Underwater photographer. Ocean whisperer. One-woman movement for soft rebellion and sea-bound storytelling.
“I walked into the water, grabbed a fish with my bare hands, and everyone freaked out. I was six. And I’ve been obsessed with the ocean ever since.”
That’s how Lauren Weiss tells it—and it’s not hard to believe. Her life, like her work, is made of saltwater and light. A relationship with the ocean that’s part ritual, part reverence, and entirely hers.
She’s not from California, though people always assume she is. She’s actually from Missouri. But somehow, the water knew. And it waited.
Now she lives blocks from the Pacific, documenting life below the surface, creating sun-developed prints in her backyard, and working with women-led nonprofits and sustainable brands to share stories that begin—and often return—to the sea.
The Ritual at Noon
Midday in Lauren’s world doesn’t look like a break. It looks like a rhythm.
“If someone popped into my world at noon, they’d probably find me on my balcony in a swimsuit, a snack in one hand, a paintbrush in the other,” she says. “That’s when I like to set my anthotypes out to develop—they're plant-based prints, and noon has the best UV. So it’s kind of this little ritual… quiet, meditative, science-meets-art.”
Most days she wears a swimsuit, not just because she might swim—but because she plans to.
“I usually make a snack—Greek yogurt, fruit, seeds. Big glass of water. Sit in the sun for twenty minutes. And if I can swing it? I’m in the water.”
If Noon Had a Color…
“Yellow,” she says, without pause. “Always yellow. Bold, warm, optimistic—but not blinding. Just soft enough to hold you.”
Around that hour, something shifts. “I get more unapologetic. There’s a heat to that time of day that makes me feel more in my body, more willing to say what I mean.”
She plays bossa nova or vintage Latin jazz. “Something that sounds like sunlight,” she adds.
Even her physical space becomes a sunlit extension of who she is. “I thrift a lot. I found these two really cool lamps—one looks kind of crystal-y, like 1920s, and the other one is very 70s amber blown glass. The lighting is perfect. It’s such a vibe.”
The Ocean Gives. She Gives Back.
Lauren didn’t take a straight path to the water. She tried biology first. “I stayed in the science field for about a year before I realized that it involves a lot of math, which is not my strong suit.”
She pivoted into art school—with the full support of her parents, which she still laughs about. “That’s very wild because I don’t really hear of many people encouraging their children to go into art school.”
Post-grad, she spent three years painting in Philadelphia and feeling completely burned out. “I think I was at my maximum capacity for burnout. I just couldn’t. I was so over it.”
Then came the reset.
She and her husband honeymooned in California. “When we went back to Philly, we were like—wait a second. California feels very much aligned.”
They moved four months later.
Finding Her Way Back to the Water
Once in California, she started shooting again—underwater. Quietly. Casually. Just to see what would happen.
“I showed up with my camera, and everybody was like, ‘What? Like—you do this?’ And I was like, well… yeah. Kind of. I do this, yeah.”
She began collaborating with oceanic scientists, diving communities, and women-led environmental organizations. “This is all, like, female-founded people that I have made my mark in this world with, which is very exciting for me.”
And when her values get tested in the commercial world?
“Even when I work with non-sustainable brands, I use that money to fund ocean orgs. I call it infiltrating the system.”
On Scarcity, Fear, and Rewriting the Story
“Scarcity mindset can send me into a spiral,” she says. “When I feel that frazzled energy, I name three things I’m grateful for. And if that doesn’t help, I go to the water and offer it up.”
It’s a practice rooted in faith—not the religious kind, but the kind that comes from deep trust in life.
“I’m not particularly religious. I would say I’m more spiritual. I feel like when I’m in the water, I never feel afraid—but I never feel abandoned. It literally supports me.”
As someone who now regularly dives and documents the underwater world, she hears a lot from people who say they’re scared of the ocean.
“That fear is real. I used to be scared of kelp forests—they're mysterious and a little creepy. But exposure helped. And I tell people: find a friend who isn’t afraid. Let them show you it’s safe.”
Her Current Obsessions
- Cyanotypes and anthotypes
- Tacos and margs before obscure film screenings
- Jack Black (yes, she met him — “full Nacho Libre renaissance”)
- Tarantino’s vintage theater in Beverly Hills
- Curating her space with thrifted glass lighting
- Diving in kelp forests
- Watching dolphins swim past and say hi
- Sharks (“I could praise sharks literally day and night”)
Her Words for You
“I kind of quickly turned away from what my hopes and dreams were. I felt like I couldn’t do it. But now? I’ve managed to create my dream job. It sustains my life, it sustains me and my community. Even if it feels small—your impact matters. Keep going.”
Want more stories like Lauren’s?
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