An honorably discharged veteran, Lawrence was medically retired from the US Army in 2007. He spent several years as a subcontract administrator at Lockheed Martin until service-connected injuries made it impossible for him to continue providing for his family. It was sometime after this transition that he purchased his first camera, a Nikon Coolpix, a simple act that would mark the profound beginning of his journey into photography.

Lawrence has since worked through several cameras, continuously honing his understanding of composition, depth, and light. He holds a firm philosophy as an artist: he is the essence of the observer, not the manipulator. He loves to shoot exclusively in available light, refusing to rely on flash, reflectors, or diffusers, instead patiently waiting for the natural elements to coalesce. The only exception to his hands-off approach is in post-processing, where he carefully teases out the innate color and depth of his scenes. Like life itself, some subjects have imperfections, and Lawrence chooses to embrace them as a vital part of his captured compositions.

More of Lawrence’s photography can be viewed on flickr.