Lara earned her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida in 2002 and a Master of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg in 2013. She teaches communication arts and media courses at Florida International University, Southeaster University and Mid-America Christian University.

​She credits purchasing a camera in 2017 as a major life-altering decision that introduced her to the world of fine art nature photography. “When I purchased my first camera and began this creative journey into the natural world, this is where I found myself immersed with more nature, more animals, more life, and less computers.”

In a short period of time, Lara’s photographs earned several awards and distinctions and have been exhibited on the walls of galleries and museums throughout the East Coast of the United States as well as the West Coast of Florida. She also published several photography and poetry books including two for kids titled On Insects and Flowers (With a Blue Bird Named Bob!) and At the Zoo (With a Blue Bird Named Bob!).