller size makes the city more accessible than the wide sprawl of LA, not to mention less traffic! I still have ties to Los Angeles and enjoy going back from time to time. As my business grows, I look forward to more traveling assignments in other markets.

In addition to architectural work, I also shoot landscape photography and plan on more gallery showings of those pieces. The Rocky Mountains offer spectacular and endless amounts of subject matter.

Were there any special considerations that influenced the set up of your office? What do you like or dislike? It’s a great, comfortable space. I didn’t need a large office but wanted to have enough room to allow a seating area for clients. I kept it simple and tied it with the rest of the house by including some mid-century pieces. The carpet and painted walls are neutral with bright-colored furniture and pop artist Roy Lichtenstein prints. I brought a bit of the Pacific Ocean to Colorado with my seven-foot photographic print on canvas by artist Olivier Pojzman. The vantage point not far from where I lived in Marina Del Rey. I confess I miss the ocean. I make my own fine-art prints on an Epson pro wide-carriage printer. Quality prints are great to show architectural clients. As my business grows, I’ll be looking to move into a larger commercial office space. It would be nice to stretch out a bit more and have access to an outdoor area.

You have both a Mirra Chair and an Eames Lounge in your space. Why did you choose them? One of the companies I worked for in Los Angeles supplied Aeron Chairs for all the employees. I fell in love with them. I went to a local supplier intending to purchase the same and came across the Mirra Chair. I really liked the aesthetic difference and the color options… the lower price didn’t hurt either. I decided on a green one to go with my DWR Nine.Two.Five office furniture. I also often work on my laptop in my Eames Lounge Chair. I’ve had it for over 10 years now. It’s great when people that don’t know about such an iconic furniture piece still fall in love with it immediately. It’s definitely my favorite place to sit in the house!

Photos: davidlauerphotography.com

You started your photography studio in 2005. What led to that point? I started out photographing weddings in college. Several of my classmates did not see the “art” in shooting weddings, so they would turn those kind of projects down. I personally thought it was a great way to gain experience. I wound up contacting other photographers in the area and shadowing them as well. I talked with all types: a horse photographer (yes, that is a thing), studio portrait photographers, wedding photographers, press photographers with the Houston Chronicle, and even a crime scene photographer. Working with these different types of photographers helped me to find what I was good at.

I shot on the side for quite a few years. Soon, after getting tired of working outside sales for a mobile company, I decided to jump in feet first and see if I could run a successful studio.

Tell us what you’re passionate about, what inspires you, and where you’re going. Of course, I am passionate about photography; but deeper than that, I would say I am passionate about people. I want to give my clients not only great images but also a great experience. I always tell my friends that I want my clients to choose me because of me — my personality and my work, not because I fit their budget. Inspiration for me comes from everywhere. Other photographers in my area inspire me, as do graphic designers and movies. As for where I am going, I honestly just want to keep photographing weddings and hopefully do more destination weddings.

Tell us about your space. Were there any special considerations that influenced its set up? What would you change if you could? My current space was designed with Eames and Herman Miller furniture in mind. My previous studio was a 100-year-old farmhouse that was designed for my clients’ needs only. It was great and it had a lot of character, but I didn’t feel like it expressed me as a whole. So when it came time to move, I knew I wanted all new (and some vintage) furniture for the place. The new studio is located in a warehouse/business complex. There are several other creatives in the complex, which helps with inspiration. I love the concrete floors, but do not like that I am the second floor.

Why did you chose these particular Herman Miller pieces? My first Herman Miller pieces were the four vintage orange Eames molded fiberglass chairs. I knew I wanted them at my meeting table. I love how the orange pops and how it reminds a lot of people of their old school chairs. My favorite is the Eames Storage Unit (I will never let that one go). It is very versatile, has plenty of storage, and is a piece of art in itself. And I like that I can move my Nelson tables around easily and rearrange the seating areas.

I knew I wanted original Herman Miller pieces and not knock-offs. I scoured Craigslist, garage sales, storage auctions, and business furniture liquidators. I chose these pieces because they function as art; to me, they are not just chairs — there is a lot of nostalgia there.

