Photography has long been a medium of capturing the beauty of fashion in a way that strays from the superficial tendencies of an industry riddled with unhealthy ideals. At the age of 19, Laura Olivia Baker epitomizes this exploration of beauty with her dream-inducing photographs. They capture a sense of youthfulness and unadulterated beauty that exists only in twilight hours, in unpainted faces, along beach shores and beneath the sunlight.
Her photographs kindle a sense of nostalgia that is at once ethereal and raw. She is one of many young, creative-minded individuals who are redefining the fashion industry and creating a less critical image for women through an honest appreciation and exploration of natural beauty. Her use of a point and shoot film camera and lack of post-processing with Photoshop prove Laura has the ability to capture organically-derived beauty in her surroundings.
You're asked to do a shoot for a magazine of your choice, where's it set, what's the styling like and who are the models?
It would be a dream to collaborate with a stylist like Leith Clarke and take pictures for Lula. I would love to shoot somewhere really beautiful like Lake Bled in Slovenia, a Swedish forest or an uninhabited string of islands, and use lots of Rodarte and delicate chiffon's and having someone model that’s pretty cool but really ethereal like Alice Goddard. To take pictures on the set of a Sofia Coppola film would also be amazing.
Is there a particular way you are striving to depict the subjects in your photographs?
I suppose I try to capture moments as I felt them, something that feels raw and honest but also quite dreamy and beautiful.
Words By Isabel Legate, all images by Laura Olivia Baker.
