Behind The Lens Cover Story Featured Interviews Photography

Meet Australia’s First Professional Instagrammer: Lauren Bath

April 15, 2017

Lauren Bath is a chef turned photographer turned social media influencer thanks to her success on Instagram.

An early adoption of the platform saw Lauren’s followers skyrocket way before Instagram was as widely used as it is now. In early 2013, Lauren saw potential with her 200,000+ followers and quit her job to become Austalia’s first professional Instagrammer.

Lauren has paved the path for influencers monetizing their Instagram and now there are plenty of resources for influencers to grow. Check out this related article by Influencive.

We had a chance to interview Lauren about her exciting journey around the world.

Where is home?

I travel a lot for work but my base is on the Gold Coast in Australia, where I was born. I live with my partner, my mother and my stepfather in a gorgeous apartment close to the beach.

What brought you into photography?

It was Instagram that originally brought me into photography. I downloaded the app in 2011 before realizing it was about pictures so I started to shoot on my iPhone 5 before I got hooked and got my first proper camera.

The combination of learning photography and sharing helped me to grow a huge audience on the platform and that audience has enabled me to create a dream career for myself in travel.

Which camera do you use?

Mainly the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II but I still carry my old Nikon D810 in my camera bag for certain shoots.

What time of day do your prefer to shoot, night or day?

Like most photographers, I’m hooked on sunrise and sunset so I’d have to say day.

Did you go to school to study photography?

I didn’t go to school to study photography but I did look up a lot of things online and ask a lot of questions of other photographers. I also shot regularly, at least two or three shoots a week.

How would you describe your photography style?

Very random! Because I travel for a living I am shooting all sorts of subject matters at all hours of the day and night. I love shooting landscapes but I really love shooting portraits and I get to do everything in between too.

The Fox Magazine is all about inspiration, what/who inspires you the most?

Different people inspire me for different reasons and I hate to name names in case I forget someone but here’s a few –

My best friends Garry Norris and Jewels Lynch inspire me to be a better person.
My mum, stepfather, and partner inspire me to work hard so that I can create an amazing life for us all. I travel with all of them as often as I can.
I run a conference that teaches people how to be paid to travel and my two business partners Georgia Rickard and Elizabeth Carlson inspire me to be a boss lady!

If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why?

The Olympus 12-40 f2.8 because it is so versatile.

What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?

A lot of people are surprised to learn that I have no formal background in photography or marketing. I used to be a chef!

What’s the best part of being a photographer?

For me, it’s the whole package. I love being a photographer because it enables me to have a career that I love, as a travel influencer with the tools to create nearly anything. I also love creating and the feeling of nailing a shot makes me super happy.

What’s your best advice for aspiring photographers?

Learn the business and don’t burn bridges. Many upcoming photographers think photography is all about the images but I’d say that’s only 20% of the job and it’s a very small industry.