Photos: Clark Lara

How long have you been working as a photographer? What drew you to shooting? I graduated with a BFA in 2002 from the from Alberta College of Art & Design. Assisting for 4 years I officially started shooting full time in 2006. I originally went to college to specialize in graphic arts/design, but changed my major after the first year. I really had a hard time sitting in the same room working on drawings all day. Photography allows you the freedom to explore the environment around you. I appreciate this and wanted to fully discover the medium.

Tell us about your workspace. Any special considerations that effected the way it is set up? I actually share a workspace with two other photographers. It’s a large setup with a car studio and two smaller studios. I feel very fortunate to have the freedom of space.  The first part of the series started in the studio space but found some of them would take me far too long with many interruptions. I recently moved it to my office above the studio and am able to work on the projects much easier.

Your new work, Disassembly, strips down electronics to their elements. You’ve managed to capture a real beauty in the bits and pieces that come together to form once ubiquitous pieces of technology. The typewriter and rotary phone certainly no longer have a place in our home offices. Was there a reason you didn’t choose a laptop or cell phone? Most everything that I have taken apart has been mechanical. If you press a button or turn a knob you can physically see it doing its job. They are very interesting and complex inside. New technology although very complex, is not on a level you can see physically. I have taken apart my iPhone before and inside there are minimal parts.

What inspires you in your work? Things I see, sounds I hear, conversations with people, it’s amazing what can come up if you let your mind wander.

1. How long have you been working as a photographer? I like to think of my experience with photography as a puzzle where I’m constantly adding new pieces to form a collective whole. I started in high school, where I would spend most of my afternoons slaving away in the darkroom, jamming to my Discman. When in college at Wesleyan University, I began shooting for the school newspaper and working as a darkroom assistant. While studying abroad, I broadened my knowledge adding more pieces to the puzzle. I moved to Mexico for a semester and was introduced to the color darkroom. In São Paulo, I learned the history of photography from an old Brazilian master. In Salvador, Bahia, I turned to documentary work. After college I moved to Sao Paulo and it was there that I decided to pursue a career in the field. From that moment I have completely invested myself in that pursuit. After working with several acclaimed Brazilian photographers I made the move to New York and started again from scratch. It has now been three and a half years that I have been living as a freelance photographer in the city.

2. What inspired the blogger portraits? I blog and I read blogs. A lot of them. Blogs have become my go-to source for information; they feed and comfort me. Today, bloggers are widely respected within their industries and have become our new decision makers as they showcase, analyze and filter information for us.

While it is heavily debated how modern technology can isolate us, there are undeniably many upsides to this online evolution. I believe bloggers are connecting us, bringing us closer. In some ways, bloggers are helping create a reverse wave in our technological age by forming an authentic exchange between blogger and reader. Bloggers allow for an interactive platform, a dialogue that allows for both online and offline relationships to form.

It is through our screens, these beacons of light, that the world opens up and we become literally linked to one another. I began photographing bloggers with this idea in mind, giving the viewer a peek into their intimate worlds by using their screens as the sole light source.

3. You’ve worked all over the world. Tell us about your favorite shoot? Ohh that’s a tough one! My favorite shoots are the ones where I come out of them with a new friend. Just yesterday, for example, I was sent down to Vero Beach, FL for an assignment shooting a couple who runs a boot camp and this morning we have been sending facebook messages and texts non-stop!

4. What draws you to portrait work? Since I began photographing, I have always insisted on being in front of the lens, becoming part of the construction of my images. Photography has become my therapy, an exclusive dialogue between myself and the camera where we push each other to a point of exhaustion, both emotionally and physically. My work reveals this intimate process which I invite the viewer to partake in. In my portraiture, as I approach other subjects, I take this comfort with me and try to recreate the same intimate setting. This process from subject to intimate confidant is what drives me to keep creating.

5. Who would you most like to photograph? I hope to have the fortune of my family allowing me photograph then until the day I can no longer pick up a camera.

