About Me

Hello

I am Toril Lavender. My grandparents were from Norway and my name Toril is the feminine of Thor.

I was born in Arizona, raised in California and upstate New York, and have lived and worked in Huntington, West Virginia for the past 20-plus years. The “hammer” that was magically drawn to my hands has always been a camera. I’ve been shooting professionally for more than 30 years at newspapers in Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. I’ve also shot for dozens of national and regional magazines as well as lots of professional event photography such as festivals and concerts. A life-long traveler, I’ve published two travel books with my husband Dave, who is a writer. Our two Dave Trippin’ books explored day trips to amazing places in what we call “the Appalachian Galaxy of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia.” Currently I do brand photography for a brewery and three restaurants in Huntington and Charleston. I am also the in-house photographer for Blenko Glass, one of the largest and last hand blown glass companies in the U.S. I also do portrait and wedding photography in the Tri-State. The daughter of an internationally-known biologist, I have always had a fascination with nature and spend my free time exploring the rich - and often overlooked - bounty of beauty in our Appalachian mountains, rivers and hills.