Meet Julia Lofstrand | Photographer

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

Hi Julia, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Over the years I’ve learned how important it is to take care of yourself- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Seems simple, but when I was younger I got caught up in constantly being in “go mode”, and found myself making poor choices- my inner and outer world were really suffering.

Sometimes I travel a lot for work and it can be very draining and ungrounding. My job involves being around large groups of people too, which is exciting, engaging and fun! However it can also be tiring and over-stimulating. About fourteen years ago I started a daily yoga practice and it’s something that remains a huge part of my life. Yoga was the missing piece I needed to balance out the craziness of my job and life. I learned to slow down, be present, and recognize my thoughts and feelings. It helps me remain focused, and practice patience, acceptance, gratitude and humility.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a photographer with a focus in live music and events. I’ve been shooting concerts for over twenty years.. Music was always a huge part of my life. I grew up playing music and started going to local shows in the DC and Baltimore area at a young age. At that time I was already shooting photos all the time, and I met a lot of local and regional artist that became friends and clients.

I’ve worked as a house photographer for IMP (9:30 Club, the Anthem, Merriweather Post Pavillion, etc.) as well as Live Nation and Goldenvoice.
Over the years I have also done a lot of freelance work- portraits, behind the scenes content on music videos and commercials, burlesque shows, award shows, red carpets, movie premieres, private events, political fundraisers and festivals. In addition I’ve worked for video game companies, sporting events, and non profit charities.

As a minority and a woman it wasn’t easy, especially in the beginning, to gain respect and equal opportunities.
When I started shooting live music I was always the youngest person in the photo pit, and one of the only females. Thankfully that has changed a lot over the years!

I believe that being a hard working and good person who is trustworthy and consistently delivers quality work and has helped me to prove my worth and maintain great personal and professional relationships. Success doesn’t happen overnight, and that there is always something new to learn and ways to improve and grow.

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.
I recently relocated to San Francisco after living in Los Angeles for almost nine years.

The Bay Area is really beautiful, and SF feels like an actual city compared to the endless sprawl that is LA. It moves at a different pace. Life doesn’t seem as frenetic and rushed. I do miss a lot of things about LA, but am happy up here so far.

I love going to the farmers market in the morning and grabbing things to go home and make breakfast. I love cooking and California has amazing produce that is available all year round.

I walk a lot around my neighborhood and there are some really great vintage stores in the area. My favorite is Relic Vintage on Haight. They specialize in clothing, accessories, and jewelry from the 1920s-1060s. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. The store really feels like a time capsule into a different era.

Golden Gate Park is a great place to walk around as well. It’s a beautiful urban park that’s over 1,000 acres full of trails, picnic spots, gardens and museums.

The food and restaurant scene in SF is unmatched, and one of my favorite places is NOPA which is owned by Chef Laurence Jossel. They specialize in local and organic wood-fired cuisine. The food is consistently amazing and the service is top-notch. Tsunami Panhandle is great for Sushi, and there’s an amazing Indian place in the Mission called Udupi Palace. They make the really great, authentic dosas. Mr. Pollo is also located in the Mission and they have a four course tasting menu that changes nightly. There are only twelve seats in the entire restaurant. It feels like a fun little secret spot if you’re lucky enough to get a reservation.

The nightlife scene isn’t a big as the one in LA, but there are a lot of great places to see live music, like The Great American Music Hall, The Great Northern, Bottom of the Hill, and Thee Parkside. Bourbon and Branch is a really cool speakeasy bar with great drinks and a fun 1920’s style vibe.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the love and support of my parents, Andy and Joanne Lofstrand. They have been my biggest cheerleaders throughout my entire life and career, through good times and difficult ones. I was a pretty shy child and back then felt more at home as an observer, engaging the world though my lens and capturing people and moments from a distance. Over the years my job led me to working with endless groups of people and personalities, and helped me to open up.

My dad was a photographer and my first teacher and biggest influence. I started shooting film with him as a kid. They had a darkroom in the basement of our house and I spent a lot of time there developing film and prints.
That experience really shaped the way I see things and work today. . I believe there are a lot of positive things that have shifted since we’ve entered the digital age, but the industry and photographic process was very different back in the film/analog era – it was slower, and more thoughtful because you didn’t have the instant gratification of seeing and getting everything all at once.

I also want to give a shout out to my friends and my wonderful boyfriend- who encourages me to push myself artistically and and fight for my worth.

Website: https://julialofstrandphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julialofstrand/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-lofstrand-206bb44b/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JuliaLofstrand

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julialofstrand1/

Image Credits
All photos by Julia Lofstrand 1- Iggy Pop 2- Dita Von Teese 3- OK Go 4- Violet Chachki 5- Bauhaus 6- Phoebe Bridgers 7- Idles 8- Yeah Yeah Yeahs