An Interview with Laura-Lynn Petrick
Words by Sarah Morrison
All Work by Laura Lynn-Petrick
Laura-Lynn Petrick is a photographer and filmmaker from Thunder Bay, Ontario, now living out of Los Angeles, California. Her work as been seen by all, whether you’re familiar with her specifically or not.
Petrick has been practicing photography since the age of sixteen and has been working with motion picture since 2012. Her on-going roster of creatives she has worked with includes Allah-Las, Alexandra Savior, The Buttertones, The Districts, GUM, Homeshake, Jessica Pratt, Mac Demarco, Mapache, Michael Rault, Tess Parks, TOPS, Weyes Blood and many others.
She has directed over forty music videos while working for global record labels such as Arbutus Records, Arts & Crafts, Burger Records, Capital Records, Captured Tracks, Daptone Records, Fat Possum, Innovative Leisure, Mexican Summer, Poylvinyl Records, Royal Mountain Records, Sinderlyn, Spinning Top Music, and Universal Music Group.
Petrick has an impressive and extensive background, and it only keeps on growing! While in isolation, Petrick took some time to chat with us on her up-bringing in photography and film, her nostalgic approach, flying Natalie Mering (Weyes Blood) out to Thunder Bay, working with Petra Collins, and the precautions she’s taking during the pandemic.
You started the art of photography at the age of fifteen. What were some factoring elements that played into your fascination at the time?
It was a medley of things.
I grew up in the country, a town that looks a few decades behind, surrounded by wilderness and lakes, it’s got a magic to it - so I wanted to capture my perspective of it. I also was developing a fascination for photography, watching films obsessively, and studying my grandmother’s photographs (she was an avid photographer).
How much of an impact did your grandmother’s photography have on the way you approached your own?
It impacted my style, definitely. Her photographs had great use of natural light - which I rely heavily on. She brought a lot of compassion to her work. Though her photos were more posed and contrived then mine... I remember as a little girl dreading getting my photo taken by her because everything had to be just right. Though, I appreciate that technique now - I still try to be as gentle and “fly on the wall” as possible.
Around the age of eighteen, you moved to Toronto, ON, from Thunder Bay, ON. How much of a life adjustment was this? How did your photography change when you moved and readjusted your lifestyle and home environment?
As a teen, I longed for a big city so I was determined and somewhat mentally prepared to move. The adjustment was vastly different from my upbringing and definitely changed me forever - but that’s what you want when you move away from a small town! I was pretty broke, studying and living in a small dorm, eating poorly, taking the bus to the city whenever I could. Rebelling a bit. My photography reflected the new grittier side of my lifestyle. I began to capture the counter cultures I was immersed in, the parties, fashions, urban decay, etc. I photographed in a more careless way - just capturing everything I saw. An overload, really.
Now you did obtain University degrees from Ryerson and Brock. For those who have the conception that arts degrees aren’t worth pursuing, what would be your most valuable piece of advice or some words of wisdom to promote otherwise?
I would say, though degrees are not necessary anymore - I’m glad I studied topics that fascinated me. Studying lead me to new influences and inspirations which I’ll have forever. I learned to analyze and consume media very differently. I guess my words of wisdom would be find a craft you want to know everything about, then pursue it with passion and patience. If it’s an art form, I’d say above all practice your art in a way that’s true to your character.
You started shooting fashion/portrait photography with Petra Collins. How were the two of you introduced? What are some of the things you took away by working with Collins? Was there something impactful that occurred that taught you something about your own preferences?
We met online! I believe we met up and went thrifting. We bonded over our similar influences. Petra had incredible tenacity at such a young age, it was inspiring. We were pretty young to be immersed in the potent fashion world but luckily a few kind people of the industry took us under their wings and believed in us. I eventually realized fashion is not really my favourite realm to capture. As we matured, we went in our own directions, I began to photograph subcultures, and she moved more towards fashion.
You don’t use post-production on any of your photos. What is your main reason of preference for this? How hard was it to sort of find the methods you use in order to make your photos come to life in the moment?
I like the photo to be just the way the negative is, in all its imperfections. I found that if you study your negatives, you can learn from them and figure out how to get your photos just the way you want them. The editing process is quite tedious and I don’t find for me, that it makes them look any better. I like the mistakes - whether it be a hair on the lens or a light leak. That’s beautiful to me.
At what point did you begin to experiment with film?
I started shooting film with my own camera probably at age 16 and brought it out with me around town and took the occasional photo. It took me a couple of years to fully convert from my point and shoot digital to strictly a film SLR. Eventually, it’s all I wanted to shoot.
Working within the arts community or choosing a form of art to make a living off of can be challenging and scary. Have you ever suffered a moment of fear with this? What are ways you’ve managed to stay positive?
It’s a big leap of faith. You have to stick to it, believe in yourself, and remain confident. I had a few side hustles which kept me afloat. When I broke away from those, that was scary for a moment but that’s when I was able to fully commit to my practice. It made me work harder. Nowadays I stay positive by keeping busy, practicing self-care, maintaining solid friendships, and remembering that ultimately nothing really matters, just do your best.
What are some of the key cameras that you use with your present-day work?
I use a Nikon FM-2, a Yashica mat 124g, and for film, I use a Canon Scoopic and a Canon Auto-Zoom 518.
When it comes to artists and labels within the music industry that you decided to work with, do you specifically limit yourself to acts you enjoy/have relationships with or are you open to working with any? I understand that sometimes solely working with acts you feel passionate about can be a really important element for some!
I enjoy the music of every band I’ve worked for. Whether I like the song from the moment I make the idea, or I may grow to love it from my experience with the project (shooting/directing/or editing). At first, I started with just working with friends and friends of friends, and that sphere has grown so much. It feels like such a global community, that working with one band you admire leads to work with another band you like, and so forth. I am passionate about the end product and want to ensure that it’s remarkable for the music.
Your aesthetic has been praised for its nostalgic look. What are some things you do when you begin to conceptualize an idea for a project? Do you have certain past century references you prefer to hone in on?
Generally, I hone in on the pop culture span of ’40s-’90s. But because of the cameras I use, my work tends to lean more towards resembling the '60s/'70s. I start to think of what the song or say brand reminds me of, from my own memory and inspirations. For references, I look to European cinema usually, retro magazines, watch a lot of Criterion channel and old Hollywood films on VHS.
Do clients come to you with ideas or do you present them?
Bit of both. I like to see first if the client has something specific they’d like to accomplish, or if they’re inspired by something particular the moment - whether it be a colour, texture, idea, etc. Sometimes they do, and if so we work together on bringing a concept to fruition. Most of the time, I come up with an idea, then there may be some additions added in from the client. Sometimes ideas come in the moment of shooting, and we run with it. I like to be inclusive and collaborate in a fluid kind of way when possible.
You actually managed to get Natalie Mering (Weyes Blood) to fly out to Thunder Bay, ON, for a shoot. How did she feel with the experience of being out in your hometown?
Yeah! She was excited to come. Natalie loves Canada. (Sidenote, She’s a big fan of Kids in the Hall). I think she was blown away by the beauty of this place. We could have kept filming that video forever - there’s so much to shoot here. We had a nice time. We stayed at my lakehouse outside of town, enjoyed good meals, explored the forests, swam and sauna’d. She wants to come back :)
On the Road with Allah-Las. (2017). Super 8 Short for What Youth was a project you worked on with fellow musician friends. Did being on the road prove to present challenges filming wise that you had not really experienced or prepared for?
Prior to my time with the Las, I had toured with a few other friends’ bands. This was an easy one because it was short. I really enjoy being on the road. Love looking at the landscapes out the car window, bonding with the band, seeing the audiences, etc. The Las do tour with class. They have nice dinners before and explore the cities on their downtime - it’s a pleasure.
Within the last few months, projects of yours in collaboration with Alexandra Savior, The Buttertones, The Districts, and GUM, have slowly begun to surface. What was one of the ones you were most excited about releasing? What made this particular one really special to you?
All great bands.
I am happy with all those videos. I love doing a dance-based music video, so with that being said I’m most stoked on The Districts Cheap Regrets video - it brings me a lot of joy watching it and Philadelphia was a really cool place to shoot. I’m excited about any project I’ve shot on 16mm. I love this medium so much and want to continue shooting on it.
With all the uncertainties within the world right now, what precautions are you taking to ensure your future remains intact as an artist? How was this impacted your future projects and plans?
I’m just trying to stay calm and sane, live in my own peaceful reality, and remain focused on what’s important to me. Trying to learn new techniques, cooking, gardening, and learning languages. Not watching too much news or using my phone too much. It’s wild how much has changed and how quickly.
I left LA to come home for a while and reset. I’m taking this time to slow down and foster new ideas, finally finishing a script of mine. I’ve had about four music videos be tentatively postponed. I’m reworking a couple of ideas to be shot here in my town. I was supposed to go to France this month to work with Dana Gavanski, but given the situation, I’ll be shooting something here for her instead. Then I was due to go to Italy to shoot a short film. I’m taking one day at a time, remaining flexible, and trying not to over plan.
It’s difficult because a lot of my day to day work is pre-production, planning, etc. It makes you feel kind of powerless, not knowing when things will be resolved. But I am trying not to be overwhelmed by those thoughts. I really hope things get better soon. I’m sure they will and we will all be so grateful.
