6 QUESTIONS TO LAWRENCE HARDY

Can you tell us a little bit about how you became a photographer?

Rediscovering sobriety opened the door to my passion for photography. Battling mental illnesses since childhood, a result of genetics and an abusive mother, I owe my journey to the strength of my father, who raised my sister and me single-handedly. However, tragedy struck on June 19, 2010, when I found my father unexpectedly lifeless in our family home. This devastating loss pushed me into a decade-long opioid addiction after stumbling upon prescription painkillers. But through it all, my father's influence, my mother's neglect that forced me to mature prematurely, the shared struggle with my fiance Danika, and, above all, the birth of my son propelled me towards photography.

Photo: Lawrence Hardy

Please share something about your images. What is your special interest? How do you choose the colors, composition, themes etc.?

When it comes to a special interest/subject I can’t really narrow it down to one “thing”, if I could point out, I always include something that is often missing in contemporary photography: emotion. While I often photograph scenes and objects that appear pedestrian by any reasonable measure, I tend to see everyday banality that mostly goes unnoticed through a different light, color, and or shade. I am trying to capture a feeling. Maybe it’s whimsical or humorous one. Sometimes the goal is to leave the viewer feeling homesick or a twinge of unease. If it leaves the viewer feeling nothing they’ve felt before, then I’ve accomplished a small part to an impossibly large goal.

Photo: Lawrence Hardy

Where does this interest come from?  

This interest comes from not only negativity from the past but positivity from both the  past and present. It’s so hard for me to articulate where this interest comes from most times because I’ve always been fascinated with scenes/objects/ really anything I find aesthetically pleasing, it just took me over 25 years to find a medium to express my interest, to project my emotions. ( I still could use some help with the writing as im not the best by any means).

Photo: Lawrence Hardy

How do you get inspired? And what inspires you the most? Films, books, or magazines? Or what surrounds you?

My fellow artists on Instagram and other platforms are a huge source of inspiration. Another source would be Sasha Wolf’s PhotoWork Podcast, one even harder to compete with mother nature is a huge factor when it comes to motivating me to get out of bed and or out the door, no matter if I’ve been on vacation or just worked an 80 hour week I will not waste a moment. I would have to say the biggest source of inspiration is my job and how badly I yearn to be “on my own”, I have this idea set in my head that if I keep working my ass off, continue to network, write write and write some more, no matter the circumstance just do not stop, that I cannot go anywhere besides up, the time it takes is another factor.

What are your plans for the rest of the day? 

Right now it is 9:02 PM, I’m out of town for work currently in my hotel room,  I just worked a 14 hour day, my legs are covered in poison ivy, so I intend on showering, editing some photos in bed and passing out to do it all over again!

What else should we know about you?

• My name is Lawrence Walker Hardy II (named after my father)

• I am 32 years old, born in Houlton, Maine. I currently reside in Houlton, I am a self taught photographer with some college (no relation to art at all)

• My fiance's name is Danika Brown our son’s name is Asher Lawrence

• I’ve been working as a trackman/operator for the past 4 years and one day I will make a living from creating art!