Mira Lehman
Experience.
While photography has always been a favorite pastime of this rising photographer, Mira Lehman’s photographic aspirations can be traced back to six courses she took at the Los Angeles Center of Photography: Beginning Photography with Julia Dean, Composition 101: A Course in Photographic Design for Teens (ages 12-18) with Kevin Weinstein, Fashion Fun for Teens (ages 12-18) with Gina Valona, Intermediate Photography for Teens: Part 1 (ages 12-18) with Jasmine Lord, The Art of Photographic Capture for Teens (ages 12-18) with Todd Felderstein, and The Neighborhood Landscape for Teens (ages 12-18) with Kat Bawden. In addition to these classes at LACP, she participated in a course through the UCLA Summer Art Institute. But her photography also extends beyond said classes; the greatest learning experience was professionally photographing a client, which she has done thrice.
Why photography?
Someone once asked me why I photographed what already existed. The honest answer: I do not. I create, meticulously craft my photographs, rather than taking them. Truly, the connotations implied by the word ‘take’ fail to accurately describe what it means to sincerely design an image. After all, when one considers the combined elements of light, composition, content, and message that I organize and capture–all woven into a single moment–it becomes apparent that my photographs are non-existent before I press the shutter. And so my motivation to photograph is born: I can express my creativity and interpretation of the world in one stunning frame.
- Mira Lehman
Inspiration.
Mira bases her photographs on the behavioral patterns and actions of the people who surround her. After all, her hometown of San Diego, California offers no shortage of diversity, from the large crowds constantly bustling across downtown to the relaxed beach-goers who bask in the shores’ warmth. Constantly exposed to such a thrillingly varied assortment of subjects, it is no challenge to interpret and organize their spirit in a frame.
Genres.
It is no secret that Mira favors one genre of photography over all others: portraiture. After all, it is a practice that allows photographers to comment on the human face, which has so much emotion, thought, experience, and mood to offer. Portraiture helps Mira craft riveting images with multiple layers for viewers to uncover. She often works with fashion in her images because it stylishly conveys personality and mood.
However, while she adores portraiture, her experience extends beyond portraits, reaching the arts of neighborhood landscape, fashion photography, still lives, and storytelling photography, including photo essays and film noir.
Regardless, Mira has largely mastered the basics, which she lectures on, as specified in the link below.
Goals.
Mira’s goal in photography is to teach viewers about what they would otherwise overlook about humanity in general, reality, and themselves. She aims to photograph scenes that trigger a newfound understanding of the audience’s own perception of the world. In fact, her photographs are so relevant that they even teach her about herself, digging emotions and thought trains out of her subconscious that otherwise would have remained concealed.
Embedded within Mira’s photographs is an analysis of the human mind, human nature, and the human experience, as well as a commentary of the emotions and thoughts provoked by one’s simple existence.
Below are a series of photographs pulled from Mira’s portfolio that best demonstrate her photographic goals.
