Letter from Lani…
God Given Gorgeous for Playboy
Most of you know me through my work as a photographer and may have caught bits and pieces of my life through my social media. Although my adult life has been a slow dance with my physical health and mobility I have always been able to shoot and create a life I truly love.
Since June of 2018 I have been mainly bound to my home and unable to meet the physical requirements of photography. In an attempt to stay close to my first love I am starting this blog to share the incredible journeys I have been on and some of the things I have learned along the way. (Most of the content will not be new, but will be previously unreleased and new to you!)
So physical!
I cannot promise consistency yet, I am doing my best but sometimes I just need to be off the grid. I am getting more comfortable as time passes with sharing my health issues with you in hopes that it might help someone or just remind you that nothing I have created has come from perfect circumstances. We all have challenges that push us and scare the shit out of us sometimes. We are all fucked up.
The same human bullshit that makes life hard is the same frailty and nonpermanence that makes our lives so precious.
Keep pushing…
Lani Lee
About Lani Lee
Image Credit: Taryn Anderson
Brooklyn-based photographer Lani Lee was born in Seoul and lived throughout Asia and the Middle East during her childhood before moving to the states and eventually landing in Seattle, where she graduated with a double portfolio in portraiture and photojournalism from the Art Institute in 2005.
Lani's most recent body of work titled Mug Shots is a collection of portraits of notorious graffiti writers and gang members – individuals who ordinarily do not consent to being photographed. Lani’s understanding of street culture, coupled with her unique style of photography, allowed her to garner trust and respect from some of the most elusive subjects.
When asked about photography, Lani confesses, “Film will always be my first love. There are just things that you can only do with film. Now that digital is the norm, film just feels so much more special.” She finds inspiration in industrial structures, cemeteries, abandoned buildings and most of all people. “People are all so unique and different,” says Lani. "If you are looking you can always find something interesting in everyone and everything.”
“I fell in love with photography officially in 2003, but looking back on all my childhood photos it was clearly a part of my life much earlier. Find something you love and just keep at it!”
Some of Lani's commercial clients include Atlantic Records, Microsoft, Red Bull, Boost Mobile and Revlon. Lani's work has been published in a wide array of magazines including Playboy, Rolling Stone and Inked, to name a few. Lani divides her time between Los Angeles and New York.
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