Today we’d like to introduce you to Lu Natalino.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Ever since I was a kid, I knew I was going into the art field. I would spend countless hours with just a pencil and paper and drew the days away. When I was in grade school, I wanted to work for Marvel and draw comic books. In middle school, I saw Toy Story and instantly fell in love with computer animation – so much that I ended up going to college and getting my Bachelor’s in it.
My first job out of college was at the Adler Planetarium as an animator. I created 3D dome shows and got to work on amazing projects for NASA and Sesame Street. After doing that for five years, I changed career paths and became art director for a marketing agency. That’s where I picked up my first camera and put all my focus on video and photography. Everything changed after that. It wasn’t long till the camera started going with me everywhere.
Please tell us about your art.
My passion lies in landscape and cityscape photography. Exploring new and old places with my camera and finding that perfect scene, light, and perspective is what drives me. Travel is also a huge passion of mine so they obviously go hand in hand. One of the main reasons I love photography so much compared to the other artistic mediums I’ve pursued before is that it requires me to actually get outside, explore, and socialize instead of being on a computer or in my office drawing.
What I’d love for people to get out of my work is a sense of pride or wonder about the city they live in or to just admire how absolutely perfect nature is and to want to get out there and see it for themselves.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
Photography can definitely be an expensive hobby, but it certainly doesn’t have to be. The best camera is the one you have on you, and what people are doing with just their smart phones is amazing. Sometimes that limitation is what sparks more creativity leading to more impressive work. It’s very easy to focus on gear when it comes to photography but at the end of the day, all that matters is getting out there as much as possible to perfect the craft.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I’m most active on Instagram (@lu.natalino) but I only post personal work there. I also have a website where you can view more of my commercial and professional work at lunatalino.com. I’m also working on adding the ability to purchase prints from my site, but in the meantime, feel free to message me about any photo you like!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://lunatalino.com
- Phone: 847-814-9282
- Email: natalinolu@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lu.natalino/
Image Credit:
All photos taken by Lu Natalino
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