Do you listen to music while you work? When I work in studio, it’s a lot of really mellow music. I’m on the phone and writing emails a lot, so it needs to be something that can kind of blend into the background. When I’m on set, it tends to be more upbeat and more poppy.

How do you listen? In studio (which I share with my boyfriend), we’re all on a network. So our computers feed into a receiver and through really good speakers. On set, I’ll rent a portable iPod dock or a lot of times I bring this little red speaker that you plug your iPod/iPhone into. It’s small but super loud and is so easy to just throw in a bag and go.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Well, I’m probably pretty late in the game, but I am really loving Pandora right now.

Does music influence your work? I think music most influences me when I’m working on personal stuff. Not so much on set or when I’m in studio doing all the back-end business stuff. There was a time in college when I was staying up super late, listening to Red House Painters on repeat, and making collages and little books.

Where do you find music recommendations? Most of my music comes from friends, people who know what I like and tell me to download a certain artist or album. I really do love Morning Becomes Eclectic on NPR, but don’t listen to it as much now that I live in NYC.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be? Wow, that’s a really serious question! I’ve been totally in love with the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack lately—songs by Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The music is so hopeful, sincere, and beautiful. Some songs are really mellow and some move faster with more energy. When I first heard the album, I thought it was all different artists since the songs are so varied. I think I could get behind that album as representative of the range of my work!
ANNA’S PLAYLIST:

Live to Tell the Tale, Passion Pit

Hideaway, Karen O and the Kids

Sorrow Tears and Blood, Fela Kuti

Into the Sun, Diplo

The Only Living Boy in New York, Simon and Garfunkel

Fun Powder Plot, Wild Beasts

No One Does It Like You, Department of Eagles

I Get Low, Timber Timbre

Re: Stacks, Bon Iver

Ash Wednesday, Elvis Perkins

Nickel Bags, Digable Planets

Send It On, D’Angelo

By Your Side, Sade

Hometown Glory, Santigold

Peace Train, Cat Stevens

Two Weeks, Grizzly Bear

Knife, Grizzly Bear

Turn Me On (Kevin Lyttle cover), CocoRosie

Everyman…Everywoman, Yoko Ono

Images: Anna Wolf; Studio Photos: Monica Pendergrass

Lara Parent is a Michigan-based photographer and blogger. We’ll be following her amazing office over the next year as she changes the ‘inspiration walls’ that surround her desk. The idea is to create a kind of visual diary of the space, so look out for upcoming posts tagged ‘Talking Walls’. But first we talked to Lara about working from home…

How much time do you spend in your home office? What kind of work do you find yourself doing there? Anywhere from 2-6 hours on any given day or evening. I mostly work on my photography: everything from exploring and editing to making photographs in my space. I have only been digital for a little over 4 years, so I feel like in this transition from film and the darkroom to the digital darkroom I am constantly learning. Lately I have also been making and editing videos and doing some occasional tiny sketches–some for a new body of work I am starting. When I first started out in photography, my focus was fine art for gallery and museum exhibitions, but I never lost my love for photographing people and collaborating with my subjects: I am fascinated by other people’s stories.

How would you describe your home office? What is the design aesthetic? I surround myself with objects from nature, man-made objects and images or illustrations that inspire me. I don’t know that I have a set design aesthetic…I guess it could be described as flexible and open, ever-changing. My office is a place where I can focus, create, think and just be. It has beautiful morning and evening light that never fails to inspire.

Does anyone else use your home office? I love it when my husband comes in to hang out, talk, or to give me feedback on my work. Our dog, Lucy, loves to nap in the space and bask in the patches of light throughout the day.

How do you organize the space? With great difficulty…a consistent way or system of organization is something I have yet to perfect. My husband who is an industrial designer, did an incredible job at laying out and creating a wonderful office space from a spare bedroom. He designed and built my main work surface and also helped me to figure out which work areas would work best for different projects and tasks. He also found ways to create the maximum amount of storage–control the clutter–in the existing space by knocking out a section of a wall to create a more accessible closet, to utilizing the space next to a dormer for built-in shelves that house my files and photo equipment. I have three main work areas in my office: the main desk [below] that houses my computer, scanner, printer, external hard drives, and Wacom tablet. I do a lot of my editing and other work on the computer at this area; another work surface on casters where I do most of my writing and sketching; and three of IKEA’s Malm cabinets that make up a nice work surface (when it is clear of stuff!) for cutting and packaging.

