“Right now my photography has been revolving around a deep contemplative moment I find in peoples eyes and looks. This is my passion. These looks can happen anywhere and at any time and it is so beautiful to me. The look is full of potential power I believe; a moment right before it turns into kinetic. I photograph these moments cinematically to sink deeper into this magic.”

Claire Roche is usually the woman behind the lens; however, her uniquely stunning look, eye-catching fashion getups, and unmatched gift for capturing extraordinary moments draw the spotlight onto her fit 5’6’’ frame, glowing green-yellow eyes, and cascading sandy curls. Most recently, you can find Claire in a published article in the British Vogue. Moreover, she moves beyond photography; her poised presence and innate creativity have landed her a dancing role in a New Balance commercial and opportunities to paint murals in various schools. Seemingly, her gifts know no bounds, explore all facets of life, and are irrevocably seen in everything she does.

Tell us about your upbringing. What was it like growing up in Lufkin, Texas?
Growing up in Lufkin was filled with Friday night football! Under those bright stadium lights I was on the Drill Team and we kicked and danced – it was some of the best four years of my life. Lufkin is a relatively small, southern everyone-knows-everyone town with around 35,000 folks. I danced every day my entire upbringing there… went to the local lake with family and friends and stayed in cabins and tubed, roasted marshmallows. Road trips were an all the time occasion. I lived four hours from Austin and only two from Houston so tripping out there was for shopping, ballets, dance competitions etc. I volunteered at the zoo for 3 years, working with the vet was quite the experience – I helped with surgery on an Eagles eye and a turkey’s chest! With the amount of yard work I did growing up I could run my own yard crew business now. Even though it was a fun childhood, I was always a little different from the typical southern belle….

How did you get into photography at the age of 11?
I think I liked taking my moms digital camera and shooting the rain and what the outside of my house looked like after the rain and self-portraits of me playing with makeup – that was actually black marker. The next year my family bought me a little point and shoot Kodak, that’s when I bought Photoshop and started setting up scenes that related to fantastical scenes I imagined such as flying or my general interest in what was around me while traveling with family.

What do you love about shooting with film?
I think for me it is more specific that I love shooting 4 x 5 black and white film because the actual film itself is so huge in your hand… the fact that there is so much detail in the negative. My favorite film is slide film because the colors are so intense and so heavy… lots of blues and reds and yellows… I love that.

How was it like photographing fashion week?
Fashion Week was 130498107015 different kinds of experiences crushed into seven days. I loved how backstage and the Skylight at Moynihan Station kind of became this familiar home-like place. Backstage I think is more enlightening than watching the show particularly because its 2-3 hours of slowly watching how each look progresses to finality. Broadly thinking I loved seeing how designers were creating similarly – a lot of mesh and heavy patterns is what I noticed.

What would be your ultimate goal for photography?
I am not sure if I have one certain goal, I tend to have one goal and I work for that and once I achieve what I want I go on to the next one. Being able to photograph NYFW and NYFWM was a goal. I think being able to shoot campaign editorials would be right up my ally because I believe I have a new image to add to the general aesthetic of what the public is used to seeing in clothing adds. Shooting documentary for the New York Times is a dream.

And what story do you try to tell with your photography?
Right now my photography has been revolving around a deep contemplative moment I find in peoples eyes and looks. This is my passion. These looks can happen anywhere and at any time and it is so beautiful to me. The look is full of potential power I believe; a moment right before it turns into kinetic. I photograph these moments cinematically to sink deeper into this magic.

What is your perception about real love?
That is a huge question! Love is precious – there’s so much to believe about love. It’s THE most important aspect of how I live my life. I do what I love, if I love something I pursue it. I believe you should never initially hold yourself back from your love(s). Live a life of passion.

The moments you are lying in your bed.. which thoughts come up too you?
When I lie in bed each night is different. Usually I thank God for my blessings first. Most nights I think about what makes me weak – in a heart warming way. That always helps me seep into a deep sleep.