TAKE TEN: Lauren Rautenbach

While celebrating ten years of the X Mount system, Fujifilm South Africa is featuring the work of Fujifilm shooters across the country. Lauren Rautenbach crafts photos to tell a specific story, specialising in the niche market of shooting vintage book covers.

Why do you love photography?

Photography speaks to the storyteller in me. I love documenting real moments, but also in my most recent work moments of visual fantasy and time travel. I see the world through a series of images, there is not a moment that goes by where I don’t see the potential for a story to be told through the lens.

Tell us a bit more about your photography and what you would like to achieve through this.

Aside from portraiture and general people focused photography – documentary and styled, I am currently specialising in the niche market of creating vintage book covers. These shoots are a joy to plan and execute but do involve considerable planning and financial outlay.

Wardrobe and hair and makeup must be on point and historically accurate. Locations must be believable, and models must engage more with the storytelling element than fashion and glamour. The eye required for a cover shot is different to a normal portrait session. I am in a constant state of learning and growing, of finding stories in a pair of hands holding a letter, a head turned away from the lens or a skirt blowing in the wind.

What made you switch to Fujifilm and when did this happen?

I have been using the Fujifilm X system for about eight years, having been introduced by a fellow photographer. I am currently shooting with the Fujifilm X-T3.

What do you love most about the camera?

I love Fujifilm’s handling of low light situations – it was the first thing that sold me on the brand. At the time I was shooting a lot of documentary style photography in poorly lit spaces and the camera caught the mood and ambience each and every time.

To this day I adore the lightweight aspect, a camera that I can pick up and shoot with as easily as putting on a glove. Indeed, Fujifilm has become like an extra (very good looking) limb.

Where can people find your work online?

My creative work is posted on Instagram @laurenrautenbachphoto and on 500px under Lauren Rautenbach. Examples of my other work is available on request.