Laurel Holland Photography

Laurel Holland Photography Photographer + Creative
Co-Founder of Holland Creatives ✨

Don’t ask how long I waited to photograph these tiny, beautiful little hummingbirds in Costa Rica and still only came ho...
06/16/2026

Don’t ask how long I waited to photograph these tiny, beautiful little hummingbirds in Costa Rica and still only came home with four usable images! They’re SO FAST and so stunning, and honestly I don’t mind waiting for them one bit. You can hear them before you can see them which is just so cool and I can almost never get my camera focused fast enough to catch them!

I’m sure a more experienced photographer knows more about capturing these elusive creatures so if that’s you I’ll take all the tips ⬇️

The first time I tried wildlife photography on safari in Kenya, I got a lot wrong.My shutter speed was too slow, so anyt...
06/15/2026

The first time I tried wildlife photography on safari in Kenya, I got a lot wrong.

My shutter speed was too slow, so anything that moved came out soft. I was scared to push my ISO, which only dragged my shutter slower in low light and made everything blurrier. And honestly, I was stressed the entire time.

Wildlife photography feels like a sport and an art at once. The adrenaline is real and I love the high-pressure moments. But if you can’t enjoy watching some of God’s coolest, most powerful creatures, you probably shouldn’t be shooting. Being in the moment while I capture it is still something I’m working on.

A few safari photography tips if you’re just starting out: raise your shutter speed, stop fearing grain, and let the ISO climb when you need it. Then take a breath and actually look.

It’s so worth it.

📍 Kenya

This job feels mostly trial and error, especially when shooting in places you’ve never been before. Most attempts can fe...
06/06/2026

This job feels mostly trial and error, especially when shooting in places you’ve never been before. Most attempts can feel defeating if you let them. You’re not going to get every shot just right, but the more you shoot, the more you’ll learn, and then one day you’ll realize so much of the job feels second nature to you (still not perfect of course but none of us are).

I don’t think my settings here were the best they could’ve possibly been, and honestly I still dream of having even bigger lenses with lower fstops. BUT I still love the shot and can celebrate a cool moment of a beautiful animal captured!

A few stills from Mama’s Boy short film 🎬DP: Color Grading: by yours truly 🙋🏼‍♀️And silly screenshot of me and our bomb...
06/03/2026

A few stills from Mama’s Boy short film 🎬

DP:
Color Grading: by yours truly 🙋🏼‍♀️

And silly screenshot of me and our bomb AD at the end ❤️‍🔥

Stop blaming your preset.If your edits feel off, it’s almost never the preset — it’s the Basic panel underneath it. That...
06/01/2026

Stop blaming your preset.

If your edits feel off, it’s almost never the preset — it’s the Basic panel underneath it. That’s where you’re doing the real heavy lifting.

I used to be so frustrated with my edits, and I blew a bunch of money on new presets thinking that was the problem…it wasn’t.

Here’s what I get right before I touch anything else:

→ White balance first — fix it and half the edit disappears
→ Muddy photo? Lift your shadows
→ Want contrast control? Use your blacks & whites, not the contrast slider
→ Blowing out faces or highlights? Pull your whites down
→ Go easy on clarity & texture — a little goes a long way

Nail the Basic panel on one frame, sync it across the gallery, and your work starts to feel like one body of work instead of fifty separate edits.

Foundation first. Style second.

Save this for your next editing session. 🤍

big belly and beach aesthetic 🌴☀️🐚🦀🪼
05/29/2026

big belly and beach aesthetic 🌴☀️🐚🦀🪼

Having the newest and nicest gear won’t make you a good photographer, but you also don’t want your gear to be what’s hol...
05/29/2026

Having the newest and nicest gear won’t make you a good photographer, but you also don’t want your gear to be what’s holding you back!

Wildlife photography has been the most inspiring to me in recent years, and I’ve slowly built up my gear to be able to capture more!

Still have lots to learn and I dream of one day having even bigger telephoto lenses, but for now working to get better every day!

Also peep the baby elephant in between his mom and dad 🐘

Some things aren’t worth the stress 🫠 so I try to focus on what actually matters and stay flexible! Definitely don’t hav...
05/28/2026

Some things aren’t worth the stress 🫠 so I try to focus on what actually matters and stay flexible! Definitely don’t have it all figured out yet but here’s a few things I’ve learned along the way as a travel photographer!

Photographers! What would you add to this list??? ⬇️

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Greenville, SC
29601-29617

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