In Focus | Sarah Lauzé

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Sarah Lauzé

Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna?
I was born and raised in Salmon Arm and I relocated to Kelowna in 2013 to go to Okanagan College.

Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
Well this is going to sound like a cliché, but definitely my husband Adam. What can I say? He is the only person in the world who could so gracefully put up with me and my restless nature. Plus, he makes me laugh all the time, pushes me to challenge myself in all the right ways and serenades me on a regular basis (he’s an amazing musician).

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
Mongolia! It’s at the top of my very long list of places to travel.

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
Okay so it’s not necessarily a store, but The Little Hobo is my favourite place in town to grab a delicious lunch (have you tried their perogies!?). Crystal and her husband make you feel like family every time you walk through the doors, no matter how busy it is!

What is your favourite activity?
I’m going to call it mountain-topping. I am both an ultrarunner and a photographer, so standing on top of a mountain, looking down at how far you’ve come and snapping a few photos, there’s nothing better than that!

If you had to choose: pizza, tacos, or burgers?
Tacos!

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
So many to choose from, but probably when I managed to knock myself out by stepping on rake. Whoops.

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
I had the amazing opportunity to travel around the world to over 25 countries in two years. With a team of nine other photographers, we volunteered with various NGOs everywhere we went. I can never express just how much these experiences and the people we met shaped me into who I am today and continue to define the direction of my life.

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
My family, my parents, older brother and I, are extremely close so I have countless memories of some crazy adventures growing up. The one that sticks out in my mind is when we spent a week boat camping in Desolation Sound off the West Coast. Crammed together in a tiny four seat boat exploring completely wild islands and setting up camp along the way was like entering another world.

Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community
I try use my specific skillset to give back in any way I can. I’ve done a lot writing, photography and videography work for non-profits both internationally and locally. One of the most meaningful events that I have been involved in is Suicide Awareness Week in September, where I’ve had the honour to photograph various events. My husband and I also spent five months last year volunteering at the Ashraya Initiative for Children in Pune, India.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
Perspective. I think if we could all expand our minds beyond our little corners of the world and experience true empathy in regards to what is going on in the larger picture, we wouldn’t get so caught up on the little things and would help each other out a little more.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
Running! We have so many amazing trail systems within a 20 minute radius from where we live: Knox Mountain, Mount Boucherie, Rose Valley, Okanagan Mountain Park, the High Rim Trail, Spion Kop and Mission Creek to name just a few.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
Knox. I know it sounds surprising, seeing as it’s one of the most popular places in Kelowna, but there are corners of the park where you can go and never meet another person (although I’m not going to tell you where), especially during the winter months.

Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
As a cyclist, I would love to see more bike lanes and awareness from drivers to share the road.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
Kelowna is a very active and positive city, where it’s easy to live a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. Surrounded by natural beauty on every side and with our lakes, it’s pretty hard to complain.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
1) Become fluent in a second language
2) Bike from Canada to South America
3) Live on an alpaca farm

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
I have a crazy addictive personality. I can’t even go near Netflix, because I actually won’t be able to move on with my life until watch all the things! Once I start something, I see it through to the end no matter what, so I just try to apply it to healthier activities.

How do people connect with you, personally, through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest)
For a photographer, I am probably one of the most reluctant social media users, but you can find me on there! You can check me out on Facebook and Instagram, I do try to post semi-regularly when I’m not wandering around in the woods.

What is the name of your business/organization?
Sarah Lauzé Photography.

Why did you get into/start this business?
I invested in my first SLR camera when I was 17 and that was that. I’ve always wanted to tell people’s stories and over the years this has taken various forms, but photography has always been my go-to.

What is the goal of your business?
With the crazy number of photographers out there, my goal is to capture those in between moments that others may not see as valuable. I want to capture you, being you, with those you care about most. Whether it’s a wedding or rock climbing shoot, I want to tell your story with my images in a truly meaningful way. So, simply put, let’s go beyond the poses!

What has been your biggest struggle either in work or life?
As mentioned above, the sheer number of photographers out there is overwhelming. All you have to do is take a couple scrolls through Instagram and you’ll feel like you have absolutely nothing to offer. Over the past nine years, it was a struggle for me to even get to the point where I would even call myself a photographer and I use the word with discretion. Although I have had formal training and years of experience in the field, I am constantly growing and pushing myself to be better.

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
Probably the same. There’s not much point in looking back and I wouldn’t change anything that has brought me to the place I am today.

What do you always find yourself saying?
'Let’s go outsiiiiiide!'

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Sebastião Salgado. He is one of the greats as far as photojournalists go and his long term projects, especially 'Workers,' will always be a source of inspiration for me.

Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
As far as food goes, it’s always better to know where it comes from! Supporting the people that live and work here helps build a strong community and on an individual basis it connects you to where you live.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
I published a book of photos and stories with a team of nine others in 2012. The process of writing a book was a daunting one, but one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
My parents! Dave and Terry Wallensteen are two of the most inspiring individuals you could meet and they keep me on my toes with skiing, mountain biking and running. They also believe in me more than I deserve, whenever I’m feeling down, all I need to do is give them a call and they have me feeling like I can take on the world in no time.

My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is:
Mike Boulter from Okanagan College.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna.