Diana Lucas Leavengood’s photography reflects her family’s legacy of artist farmers, schoolteachers and entrepreneurs. Her inherited imagery, in the form of ancestral photographs and ephemera, has inspired a creative life that reflects a childhood split between rural and urban New York State. Her self-generated imagery reflects a life lived all over the world at various levels of economic stability. Dr. Jennifer Hardin, Chief Curator of the St. Petersburg Museum of Fines Arts observes: “…Diana’s work stands out strongly among work that I have seen in the last few years, and indeed, it is so much more sophisticated in terms of content and subject matter than much I have experienced since moving to Florida.”

Leavengood graduated Keuka College with a BA in Political Science and History. She attended Cal Arts where she was selected for MFA DTVC (Directing for Theatre, Video, Cinema) program originated by Ealing Studios comedy master Alexander Mackendrick (The Ladykillers; Whiskey Galore). Her class was the last to study with Mackendrick before his death. After completing numerous award-winning short films, Leavengood translated her cinematic background to the medium of still photography.

Currently, she is using her signature double exposure method to document the Hillsborough River and Tampa’s relationship to it.