March Madness — Behind the Lens

March was a crazy month full of so many changes and new beginnings!

One of the highlights of my month was being featured in the LKLD Magazine. Not only did they use one of my favorite pictures as the cover but, they wrote an entire story about me and this little passion project of mine (that is quickly growing). If you want to check out the article they wrote click here.

In May of 2020, Mort created the Instagram account LKLDlense and released her collection of hometown images. “During that time, everyone was so confused. We had no idea what was going to happen. We had no idea what was going on, everything was shut down,” she said. She had seen the struggle local business owners were going through with posts on social media. “I realized that a lot of these small businesses are really hurting during this because they have to be closed.”

She recalls sitting on her back deck one evening, scrolling through her personal Instagram, and realizing just how many Lakeland photos she’d taken. She had enough to start an account all its own. “I wanted this whole Instagram to be about the community. I wanted it to be community-focused,” she said. “I wanted it to be just about how beautiful and strong our community is as a whole.”

Mort started LKLDlense with the photos she already had and set out to add to the growing collection of Lakeland moments she’d captured. Followers compounded, and with them, Mort’s appreciation for the area. “I, as a person, started experiencing more of the community,” she said. “I think I needed that. I needed to reconnect in my town at that time, specifically since it seemed like everyone was so pulled apart.”

I wanted LKLDlense to be my escape and that’s exactly what it has become. I’ve met so many people and had tons of opportunities thrown my way. So, here's to the future and whatever it has in store for me. Believe it or not, the LKLDlense anniversary is coming up and it's hard to believe I started this account almost a year ago in the middle of a pandemic.

Thank you for all the love and support!