What piece of technology helps you most in your work? My laptops and my iPhone. I love portability and on occasion, the ability to work on a few things at one time. One of the things I enjoy most about the iPhone is that I always having a camera with me. I am forever stopping on walks or pulling over in my car to capture something beautiful or interesting.

What impact do you think color has on a workspace? A great deal of impact. I absolutely love color and always find it incredible when someone can make bright and saturated colors on their work space walls work for them. Because so many of the images and objects on my walls and shelves are full of color, when the background isn’t neutral, the color ends up competing with those images and objects and I have a hard time focusing on what I have posted. I get my color fix by the other blocks of color in my space: Goldfish FLOR carpet tiles, a window seat cushion in a similar orange, and my green office chair.

What desk accessory can’t you do without? My set of Prismacolor colored pencils (and a black marker, and paper with a bit of a tooth to it).

Is there a piece of furniture you’d love to replace? Furniture-wise, no. I adore my green Eames Aluminum Group chair and all of my work surfaces. I love that my chair and one of my tables are both mobile. Casters are essential! If there is anything I’d like to change, it would be the color that I painted my west facing tackboard wall. I love green. I love color. But after living with it for a few years and seeing how the green competes with the images, I’ve realized I must repaint in a more neutral color–likely white.

What inspires you? I am fascinated with people…how others see and what their stories are. I was always that kid who loved looking at other people’s photo albums, home movies, and the art and objects that people had in their homes. My husband also constantly inspires me: his thinking processes, the objects and spaces he creates and his kindness. I am inspired by people who are thinkers, who create, who are dedicated, who have passion, and who work to make things better. Light, nature and color are another a huge source of inspiration. I do my best thinking on days when there is a lot of light or at the lake when the clouds are dark and the light is dramatic. So much…

Where is you home office? Home is Williamsburg, Brooklyn.   I grew up in Manhattan and have lived in Brooklyn since graduating from RISD in 1999. I have been in my current space for a little over 2 years and I am fortunate to have a separate office room in my apartment.

What does your typical day involve? I don’t really have an average work day, and that is just the way I like it, to keep things fresh. Lately I have been scanning in a lot of older negatives and I often try to get some of that done in the mornings.  I have been working frequently with Sundance Channel/Full Frontal Fashion and we were all over New York, photographing different designers studios, which was a lot of fun. Then I go home and upload all the raw files, make selects and work on them.

Have there been any advances in technology that help you in your work? As a photographer, there are very obvious technological updates that change the way in which I work.  For my artwork, I used exclusively film and darkroom methods until the past year or so, and I have been using digital cameras and computer programs a bit more.  I like to look as digital photography as another great tool to use in my work, and use it to my advantage, not let the medium guide the images.

What accessory to you rely on the most? I have to admit that I am a bit addicted to the iPhone, and use all the ical, mail apps, etc.  As a freelancer, it is indispensable to have access to my schedule and contacts when not near my computer.  I have a separate client area on my computer and try to keep everything backed up for at least a year. And recently I bought a new powerful Epson film scanner and it makes working so much easier, so I would say I cannot do without it.

What is your favorite piece of furniture? Besides my boyfriend, my favorite piece of furniture is probably my desk, it is glass and very simple.

What inspires you? Inspiration can come in many forms, but I definitely feel that I want to be inspired by whatever it is that I find.  For instance, I have not always been that interested in high fashion or followed it too closely, but the recent work with Full Frontal Fashion was super interesting and seeing how the collections come together and the processes involved made me see the industry in a completely different light.  At its best, it is just another form of creative expression.  Also it is one that can directly affect the culture at large very quickly.
My own work is inspired by a search for something intangible but present, a stillness in the world around me.  That can be in the sky, the sea, people, buildings, animals, work, play, travel, everything.