We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erin Schmerr. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erin below.

Erin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio but spent many of my summers in Mexico when I was growing up. I was in love with the vibrancy of their culture and the resilience and strength of the people I met. I would volunteer in the local children’s homes and help take care of the children as there were many kids and few staff at each orphanage. I spent some of the most beautiful days of my life in Mexico but many of those days were also very sad. Eventually, one by one, I had to say goodbye to all the children I had loved. Inevitably, kids would one day be picked up by family members or would age out of the system and I’d never see them again. I was told that many of the kids had been taken by a parent to live in the US with the hope of finding prosperity in the American Dream. I’m 38 years old now. We didn’t have social media back then or personal cell phones so when I said goodbye, I never heard from most of them again. But I still think about them all every day and wonder if they’re ok and if they remember that I cared. This summer I designed a shoot celebrating the migrant families in our neighborhood. I had read a story about two flamingos who escaped from a zoo when their keepers failed to remember to clip their wings. The flamingos were spotted all over the US for years. I named my set, “Runaway Flamingos of the Wichita Zoo,” and we shot at two symbolic locations. One spot was an art installation that celebrated migrant families and the other spot was a local favorite park among migrants. My aim was to showcase resilience, strength in community and celebrate the vibrancy of the culture.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started my photography journey about 4 years ago when I wanted to document my daughter’s life. Things evolved to me primarily doing editorial and conceptual styled shoots. I like my work to evoke emotion and I try to utilize light to tell the story.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Eventually I’d like to travel the world and tell people’s stories. I love where I live and I love the people in my city but I know there are so many other perspectives and life experiences out there that I wish I could tell too. Recently, I saw a photography exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum that showcased a man in India putting on his stage makeup before a dance performance. The images struck me as so intimate and beautiful. I thought it was neat that the images weren’t about the razzle dazzle of his show but about the man himself. That kind of art really inspires me to look at where I hope my photography will be headed one day.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I always knew this was an option but I wish I would have considered taking photography classes when I had just started out. I am mostly self taught. I realized that I’ve done ok for myself with learning purely by experience but imagine where I could be now if I had a full education on photography, editing, lighting and posing. There is a lot of value in figuring it out by trial and error but I think utilizing the knowledge of others is so valuable too in terms of personal growth. I’m hoping to start taking some classes soon!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tatefineartphotography

Image Credits
Ashley Meenach Julie Niesen Gretchen Schultz Donna Lee Jeremy Walton Maya Carter Melissa Betsch Bailey Kathryn Cheyenne Gorslene