BIO

Lauren Neal is a photographer and writer whose background in the international nonprofit sector and extensive experience engaged in Haiti largely influences her work and her unique approach to storytelling.

Now, with over a decade behind the camera, Lauren shares stories through a lens of ethics and empathy, bridging gaps of misconception to bring awareness to the value of human connection, particularly in the context of family. She has documented hundreds of individuals, families and communities across the globe. Whether she is creating family portraits or partnering with nonprofits, Lauren is passionate about celebrating and strengthening the beauty of humanity through her work.

In addition to photography, Lauren is available to serve as a consultant and content creator for local and international NGO’s, nonprofits and advocacy organizations, with a focus on building more sustainable practices for keeping families together.

Lauren is based in Ohio and is available for commissions and collaborations worldwide. She speaks English and Haitian Creole.

Lauren Neal stands alongside two Haitian boys at school overlooking the Caribbean ocean in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Haiti, 2016

Artist Statement

My work is rooted in the profound belief that human connection is transformative. It’s about people — it’s always been about people. These encounters, no matter how brief, transcend the constraints of time and distance, even if only in a memory. I believe in a life led with empathy, always; in discovery without expectation, in listening quickly, observing intently, and speaking gently. Condemning, never. For me, home is not a fixed place but a feeling that lingers in the spaces we’ve known and the ones we’ve yet to explore. Neither here nor there; home is everywhere and it’s nowhere — grief serving as a reminder that as long as we feel, we breathe. And as long as we breathe, we live. I believe travel is a means to expand perspective, confront privilege, and challenge preconceived notions. By crossing borders, we learn our ways are not the only ways. Then, and only then, can we begin to bridge the gaps in-between. I believe that art is a means to delight in the experience, noticing both the rhythm of the mundane and the thrill of the extraordinary in harmonious balance — a lens through which to express, to expend, to justify, to amend. Art: a celebration of shared humanity.