Provenance

In its simplest form, Provenance is a record of where something began and how it has traveled. My path hasn't been a straight line; it has been a gradual gathering of perspectives.

By looking back at these different chapters—from the discipline of the farm to the complexity of global policy—I can see how each one sharpened my ability to listen and document. I don't see these as separate careers, but as a single, long-term practice of trying to understand the world through a grounded and respectful lens.

Origin Story >

My story is deeply rooted in the land. As a fourth-generation settler raised on a dairy farm in Treaty 6 territory (near Saskatoon, Canada), my earliest memories are shaped by the rhythm of the seasons and the intricate connection between land and labour. This upbringing cultivated my lifelong passion for farm-to-table cooking and, more fundamentally, prepared my eye for image-making—finding beauty in the honest details of everyday life. A foundation that eventually sparked a hunger for global travel and a curiosity about how communities thrive in relation to their landscapes.

> Evolution >

I spent the first decade of my career honing the craft of professional photography in the arts and documenting the human condition. My studio sat within a vibrant community of creators and artisans in Edmonton, Canada—fostering a deep respect for the creative process and a passion for documenting artistry that remains central to my life through my partner, François Houle, world-renowned composer and clarinetist. Being immersed in the hight echelons of the global creative music scene continues to keep me deeply rooted in the arts.

However, it was a documentary project in Tajikistan 20 years ago that became a powerful turning point. Confronting the complexities of that landscape, I realized that to truly serve the stories I was capturing, I needed to understand the systemic forces that shape them.

> The Shift >

I embarked on a Master’s in International Economic Development to arm myself with the structural tools required to advocate for the human conditions I had spent a decade observing and documenting.

This toolkit transformed my practice. In Ottawa, I managed national programs for UNA-Canada, negotiating UN partnerships across four continents and operationalizing social cohesion initiatives domestically. These roles led to a career milestone: serving as a UN Consultant in the Maldives.

Upon returning to Canada, I brought this lens to the public sector as a Senior Policy Analyst. Navigating the "public service machine" provided the final piece of the puzzle—a deeper understanding of the government-based mechanisms that impact socio-economic and cultural landscapes. Today, I use this knowledge to help organizations move through complex systems with clarity and human-centered purpose.

> The Lens Today <

I now operate at the intersection of these two worlds—the systemic and the human narrative. I bring a grounded, multi-dimensional perspective to every project. I no longer just document stories; I help organizations navigate the complex systems that house them. By bridging my foundation in the arts with my understanding of systemic mechanisms, I act as a strategic partner and respectful witness to the stories that shape our world.

Credentials & Technical Skills

I bridge the gap between the pen and the camera with a foundation of rigorous academic and technical training.

• Academic Excellence: Master’s in International Development. Focused on the commodification of culture; Emerald Publishing Literati Award recipient for published thesis in Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development). Bachelor’s in Professional Communications (Cultural Policy and A/V practices).

• Technical Proficiency: High proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere). Classically trained photographer with work registered in the Library of Congress. Highly skilled analog and digital photography in studio and field settings from planning to publication.

• Global Perspective: Having lived in 4 and traveled/worked within nearly 50 countries, I bring a nuanced understanding of global systemic ideologies to every project.

• Specialized Certifications: Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) and Indigenous Canada certification (University of Alberta).

Collaborator Reflections

“I was fortunate to work alongside Lara, who while wearing multiple hats, brought our social cohesion project to new heights with her incredible media savvy. This program which reached immigrant and refugee youth across Canada, was hinged on using social and multi-media as platform for learning and empowerment.. She led and steered 7 Regional Coordinators (located across Canada) and designed a full scale internship program with major and community based media outlets. In this role, she began a Flickr archive of the 25 + national events, sharing these with our donors and audiences across the country. Drawing on her visual arts background, she carefully selected images and curated a photography exhibit for a national Knowledge Transfer Forum at the end of the project. In my time with her, I was repeatedly humbled by her attention to detail, empathy based approach to people management and overarching professionalism throughout. She is a creative powerhouse and one of the most incredible people I have ever worked with!”

— Simmi Dixit, (former Project Manager, United Nations Association in Canada) now, Deputy Director, Action Plan for Women Peace and Security, Global Affairs Canada

"Lara has an expansive knowledge with regard to photography, design, layout and photo editing. Lara's photographs [for us] have been featured in such publications as Essential Vancouver, Where Magazine, Preview, American Indian Art, and the Vancouver Sun. She does the majority of the photography for my gallery website, which always receives high praise from our clients. She is a spectacular photographer and an extremely accomodating, warm person." 

-- Peter Lattimer, owner Lattimer Gallery, www.lattimergallery.com
 

"Most if not all of the assignments that Lara has worked on with me have been high-pressure and time sensitive due to the nature of the subject matter. Lara has always been able to adapt to any scenario and maintain a high technical caliber. She is able to measure the importance of events and react as necessary."

--Todd Korol, Photographer, www.toddkorol.com (former Reuters, Western Canada)
 

"I have known Lara to be a very imaginative and creative person with a fearless adventurous spirit. She is also a very reliable person with sound business judgement, which, with the former, makes for a most unusual combination... She is the photographer for the documentation of all of my artwork for the past four years. I use her photographs to catalogue my work, as well as for promotion of my [personal] exhibits and website. Her photographs are of a very high calibre..." 

-- Marlena Wyman, Artist & former Historian Laureate, City of Edmonton & Senior Audio-Visual Archivist, Alberta Government), www.marlenawyman.com
 

"Working effectively in foreign contexts requires sincerity, an open mind, and a lot of confidence. Lara has strengths in each of these. Her relaxed, easy communication style and open attitude helps her develop good relationships with people, whether they be photographic subjects or the colleagues she works with. This ability demonstrates Lara's skills for working in cross-cultural, even stressful environments while maintaining rapport, composure and grace."

-- Najeeb Mirza, president of Oxus Apertura films & former Senior Development Officer (Global Affairs Canada)

"...before starting my career in broadcasting I was a jazz singer and it was at this point I was introduced to Lara when I was looking to hire a photographer/designer to put together my first album packaging...I was not really sure of what I wanted. Lara was exceptional at coming up with the concept for the cover and inserts based on my vague ramblings. She understood the concerns with regards to image and how I would be perceived by my fans and peers based on the cover alone." 

-- Dawn Chubai, On-air host CityTV Vancouver, www.dawnchubai.com

"It was a pleasure to see the obvious interest of Ms. Hill in the many facets of Tajik society, something that she sought to record on film and managed to do, in my opinion, with uncommon brio." 

-- Guillaume Legros, (former First Secretary Development: Tajikistan, Canadian Embassy to the Republic of Kazakhstan (now, Deputy Director Canadian Global Affairs, Tanzania)

"Ms. Hill has taken herself onto more continents than most women her age and never once as a tourist. Her journeys have always been deeply documented in film and by what local artisans proffer as wares and gifts. These are important to her because so much of the pleasure in travel for Ms. Hill is not only in meeting people, but also in coming as close as she can to understanding how they make their homes and build their communities. Caught between her curiosity and her work ethic, Ms. Hill is in the enviable position of being ever refreshed by her progress through life, through ideas, and through the world."
-- Dale Soroka, writer & friend