Welcome to my blog. On this page you will find articles I personally write about the photography industry and my work. You will also see blogs showing the photos from many of my photo sessions.
My name is Lori Black and I am a wedding photographer. I also photograph families, boudoir and seniors, but my primary emphasis is on weddings.
When I started my career, wedding photography was no where near the forefront of my mind. When I was a high school senior in Lincoln, I was on the yearbook staff. That meant I had some responsibility for shooting photos and writing copy for certain yearbook pages. And I liked it. So when it was time to choose a college major, I could think of nothing else but journalism.
I attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and majored in journalism, thinking that I would someday become a newspaper reporter. I did just that. I graduated in four years and went to work for the Columbus Telegram in Columbus, Nebraska. My beats were the police and fire departments, city council and courts. I particularly loved covering the court beat and writing about interested cases.
After two years I moved to United Press International in Lincoln, where I wrote news for newspaper and broadcast clients across the state. I stated at UPI many years and eventually worked my way into the top position of state editor. When UPI started failing and employees were getting laid off, I was offered a job with a small college in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area as assistant director of public relations.
It was this job where I learned page layout and wrote articles and took photos for the college alumni magazine. Unfortunately the college had budget problems and my job was eliminated after one year. Luckily, UPI in Milwaukee needed a state editor and I was hired. I worked there for another year before I moved to a more stable company, the Waukesha Freeman. Here I returned to my love of court reporting. I stayed at the Freeman for seven years when I decided for personal reasons I wanted to move back to my hometown of Lincoln.
Wedding photography still at this point had not entered my mind. I worked for UNL, doing writing and taking a few photos. I stayed there nearly 10 years when I resigned to become a real estate agent.
It was around this point where I discovered my entrepreneurial spirit. I decided I wanted to be in business for myself. I started a speed dating business and held events in Lincoln and Omaha as well as in nearby states. It was a great time, but after a few years it wore itself out.
Around this time I learned that my brother had started doing wedding videography. I decided to help him. I worked with him and shot wedding videos, then after a couple years I decided to expand the business and add wedding photography.
I admit that I wasn’t a very good photographer when I started, but I believe strongly in self-education. I taught myself how to do wedding photography by watching online classes taught by experienced, high-profile photographers across the world. I still watch these courses because I believe you never stop learning.
I upgraded my equipment and practiced new skills that I learned in these classes. I continue to believe I will never stop learning.
I recently rebranded from the previous company to Lori Black Photography, and I’m very excited for what’s to come.