Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Audra Miller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Audra, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

A couple years back when the Me Too movement was in full swing, I really wanted to find a way to visually show the resiliency of women, to represent them as strong and not victims. I came up with the idea to create the She Rose project. In this project I interviewed over 30 women of all walks of life, of all ages, and asked them to share a story of overcoming, of turning struggles into strength and pain into power. Together we would brainstorm what their inner superhero would look like and then do a photoshoot together to depict that hero.

Each final image was curated to look like a superhero movie poster, was printed 2’x3′ in size, and paired with each participant’s personal story of resiliency. It was such a wonderful way to hear and share other’s stories and to empower women to embrace their perseverance. I met so many incredible women who have been through so much but are still fighting for themselves and others. Giving them the final image helped build their confidence and gave them a reminder of how amazing they are. The She Rose project was truly one of my favorites and I’m hoping to continue to build it out and grow it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a portrait photographer in San Francisco that focuses on engagements, weddings, and epic portraits. My journey into photography started when I was much younger. I grew up in a small town in Kansas and a student at my school did not have enough money to buy high school senior portraits so my mother suggested that I take them for her for free. She loved the images and I became hooked on photography, building up my business in college and beyond.

A majority of my work in on location and includes higher contrast and vibrant colors. I always want to capture the best in each person or couple that I meet but also make sure their images are a genuine representation of themselves. Some of my favorite shoots to do are our in nature on the coast at golden hour, making the most of the beautiful California landscapes.

I believe that everyone deserves a fabulous photo of themselves because it builds self confidence and it celebrates how great each human is. I believe everyone is photogenic. A lot of my portraiture is a bit more stylized to give it that “wow” factor. So many celebrities take these types of creative shots and I think everyone should have that opportunity. Whether it is for a birthday or any other reason, I love working with individuals to get a unique shot they can remember forever.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being a creative is that you get the opportunity every single day to engage with your imagination and you get to meet so many people. Each time I do a shoot I learn about another person, what they do, who they are, what they are insecure about, what makes them laugh, who is important to them in their lives. You learn what their vibe is and how they want to represent. You get to discover new locations in the area that have some sort of significance to that person, a glimpse into their lives. You learn how couples met and what they love about each other.

It is also a very intimate experience because most people are nervous to be in front of a camera. They are out of their element. You get to discover how to build their confidence throughout the session. To be a creative you are constantly challenged because everyone is different. Each person you interact with is a glorious puzzle.

Being a creative is a glamorous and somewhat scrappy career. You get to take the best parts of people and collaboratively create those in a captured visual form.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

San Francisco is not a cheap place to live and as a photographer there were a couple times that I had to really hustle to make it as a full time creative. When I had just moved out and had not built out an audience yet, I needed to make income and get to know more people. I joined a small company that needed a photographer to take photos of items in over 60 different shops in San Francisco. The app I worked for promoted small, local, independently owned businesses. Each day of the week I would bike to two different neighborhoods in the city and walk into each shop to take photos of food or new products or new clothing lines. Throughout this process, I got to know many of the store owners. These connections helped get me other gigs outside of that job.

I also did many styled shoots to get to know wedding vendors such as make up artists, hair stylists, dress shops, florists, and graphic designers. We would photograph models or real couples and promote each other’s businesses. All of these things diversified my portfolio and built my community out in a new place. At one point I got listed as one of the top fashion photographers in San Francisco, so the work paid off.

Photography isn’t always easy to get into but if you keep working at it and meeting new people in the process, it will work out. Perseverance is the key and never giving up.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.millerstudios.net
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/audramillerphotography (wedding) ; www.instagram.com/_audracity_ (fashion/portrait)
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audra-miller/

Image Credits
Portrait of photographer was by Surzayon Ghosh All other images were taken by me, Audra Miller.