Lauren is a Portland-based photographer, filmmaker, artist and community activist. She
holds a Bachelor of Science in Film from The University of Texas at Austin, and a Master
of Urban Studies from Portland State University, where she focused on place-based
identity and spatial justice. She is currently a PhD candidate in the Urban Studies
program, and her research interests include tenants’ rights, property ownership
paradigms, and place attachment. Her short films continue in this vein, taking an
experimental approach to exploring how time and space intersect to form place.

Much of her photography work deals with themes of cultural identity and resilience,
including her book People Like Us: The Cult of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
(Croatoan, 2015), which was featured on Huffington Post, ABC.com, Slate, and Vice’s
Creator’s Project blog. The series was also named one of Fast Co. Design’s “22 Best
Photo Essays of the Year” in 2015. Her series Devotion: Alternative Religion in Los
Angeles was recently included in a group show at Rutger’s University, and featured in
VIA Publication and Beautiful/Decay Magazine.