Harvest Photo

Identity

Identity is a moving beast. Oftentimes, it’s an unknowable one.

Who am I? What am I? Why am I?

I’m always LaShawnda. Rarely ever do I lay claim to any other title. However, completing applications recetnly for press credentials with the title of Photographer for WikiPortraits came quite easy. Flowed effortlessly, honestly, from the tips of my fingers to my screen, actually.

There’s something to be said for finding your place. When you finally fit comfortably in a niche after long stretches of misfits, you wonder why it took so long and how long will it feel so good?

Life after corporate

I left my corporate career in 2018. I gave myself five years to figure out how to earn a living with my creative skills – photography and writing. I’m going on year eight.

The first three years were all about learning skills, techniques and equipment for different types of photography. The next couple of years were focused on developing my photo editing style and preferences, and creating composite images from my work. These last three years, I’ve been improving my portraiture with various lenses. I also worked and reworked book projects during this time.

These last eight years have been busy and satisfying focusing on my creative development and goals. That being said, I’m 100% self-funded and I wasn’t making any money. I didn’t despair because I do believe our talents will make room for us. So I kept moving forward with my independent learning initiatives. I created my own projects, took time to practice my craft, and looked for opportunities to learn from others.

For the most part, I haven’t been interested in full-time non-creative work. Leaving corporate was an intentional de-escalating of my life. I wanted to slow down everything and enjoy what I do more. Unfortunately for me, I took on a full gut rehab of a 130 year old property a few years ago. Rehabs require income. So far, I’ve avoided returning to corporate, but the temptation is there.

Misappropriated corporate envy

Since 2023, I’ve worked for one school district and three non-profits. The first non-profit was an historic one Inwas excited to join. I went to work giddy for nearly two weeks. They became a huge bitter disappointment. The second non-profit was intended to be very short-term. Even going in with eyes wide open, I became disappointed and disillusioned after prolonged exposure to the founder. The third non-profit has been my second longest tenure with any role post-corporate life. I’m sure I’ve only lasted this long because I disassociated early.

Overall, I’ve learned everything is corporate and capitalistic; exploitative and unsafe for physche and spirit. There are different types of funding structures but greed and a desire for power and control rules nonprofits and education worse than any corporate environment I’ve ever worked in. Mostly because it’s unexected and hidden on the surface. I haven’t matched well with anything during this time. Everything has been deadening.

Enter WikiPortraits

Until WikiPortraits. My forth non-profit. And a volunteer role I’m paying to perform in.  The adage “doing what you love isn’t work” isn’t quite true. Doing what I love has always been work. The most satisfying and rewarding work. So much so, I’ve never minded paying for the opportunities to do the work that satisfies me most.

I sourced and pitched my first assignment with WikiPortraits. It was the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Long Track at the Petit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, WI, January 2-5, 2026. Photos from the weekend can be viewed here.

Prepping for readiness

In 2018, I began doing pop-up mini photo shoots. I scheduled people in 15 minutes increments for my photo book project, I AM WOMAN: Expressions of Black Womanhood in America. Since returning to Milwaukee in 2021, I’ve occasionally hosted similar sessions for headshots. I’ve also begun hosting seasonal photowalks via Air BnB Experiences and Visit Milwaukee.

In 2024, I began attending photo meet-ups at Northern Lights Studio in Milwaukee with the intention of improving my portraiture photography. The meet-ups netted a muse and many great portraits for my portfolio.

Accelerator

WikiPortraits’ mission is tailored to all my prep and independent work. They pop up at festivals, conferences, events around the world to photograph the people in attendance.

My second assignment with WikiPortraits was an invitation to the Sundance Film Festival. I accepted the invitation and asked for four days during the second week. They later came back and asked if I could do the first five days. Peak festival attendance. Most of the premieres with celebrities on-site. My assignment was to get on as many red carpets, aka press lines, as possible.

I’ve been doing schedules since my first job at McDonald’s thirty years ago. My first management responsibility was doing crew schedules with a focus on labor cost projections. Once I acclimated to the vastness of Sundance’s event calendar and understood the press line invitations from publicists, my photo card filled up quickly.

Generally speaking, I photographed two film events a day. I had approval for their press line or post-screening Q&A. For the films I had both press line and Q&A access for, I attempted to purchase tickets to watch the film. I saw five films. I photographed thirteen presslines, six Q&As and two panels. I ended up giving away a press line and a Q&A. One was after a long day. The other was after my flight home.

When I spoke with the assignment editor before my departure, the first thing I said was, “I performed well.”

I wanted to be invited to future opportunities.

Getting my asks

A few weeks after Sundance ended, I was asked to photograph the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague next month. The next day, I was asked to do the whole run of the Cannes Film Festival.

I admit to having a small existential crisis. Fear surfaced in the form of financial resources. And I was very aware that my imagination was at a low ebb.

These aren’t paid gigs. So any time I take off work is not only no income, it’s no income plus expenses.

For Sundance, I had to front my expenses with the hope of reimbursement by late spring (if they like my photos). I told the assignment editor I can’t sustain not working for nearly a month while traveling overseas. I also had a personal trip planned and calendered in between Prague and France.

I told her I’m interested but really need to figure out finances. Then I phoned a friend.

He said exactly what I thought he’d say. “Say yes. Enjoy yourself. Worry about the money later.”

All told, as long as I’m not in the hole and my personal life responsibilities don’t suffer, I’m good.

This episode exposed how much I believed I was done dreaming and living a fantastic life. I had really bought into downsizing, doing only what’s necessary, and burying myself in blahness.

Ultimately, I concluded creating beautiful images of people fulfilling their dreams is heart- and life-lifting work. And honestly, I can’t put a price on that.

Afterall, I’m LaShawnda, a photographer who enjoys travel, telling stories, and capturing life through my lens.