From a small town in Ohio, Leah Schonauer moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in order to attend The Art Institute of Pittsburgh for photography in the fall of 2012. Unsure of what this drastic change from a still countryside to a restless city would lead to, she was certain about the steps she needed to make to expand her interest and ambition for photography.

Inspired by films, poems, and scripture, Leah continues to refine her portraits and concepts by working with other creative artists to make her symbolic visions come to life. With a heart for serving, she leads workshops from the basics of photography to advanced post-production techniques for all ages that have the desire to connect with others through the art of photography.

In 2014, she was chosen to take part in the Young Photographers Alliance (YPA) Mentorship Program with the Pittsburgh team, and has been featured at the Art Directors Club in New York City for her series, Boundaries. Leah has also shown this body of work at Pittsburgh Studio 3702 with fellow Pittsburgh YPA members and has been featured on the YPA website following these events. Her work has also been featured on many media platforms by Melessie Clark, Director Evan Kaufmann, Shaina Kohli, and celebrity Alyson Stoner.

Out of the Fog, her first large-scaled personal project, was designed to symbolically show the hidden truths and perception of self-worth. Through creative, metaphoric photographs, the goal of the project was to make positive self-worth evident. It is her hope that viewers are motivated to explore their own self-worth by examining the value instilled presently in their lives. This mission continues to be sewn into each image she creates today, including her most recent series, The Dawn. The Dawn was published in Stubborn Magazine's The Dream Issue, spotlighting Leah as a featured artist among the many works of talented photographers around the globe.

At the beginning of 2016, Leah moved to Los Angeles, California and was given the opportunity to travel around her residence in the South Bay, as well as around the state of California and neighboring states. Inspired by the places she has been able to see, she is reminded and comforted to look around and see an Artist, just like herself. After boldly moving across the country alone, humble beginnings brought her back to her hometown in Ohio in 2017.

Today, Leah continues to draw up ideas for her next large scaled project and adventure while living in Holmes County, Ohio. She is the Marketing Director of bfearless., a women’s boutique located in Walnut Creek, Ohio. Leah loves each of her jobs, creating, CrossFit, movies, Bible studies, and her sweet dog Rosie— and feels she is “living her best life”! :)