We recently connected with Emma Halet and have shared our conversation below.

Emma, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

This is a rather ironic story.

When I was younger, I really didn’t care much for art. I appreciated those who learned and mastered the skill of painting, sculpting, etc., but I didn’t care to learn it myself. I had no patience at all. In middle school, I would fly through art projects to get them done because I didn’t care to take my time on something I didn’t see as important. Then, going into high school, I was required to complete one year of art to graduate, and I wanted to knock that year out asap so I didn’t have to take an art class again. I signed up for a photography class starting my freshman year because, in my head, photography was a fast art form. I would get assigned a project, be able to complete that project in 5 minutes, then be done and not have to worry about it. Little did I know that photography was something I was naturally good at. After completing my first assignment, my teacher, Ms. Henry, had us students pull the images on our computer screens to critique each other’s work. To my surprise, some classmates accused me of plagiarism because my images were, as they said, “too good.” I didn’t know whether to be offended or take it as a compliment, but all I knew was that I was really good at this whole photography thing.

I took Advanced Placement Photography + Digitial Imaging every year of high school until I graduated. I then got my A.A.S. in Photography and Digital Imaging after high school and launched my portraiture + wedding photography business the year after I graduated from college.

Emma, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I knew I wanted to tap into portraiture photography because I love working with people — I’m a huge extrovert. I was weary about weddings when starting my business because although I knew how to work my camera and pose clients confidently, I was so nervous about messing up someone’s wedding photos. And wedding photos are the only thing the couple has after their wedding day to reflect on. It’s a huge responsibility. After working with a handful of professional wedding photographers who have been in the field for years, I fell in love with wedding days. Telling the love story of all of the couples I worked with was something that set my soul on fire, and I began offering wedding photography services the following year. My business boomed with couples wanting to hire me to photograph their wedding, and I couldn’t have been more grateful.

I moved from Minnesota to Colorado in 2020, and once I moved, I felt like I really found my photography and editing style. I went from photographing really large weddings to smaller, more intimate weddings. Even all the way down to couples flying to Colorado for their wedding day by themselves to elope. I went from editing very bright and contrasted to softer, more muted tones. I created guides to help my clients with planning, created recommended vendor lists, and worked with my couples throughout their planning process to give them the most stress-free experience as possible.

I have never been more proud of myself as a photographer than where I am now.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Taking photos of someone’s most important day for them to look back on for years to come is by far the most rewarding thing. Nothing makes me happier than seeing my clients order large prints to display throughout their home, create wedding albums to share with their friends and family, or post their wedding photos time and time again on social media.

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

I wish I had invested in mentor sessions with other professional photographers to get tips on launching my business and getting everything legal in place before actually launching my business. I didn’t have a contract, business insurance, or anything ready. Getting everything set up first makes the client booking process so much easier because you don’t feel like you’re constantly catching up on things you’ve forgotten. If you want to get into the photography realm, please spend the money on a mentor session with professional photographers to get all of the details you need to start. It will make your life a thousand times easier.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emmahalet.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/emma.halet
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/emmahaletphotography
• Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/emmahaletphotography

Image Credits
Photographer: Emma Halet Photography