COMMUNITY PROFILE

“Creativity is your ability to produce something that comes from within”

Meet Nina LaFlamme, a remarkable photographer from the picturesque landscapes of Squamish, BC. She is a visionary who passionately believes in the profound significance of human connection within her artistry.

Nina’s childhood was spent amidst the great outdoors, camping with her family, and indulging in sports like soccer and competitive rock climbing. Her fascination with the world’s wonders was nurtured by National Geographic magazines and looking through her mom’s old film photos.

Nina’s mom always brought her to art galleries which taught her the value of art at a young age. Nina was gifted a camera as a teen and from there, her photography journey truly began. Now, Nina shoots full-time and wishes she had taken that leap sooner.

Can you tell us about your approach to photography?

“There is a lot of communication and empathy that happens. I try hard to make people feel comfortable and like this is not transactional. I recently had feedback from a muralist I photographed that it was really nice that I first chatted to connect, and that it was a lovely experience that didn’t feel like the camera was around. I’m not using my camera as a barrier and hiding behind it, and that makes people feel more comfortable.”

What is your definition of creativity?

“Creativity is your ability to produce something that comes from within. If you’re imagining or feeling something, it is your ability to translate that into whatever medium you choose. Someone who is creative is bringing something out of themselves and putting it into whatever they are doing”

Tell us a story about how creativity has helped you overcome adversity in your life.

“I have gone through chronic depression, and a huge escape is going out hiking in the mountains and tuning everything out. My camera drives me to go out to those places of peace. Photography is my tool for processing it. Battling cynicism and climate anxiety is my major drive for everything that I photograph. How can my photos strategically help people that are doing great things or how can my photos capture a landscape that needs to be protected and appreciated? How can my photos highlight the great work an organization is doing so they can continue and get more funding? This work helps me feel like what I am doing is making a difference.“

Can you dive deeper into how you use your photography to have a positive impact?

“The whole thought process started right before the pandemic when I got to photograph for a project with a nonprofit that sent me to Ghana and Sri Lanka. Taking those photos, connecting with those people, and seeing how my photos were utilized, I realized the impact I could have, and I realized that I could do this with so many different subjects. For example, local agriculture and food systems are industries that I am really passionate about. Not to get too into the weeds but we know that our food consumption habits and where the food comes from affect our carbon footprint and local economy. I choose to work with restaurants, farms, and NGOs that work tightly within that local space, and I want to support those amazing businesses. Finding out that I can help a movement of localization by highlighting it and making it look great encourages people to support and follow the movement.”

How has your creativity shifted and evolved?

“I’ve become a lot more critical of my work to push myself to improve. I spend a lot more time agonizing over all the little details. That in a sense pushes my creativity forward. Instead of taking the safe shots, I question myself and ask “How can I do this better? How can I make this more interesting?”. I’ve also found that when I face challenging jobs, I push myself way harder to get creative. So the lesson I’ve been learning lately is that I need to be doing hard things if I want to push my creative boundary forward”.

What advice would you have for someone who is afraid to express their creative voice or lacks the belief that they are even creative?

“The thing that you’re creative about is FOR YOU. Eliminate the fear that someone is not going to like it. Just do the thing. It doesn’t matter if people like it or not, it’s for you, and it’s worth doing because you enjoy doing it.”

Anything else you’d like to share?

“Creative mornings and the speakers that I have had the pleasure of seeing, have made a big difference in how I work and process the different aspects of my business. There is just so much value in the talks, and I am so glad it exists”.

To learn more about Nina and her work, visit her profile and website

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