Laura E Partain - Photographer Highlights

Kodak has always been a big part of my photographic story. Reliable and rich colors ranging from vibrant Ektar and to the classic hues of Portra, to my favorite T Grain film, Tmax 400, these films have been workhorses that stand the test of time. They are effortless aspects of my workflow.

If I could exclusively shoot one film, it would be Tmax 400!

Most of my BW work is shot on that.

I love the way it pushes, and the exceptional tones and sharpness the film consistently produces.

If I could only shoot one color film, it would be Portra 800.

I love it's grain and touch of vibrancy it brings to an image, and also love that I can shoot it in lower light when needed!

My name is Laura Partain, and I’m a multi-disciplinary professional photographer based in Nashville Tennessee, with an emphasis in portrait-centric work in the

music and editorial realms.

My photographs have landed on many an album cover, as well as the pages of The New York Times and Rolling Stone. My subjects range from celebrated rock stars, to community members down the street.

No matter who or what is in front of my lens, my goal is always to tell honest, sensitive, and whimsical stories through my work, and to make portraits that are sincere and thoughtful. 

13 years ago when I went to photo school, and as I prepared to graduate, I asked myself this: At the end of my career, what would I want my portfolio to look like?

Music has always been a critical fiber in the fabric of who I am, and so I threw myself into music photography.

Since then I’ve expanded into editorial and commercial work, and have begun to explore different

subject matter outside of music. This matters because while I do have “pay the bills” photo jobs, much of my work is deeply personal and exciting, and this was by design and deliberate decision making in my life.

Every day is a chance to create personal and meaningful work (and get paid for it).