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

Alright, Emely thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

While I often rave about owning my own business, the thought does cross my mind on what life might be like these days with a typical 9 to 5 job. I don’t necessarily wish for a completely different life, however, there are aspects of a “regular” job that are tempting when you work for yourself. The last time this thought ran through my brain was during my driest season. I had little-to-no leads, none of my marketing tricks seemed to be effective, and I really just wanted a “boss” to tell me what to do and provide me with consistency. The conclusion that I came to is that the grass is not greener on the other side. Life and work are all about balance and sometimes you just have to grow out of dated marketing, get a little uncomfortable, and water the grass you have, in any field you are in.

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 first immersed myself in the photo world during my childhood. It always peeked my interest and I have always loved the art form, but it wasn’t until college that my husband, CJ, asked me the question that would really cause a shift in my growth. He said to me “You’re investing in all of this photo gear for a hobby…why don’t you do this for work?”.

When growing my business I knew inclusivity would be a priority. I started to notice how little representation of people of color was in the wedding industry. When there was representation, their skin tones would be either too harsh, or too pale, so it was my goal to perfect my edits and provide a service for ALL skin tones. I proudly believe that this representation and goal in mind is what sets me apart from most brands.
The main thing I want my clients knowing is that at the core of their galleries, there is creativity, inclusivity, story-telling, and meaning in their images.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I am a firm believer in starting small and working with what you have. When I started my business, I was overwhelmed with Youtube photo gurus, instagram stories of trendy gear, and I didn’t know where to start. I saved up for just one crop-sensor camera (Canon 70D), and one 50mm f/1.8 lens. When funding your business, my biggest advice is to not feel like you need fancy gear to be great. There are people who started businesses with disposable cameras in 2020. If the talent, eye, and customer service is there, your business will surely take off to where the upgrades pay themselves.

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

I wish that at the beginning of my journey I had Honeybook. At the beginning, I felt like my head wasn’t on straight because there were so many things to focus on. When you own a business, you have to focus on so many things like sending out contracts, invoices, emails, questionnaires, payment tracking, and the list goes on. Honeybook allows you to do all of these things and more, in one place. If you feel like you need to organize your workflow, I highly recommend doing this sooner than later. If you are on a budget, feel free to use my code: emely942 for a good chunk of change off.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emelywilliams.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/emelywilliamsphoto

Image Credits
Photographer: Emely Williams Photo Pictured: Janelle and Mikhal Kirnon, Angelina Dalhouse, Eric and Maite Bates, Montavius Carson and Amber Kearney, Maya Walton and Brett Rudisel, Mia and Ben Long