Northern Ireland mother turns hobby into business and is named one of the Top 50 British wedding photographers

A mother of two from Northern Ireland has been named as one of the Top 50 British wedding photographers.

Lauren Chambers, owner of Portrush-based LIT Photography is the only Northern Ireland photographer selected for the honour by Professional Photo Magazine. The Top 50 list was compiled following independent research by industry-leading magazine to uncover the UK’s top wedding photography talent.

Lauren has also been named as a finalist for the 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography - a highly coveted wedding photography competition spearheaded by Rangefinder Magazine. Winners will be announced at the WIPPI photography conference in Las Vegas in March.

Commenting on the shortlist of 50 photographers, lead judge and content director for Rangefinder, Arlene Evans, said: “These photographers represent the next exciting generation of storytellers bringing fresh and unique style to wedding photography. Their stories evoke emotion that resonates with the viewer. They also show technical proficiency and push the boundaries with their perspectives and post-processing skills.”

What began as a hobby is now a flourishing business for 34-year-old Lauren, who lives in Portrush with her husband, and two children. LIT – a monogram made from Lauren and her two children, Isla and Taylor’s initials – is rooted in capturing natural emotive moments, with love.

Lauren explained: “When I first bought my first camera in 2016, I was recovering from postnatal depression after the birth of my daughter. I was socially anxious and scared to leave the house. My camera became my shield and a reason to leave the house, capturing my children in the beautiful landscapes I’m surrounded by.

“I have two children with autism, and my style of photography was born from capturing them during this time. I found the beauty in moments that were less than perfect and captured my amazing children exactly as they are, no posing or editing. Their unique view of the world has helped me see the beauty in everything.

“Over the best part of a decade, I have worked hard to hone my craft and have been honoured to work with hundreds of couples to capture the love, emotion and meaning of their special days. It’s truly an honour that my work has been recognised at this national and international level.”

Lauren is about to host her fourth ‘Capture Love Retreat’, which will bring women from across the world to the Causeway Coast to learn from her inspiring story. Unfortunately, the event is scheduled to take place the same weekend as the Rangefinder magazine awards, meaning she won’t be able to travel to Vegas for the awards ceremony.

However, Lauren says she’ll be celebrating at home, whatever the outcome: “When I think about how it all started, I’m amazed at far I’ve come. To go from a young woman that was scared to leave the house to teaching other female wedding photographers from all across the world how to pursue their dreams, has been an incredible journey.

“We have attendees from the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium and more coming to the retreat. No matter what happens with the final results, I'll definitely be celebrating that week.”