Meet Laine Zim | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laine Zim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laine, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
The biggest habit that has helped me succeed is staying consistent. This is HUGE. Keep showing up, keep putting yourself out there, keep creating quality content, keep making things you care about. This has helped me to build trust in working with other creatives and brands and has absolutely been key in my recent successes! The only way to get better at anything is to practice and the more you practice the faster and easier things become. Prioritize and keep at it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What I’m most proud of when it comes to my art is my ability to capture authenticity. I want my photos to feel natural and comfortable and genuine. I’m essentially documenting the ‘conversation’ I’m having with the model when we are shooting together and working together. I want the viewer to be able to see the trust between the model and I because it’s definitely a two way road. It’s a collaboration. Shooting film especially, you really have to be slow and intentional and spend your time carefully crafting each shot. You both have to be patient. I think that’s why film is so special to me. Its always time well spent and feels like a conversation with words being spent.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I have friend visiting me in Miami, I almost always take them paddle boarding in Sunset Harbor. Its very beautiful and relaxing and something you can only do in Miami! For breakfast we’re getting açaí bowls from Under the Mango Tree, for lunch we’re getting tacos and margaritas at Bodega, and for dinner we’re going to 1-800-Lucky for the music and tapas OR to Lido for an oceanside meal. We will definitely be making a trip to South Pointe for a sunset, getting drinks and dancing at Red Rooster, and we will make a trip to Lagniappe for a good charcuterie board! An honorable mention to a bike ride up the boardwalk on South Beach at night to see all the iconic Miami neons!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My biggest, loudest shoutout is to my college professor, Nelson Chan. I met Nelson early on into my photo career and he really was the first professor who pushed me and made me believe in myself. He was always challenging me and teaching me not only about all things photo related, but about life too. He is the only professor I’ve ever had that made me believe that what I made mattered and that I was on the right path doing what I’m meant to to. My mentor, my inspiration, my book-maker goals, leading me to always stay curious, Nelson really is such a gem and I’m beyond grateful to know him.

Website: www.lainezim.com

Instagram: @Lainezim

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laine-zimmerman-27b994124/