Diane Lundgren is a wedding and portrait photographer located in Santa Barbara, CA. She services the South Central Coast area of California, from San Luis Obispo to Thousand Oaks and occasionally Los Angeles and San Diego. Diane is available for travel anywhere in the world.
Diane Lundgren Photography is a proud member of Professional Photographers of America (PPA), Professional Photographers of California (PPC), and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI).
IN MY OWN WORDS
The bottom line is, I love people and I love to have a camera in my hand everywhere I go . . . and the little things in life, the mundane, have a tendency to attract my attention
Not only will you find me on location at weddings, or in someones home shooting family portraits, but you may also catch me –This line is added for spacing purposes only
- on the street and wonder why I am lying on the ground taking a picture of the legs of an old park bench or the cracks in a sidewalk;
- sitting on my kitchen floor taking a reflective image in my oven door;
- at a church shooting the individual panes of a stained glass window;
- downtown shooting the side of an old, plaster-peeling, brick building;
- in an airport in total wonderment that there are rocking chairs everywhere – as I found recently in the Philadelphia airport!
That is the s h o r t story ~ below is the l o n g version
Like most photographers, I was given a pocket instamatic camera at the early age of 11, which lead to my first experience of the photographic process – it was a frustrating one! What came out in print form was not what I saw in my minds eye, neither compositionally nor in color value. This frustration, rather than causing me to put down the camera, pushed me to cultivate and refine my work within the medium over the past 40 years.
After raising three children and 23 years of marriage, the death of my husband caused me to take a long look at life’s priorities. What made me really happy was having a camera in my hand and looking at everything in a totally different perspective. I decided to go back to school at age 45 and pursue a formal education in photography at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA. This was indeed an interesting time in my life – there were 3 of us in college at the same time: my youngest son, my oldest son and myself! It can get unnerving when your baby gives you advice on attending classes . . .
Graduation in March of 2008 was a bittersweet reflective time: what I did not expect was exposure to the old masters of art nor the recent masters of photography. Their teachings, as well as the influence of my instructors and colleagues, helped me clarify the direction of my artwork: p o r t r a i t u r e.
Perhaps this would be a good time to interject a note of thanks to those who have been instrumental in my education: Tim Meyers – he is indeed a ‘master’ of lighting! Not only did he share so many of his secrets, but he did it with passion and incredible patience. Donna Granata and Anna Jenson – their love of art history is finally rubbing off on me and my appreciation of the old masters and what they continue to teach us grows daily. Janel Pahl – her love of gardening and photography taught me that I can combine my passions as well. And Ronna Schary – a new acquaintance, gave me the most valuable gift of all: b e l i e f in myself!
No amount of praise and honor can compare to that which I hold for my late husband Mark. He shared an unconditional love with me that continues to light my path daily. He taught me integrity beyond compare and believed in doing all things together as a reflection of our incredible marriage. He will always hold a very special place in my heart and continues to be an inspiration to me through our three grown boys: David, Andrew and Daniel.
It is in the little things I see each day that I am fondly reminded of him and how important it is to spend time daily with those we love.