Get To Know Kate
Hey! I’m Kate Typusiak, the face behind Lennon Lavoie!
Art in every form is my passion. I love singing, dancing, painting, sketching, playing instruments, acting, and photography (obviously). I have a very high-energy, bubbly personality. I take it upon myself to be your personal hype-man during our photoshoot!
I truly believe that being creative is the best thing you can do for yourself. In my mind creation is invention, revolution, self identification… you are creating something. If you are not creating, then you are not evolving as a person. That is why I feel as though it is my responsibility to create.
I love human beings so much and all of the little differences that make us unique. Photography is such a special way to get to know someone. It is an honour when my models feel comfortable enough to reveal their authentic selves on camera.
What is Lennon Lavoie
Lennon Lavoie is an artist name I hold dear to my heart. I chose it to honor my grandmother Rheanne Lavoie’s legacy. Her story was very similar to mine. She found art very young in life and it was truly her passion. She exercised many mediums, with singing being her favorite.
Before she was even 19, she had plans to seek a career in music. Life had different plans, however, she found love in a man from overseas who she got pregnant with very young. My grandmother found a new passion in motherhood, with her husband, my grandfather, the man overseas. Her love for life was great, though no comparison to her love for her children and grandchildren. She wanted the best for them all. Her two daughters, my aunt and my mother found love young as well. My grandmother knew they were beyond happy, but had hoped they’d pursue the life she never got the chance to. She loved her family until her last breath, which was taken far too young.
Art and family make up my heart, very much so like my grandmother, and I would love nothing more than honoring the Lavoie legacy than through art.
The Journey
I was born and raised in Kelowna BC. I have the most amazing and supportive family, my parents, Randal and Nina, and my older sister Olivia. They push me to be a better person every single day. They also honour and celebrate all of my passions. From a young age, I always loved art of all forms. I loved creating quietly in my room on my own for hours. Art was and still is my happy place.
School came easily to me but I always felt like I was wasting my time, I’d rather be doing something else. It wasn’t until high-school when I switched to an independent learning online school it allowed me so much flexibility with what I was learning within the curriculum and allowed me to explore the topics that interested me in depth. Mathematics and science were the most interesting to me. I used my freedom with online school to graduate high-school at 16-years-old, where I then moved out to Victoria BC on my own. It was quite the adventure but after two years, I was ready to make a new plan.
My father suggested I visit the private college where he works, the Centre for Arts and Technology. The Professional Photography program immediately piqued my interest, knowing that I would combine the math and science behind the mechanics of photography and light, with my passion for art and creating. I entered the class with no expectations, having never used a professional camera before. One week in and you couldn’t pay me to stop.
During my time at the college, I studied business of photography in depth, gaining an understanding of composition, camera settings, posing models, communicating to models, photo retouching, business and marketing, and more.
The beauty of being a photographer and business owner is that you’re never done learning. Everyday I will continue to learn and improve.