Did you hear that too - that if you ask a handful of photographers to photograph the same flower , their final photographs are always so different from each other? So, how many definitions of photography exist for each photographer? If we start wondering, what is really photography about, if not a depiction of our physical reality?

Lise Hendrix is a special photographer because of her way of embodying photography in her life. I asked Lise 3 simple yet powerful questions that can offer new insights into photography. I did not know what she will say and I must tell you - her email surprised me. You will understand more by seeing her photographs down below while reading her personal take on photography. I invite you to deep dive into the world of photography with Lise. Enjoy!

Luiza: - What does photography mean to you?

Lise H: For me, photography is our reflection - as in a mirror. I see it as an inner act of reflection. It demands intention and a deep desire to see - above and beyond what is on the surface. At the same time, photography can also mean meeting and playing with someone else’s image or even our own. It invites us to see our existence and how we physically exist in this world.

I am specialised in Portrait Photography and have a passion for creating powerful portraits of the beautiful humans I meet. My shootings are about embodying and feeling, about witnessing and coming to terms with how it feels for you to be in a certain way. This is how people can start understanding the power of intentional photography and the importance of feeling seen and welcomed as you truly are in that moment.

Photography is a powerful tool that can both reveal and magnify the model and photographer’s inner states simultaneously.

Luiza: - How did photography change or influence your life?

Lise H.: With the years I understood more precisely why this medium attracted me in the first place and why I kept learning and growing with it. I realised that photography was acting as a bridge between different areas of my life:

My creativity and sense of aesthetics.

My social skills.

Communication and how to be heard - project my voice, express my vision and ideas .

My mindset, the beliefs I hold about myself.

My capacity to serve others with purpose, my intuition.

The way I like to feel productive.

The way I like to feel committed to something.

My decision making muscle.

And more for sure…

Photography taught me to be more alive and within a present and centred life experience.

I wouldn’t be who I am today without this practice, that is for sure. And that’s because photography opened so many opportunities in my life.

I learnt that photography can actually be incorporated in many parts of your life and serve different purposes. Photography is more than we might give credit for in the first place.

For me, it is is an all-in-one practice. More specifically, throughout the years, photography has changed the way I observe and immerse myself in any space I enter. It allows me to take the time to truly scan a place, taking in as much of it as I can—focusing on details, noticing how my body reacts to it, and enjoying the feeling of framing ideas and images naturally coming into my awareness without the need to actually take a photograph, just being there as pure observer.

I capture the photograph or I don’t. I have no desire to own it.

This practice of creating images confronts you with the limitless perspectives available to you at any moment. It teaches you to make decisions and commit to an angle or vision you want to pursue. At the same time, it reminds you that you can always shift perspectives, change your vision, and explore a new approach. You learn to trust your creative instincts, take more risks and embrace possibilities with greater ease and fewer regrets. In a way, it makes me feel more integrated into the world by allowing me to engage with more of it.

It encourages you to truly look at the world around you and appreciate its beauty, adding depth and meaning to your everyday life experience.

With photography, life becomes more beautiful, almost ethereal.

Even when I do not have my camera with me, I often find myself—sometimes in completely random moments—slipping into “photographer mode,” where time seems to slow down. I start to feel deeply present in my body, stepping away from my usual identity-based frame of experience into a broader, more contemplative observer’s mindset.
I move my body more, constantly shifting my perspective—standing, squatting, or simply changing my angle to see a scene or object differently. This invites me to ask more questions, think critically, and adopt a more open-minded, observant stance rather than a fixed, opinionated mindset. Just as I switch camera lenses—choosing a wider or more zoomed-in view depending on the style I want and how I wish to frame my subject—I am reminded to do the same with my perspectives and thoughts when searching for answers that aren’t immediately visible within my current frame.

With photography life unfolds from the inside out.

Our beliefs shape the experiences we have at every moment, reflecting our inner world. I deeply believe this. While many things in the world are beyond our control as a collective, we are always responsible for and capable of coming from a more whole, grounded place within ourselves. This allows us to navigate life with greater clarity and be more prepared for circumstances that lie outside our control. Photography mirrors this truth—it requires us to check in with ourselves, to ask what we need, and to consider what we want to express.

Beauty comes from within. It is an inner garden, a personal commitment, and the more we nourish and genuinely love it, the more light we emanate. And that—that—is what photography captures.

Magnetism is an internal energy radiating outward; it is what makes a person truly captivating—beyond conventional beauty, beyond societal ideals.

Luiza: Can you share with us a photographer that changed the way you understood photography?

Lise H.: There are many photographers and artists using the photographic medium who fed my hunger for curiosity and helped me explore this art and tool further. If I had to choose one today that would be Brice Portolano.

He is a traveler and a storyteller. His work is dedicated to capturing and reflecting the inner essence of his subjects. Photography is not just his craft—it is his way of life, a bridge that allows him to connect with others and share their stories. He fully immerses himself in their world, documenting his experience with both discretion and beauty. His eye acts like a fly on the wall, capturing the most intimate and raw moments. The depth of emotion in his images is remarkable, a testament to the presence and patience required for such work. This moves me deeply.

Little extract from Lise’s website: https://www.lisehdx.com/

May my art be a guiding light

that brings you back into the present,

in a state of high creativity

and deep alignment

with yourself.

With love,

Lise

Isn’t that beautiful? This conversation with Lise was a deep dive into a beautiful philosophy through a simple email! A lot of inspiration on how we might embody photography into our lives. It seems that photography isn't just about taking pictures—it might be more about seeing, feeling, and connecting with ourselves, with our surroundings, with our people, on a deeper and much more intimate level - another way of being in the world.

I hope this post sparks something in you, too! Maybe the next time you pick up a camera—or even just look around—you’ll notice things a little differently. Let’s keep this conversation going. What does photography mean to you? Drop a comment down below!

Special thanks to Lise, her website right here.

Photography Conversation with Lise Hendrix