Lawrence has a PhD in international business from the University of California at Berkeley. He is now retired as a professor emeritus at UC Irvine. While at Berkeley and in his research career he studied cultural anthropology and cross-cultural communication. In particular, Lawrence focused on how businesspeople communicate in face-to-face interactions. His methods of study included the production and analysis of videotaped face-to-face negotiations in more than 20 cultures around the world. His early work was featured in an article in Smithsonian magazine (January 1988) which included photographs some of which Lawrence composed. He also produced two training videos on the topic of international negotiations.
Nonverbal communication behaviors and the best camera angles to portray them are key aspects of all this ongoing photographic work. He has been a pioneer in the systematic study of facial expressions in cross-cultural communication. Lawrence is one of the authors of the most popular textbook in the world on the topic of International Marketing (19th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2023). Eight-six of his photos help illustrate that book.
He explains: I am a self-trained photographer. I really only have one advantage in the very competitive field of photography. That is my good fortune to have traveled the world for the last 40 years during my time in the U.S. Navy and as an international business and negotiation expert. I always carry my camera. Thus, the strength of my photography is its international base that allows me to compare visual images across countries and cultures. In my anthropology classes at Berkeley I learned three important lessons about photography. First, everyone sees things differently, particularly photographers and their audiences. Stimulating debate about interpretations is the fun part of the craft. Second, pictures reveal as much about the photographer as the subject. This is the risky part of the craft. Third, photographic images can be powerful. This is the responsibility of the craft.
My photography is eclectic with a variety of themes cutting across the different locales I’ve visited. Some of my most interesting images are simply just lucky shots – a matter of me being in the right place at the right time with my camera. Most recently I have undertaken photographic studies of the National Parks near Moab in southern Utah, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Greek islands, and Yosemite in winter.
Please enjoy some of my favorite images and vistas from around the world!
