Laura Pannack is a London based Photographer. She was educated at the University of Brighton ,LCC and Central Saint Martins College of Art.
Her work has been extensively exhibited and published both in the UK and internationally, including at The National Portrait Gallery, The Houses of Parliament, Somerset House, and the Royal Festival Hall in London.
In 2010 Laura received first prize in the Portrait Singles category of the World Press Photo awards. She has also won and been shortlisted for several other awards including The Sony World Photography Awards, The Magenta foundation and Lucies IPA. She was awarded the Vic Odden by The Royal Photographic Society award for a notable achievement in the art of photography by a British photographer aged 35 or under
Her art focuses on social documentary and portraiture, and seeks to explore the complex relationship between subject and photographer.
Laura is driven by research led self-initiated projects. In her own words, she does all she can “to understand the lives of those captured, and to present them creatively”. She is a firm believer that “time, trust and understanding is the key to portraying subjects truthfully”, and as such, many of her projects develop over several years. Her particular approach allows a genuine connection to exist between sitter and photographer, which in turn elucidates the intimacy of these very human exchanges. Her images aim to suggest the shared ideas and experiences that are entwined in each frame that she shoots. Laura largely shoots with a film camera on her personal projects, allowing her process to be organic rather than being predefined by fixed ideas, thus removing additional pressure on the sitter.
‘Laura’s remarkable ability to build trust and respect with her subjects allows her to express a gritty vulnerability that is as sincere as it is elusive to capture.’
Terry O’ Neill - photographer
Balkan folktales inspire this ethereal series (shot entirely on expired film) which meditates on the nature of youth, aging and death. In the photographer’s words, “I needed to stop trying to beat time and instead start respecting it.”
“It’s kind of like train roulette: you shouldn’t know where you’re going to go, only shoot in daylight hours, always shoot on film…” These are The Walks, one photographer’s attempt to escape daily life in search of beautiful, truthful, direct experience.
