Today we’d like to introduce you to LaSalle Smith II.
LaSalle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began shooting when I was 18, and that was just me being curious with my mom’s camera. Like most shooters, I began shooting inanimate objects, urban landscapes and things like that. It wasn’t long before I found a fascination with human subjects, events and concerts.
In 2014, myself and a close friend named Eric, launched Runaway Media, which was a lifestyle / cultural media outlet. We also released a quarterly magazine which is where my background in print/publishing came from. I really began using my camera a lot at this point because we were pretty much supplying all of our own content. From that point on I was gaining access to all types of opportunities and I realized photography had the power to excite, inspire and inform the world. I’ve had the opportunity to capture some of the most interesting individuals in Chicago from a variety of industries. I’ve always been intrigued on how much of a story could one photo tell, one moment, one portrait. I’ve really been able to dedicate to a number of large-scale projects that have tested my communication, patience, and passion.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Looking at my past endeavors from a holistic standpoint, the biggest obstacles have always come from ensuring that I always had the proper equipment, budget, and resources to make sure things turn out as ‘perfect’ as possible. I think like many creatives that have their own D.I.Y. career, money is always the monster that can make or break someone’s ambitions. This has led me to really prioritizing things in my life and what I deem as important. In a city like Chicago, it’s so easy for me to feel inspired because the energy of this city is great and the authenticity of the people who live here is unmatched by any other city on the globe.
What else should we know?
As far as my creative career, I’ve been a part of many projects that weren’t always photography related. Earlier I spoke briefly on Runaway ‘zine; which was heavy on planning, graphic design, journalism and communications.
My sophomore year of college, I had the opportunity to work with some of my best friends on bringing a music festival to our campus (this all started out as a drunk idea in the dorms). It’s called Sloughfest, which was named after a river that runs through the campus, and it was a cool way for us to say thank you to the students for putting in work all year. Our first year Vic Mensa headlined, the second year was Goldlink, third was Marc E. Bassy, and so on. We are now moving into our fifth year but it’s been a huge success thus far and I think the students really love it. Shoutout to JB, Danny, and Marvin. They’ve been essential to the work I’ve been able to do in the music industry.
Now I’m working on publishing my first book. It’s titled “100 FACES” and it’s pretty much the only thing I’ve given myself to in 2018 outside of my advertising work. It’s given me the opportunity to listen, capture, and understand so many people from so many different walks of life. Thus far, it’s given me invaluable insight into others, which has resulted in having a bigger heart towards those who may be different from me.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My entire childhood was lit, I don’t have a particular memory that stands out more than others. I just have a bunch of really awesome memories I could speak on.
Pricing:
- Portrait sessions can be booked for as low as $100.
Contact Info:
- Website: lasallesmith.com
- Phone: 6308810152
- Email: lsmith@runawaybrandmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithlasalle/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/_realsmith
Image Credit:
Jay Roberts, Morgan G, Kameel, Jabari S., LaSalle S.,
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