meet janine

Hello! My name is Janine Laag.

I could tell you that I am a down-to-earth, friendly Australian living in Sweden. That I love people and finding that thing that makes each person special.

That I love my kids and my husband and that I think I have the best dog that has ever existed.

That all of a sudden I have an obsession with campfires, hiking and sleeping in a tent – even though I’m totally clueless about how to do any of it (and suspect it might just be the early stages of a midlife crisis).

And that I love taking photos that make people feel something!

But what I really want to tell you is the story about what has lead me to this precise moment.

I wasn’t born to be an entrepreneur. I had this idea that you needed to be an extroverted salesperson to run a business, and I’ve never felt comfortable in a stiff suit.

But I’ve always loved photography and eventually realised I had to listen to that little voice in my head. So, Lumeah Photography was born.

(Where does the name Lumeah come from, you ask? You can find out in this blog post.)

The pile of books next to my bed (it’s a permanent feature now) has changed from focusing on the technicalities of learning the ins and outs of my camera, to exposure, to lighting, to posing, towards personal development, learning about personality types and running a business with heart.

I realised early on that I am allergic to fake and try to avoid posing that doesn’t feel natural and expressions that feel forced.

I wanted to learn how to communicate in a way that helped my clients relax and have an amazing experience, elicit natural expressions that you don’t get from ‘saying cheese’ and have them walk away from sessions with a spring in their step. This is when I discovered and fell in love with the ‘Moment Design’ technique. The whole concept just felt like ME and I think it’s made a huge difference to my work.

Everything started to fall into place.

I started meeting other entrepreneurs who were running their businesses with passion. They were so inspiring! But I could also see the frustration. They were putting their heart and soul into their business, working a lot and sacrificing time that could have been spent with family and friends, but they felt that they didn’t have a choice. They had these great products and services, but just weren’t reaching their ideal clients, which meant that they weren’t reaching their goals – personal, professional or financial.

I’ve realised that we’re stronger together and when I understood that my photography could help other people grow their business, it all just made sense.

I discovered personal brand photography and the importance of using images to tell your own personal brand story to attract clients. It all comes down to being authentic and wanting to share your passion to help make other peoples lives better, more beautiful, easier or… (insert your own word).

Get in touch if you’re interested in a personal brand photo session for yourself, or if you’re curious but aren’t really sure how it could help you.