Thursday, April 25, 2024
Photographer Lauren Hummert
WALKING DEAD: Why smile stiffly and say “cheese” when one can instead go for the emerging-from-a-crypt look? This photo was shot at a location discovered by the client in Stephenville.
I BOO: This bride and groom mixed glam with surreal for their photo shoot with Lauren Hummert Photography.
RISING TALENT: Imagination and “a little bit of Photoshop magic” helped achieve a levitating look for this client.
Lauren Hummert Photography
Like most professional photographers, Lauren Hummert takes traditional snaps of families and couples.
She photographs graduating seniors whose journey in life is just beginning and she shoots intimate boudoir photos intended to empower women and bring out their unique beauty.
One side of Hummert’s business isn’t as traditional but she is hoping to find more “kindred spirits” to make it grow.
When summer changes to fall, Hummert loves to plan photo sessions that have a spooky vibe.
Cadaver-pale makeup, creeping mist, dark shadows, blood-red gowns, wedding cakes that look as if they were made for the bride of Dracula — if that’s the vibe you want, you can bet this self-taught photographer will be dead serious about making it happen for you.
Sometimes when Hummert and a client plan a photo shoot that she feels will be worthy of showcasing on social media, she hires Ashley Inglet of Glam by Ash, a gifted Dallas-area makeup artist.
“She is a loyal participant of the Halloween shoots,” Hummert said. “She loves it because it takes her out of her normal wedding makeup routine.”
Hummert’s first foray into spooky photo shoots began when she and her family lived in Sherman and a friend created a creepy cake for a competition.
“I said, I want to take pictures of that cake in the woods with a really cool couple because it was, like, five tiers and it was blue and black and had this really spooky vibe to it,” Hummert stated. “She had some friends that provided their own outfits and they dressed up. We set up a spooky table with the cake being the feature piece.
“From that moment, I was hooked on doing a spooky-styled shoot every year around Halloween.”
A PASSION EXHUMED
Hummert bought her first camera nine years ago when her son Mason was born.
She honed her photography skills through a lot of “YouTubing and Googling.”
When her daughter Leah, now six, was born, Hummert realized that she loves photography and the way it allows her to express her creative side.
She began promoting her services as a professional photographer.
Although she lives in Stephenville, Hummert’s photo-taking talents are known to some in Hood County law enforcement.
Every year during National Police Week, she offers free family photo shoots for first responders and their families, with first responders dressed in their uniform.
Hummert graduated from Tarleton State University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Her husband Michael, who also graduated from Tarleton that year, is a game warden for Erath County. He is also a licensed drone operator and Hummert sometimes enlists him and his drone for photo shoots.
The couple’s children, Mason dressed as Captain America and Spider Man and Leah as Rapunzel, have themselves participated in their mom’s spooky photo sessions.
“They think it’s so much fun,” Hummert said.
WITCHING HOUR
With Halloween fast approaching, that means that Christmas is around the corner.
Anyone thinking of booking Hummert for some Christmas snaps should think about scheduling soon.
She does “mini” photo sessions in people’s homes around their own Christmas tree unless another location is preferred.
As for a spooky photo shoot, Hummert has a couple of spots left open for October. Act now and it won’t be double, double toil and trouble to have the pictures back in time for Halloween.
Cost is $285 plus tax.
Hummert can be reached at laurenhummertphoto@gmail.com or through her website, laurenhummertphotography.com.
