We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emma Lyons a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Emma, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

– Reaching out to more experienced professionals who have seen the industry evolve and experienced situations that I can learn and grow from without directly experiencing them myself – Being more open to invest my time in things that you might not profit off of, but can benefit later from it (Non-profit Art Show & Collaborative Test Shoots)
– Curiosity and willingness to learn
– Putting yourself out there even if it might be uncomfortable at first
– Managing your P&L
– Remembering to have fun

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I first picked up a camera in late high school, working to save up for my first DSLR and took AP Studio Art with a focus in photography. In that class I built a portfolio and submitted it to be graded by AP. I think that’s the first experience where I really started doing photography regularly and loving it. During college, I left my camera to sit and collect dust since I was prioritizing my school work, but during the pandemic I started renting out studios hourly and fell in love again with photography. After graduating college, I worked in Human Resources for two years and made the switch to pursue photography full-time in Spring 2022 since I had already gained some clientele and waned to pursue my passion.

I am a photographer based in Minneapolis and shoot a diverse range of subjects for commercial clients, all with a clean and vibrant aesthetic. I have worked with clients where I focus on product, fashion, or beauty photography.

I am most proud of making the jump from corporate to freelance photography and am really happy about the decision even though it was tough and daunting to make. I enjoy minimalism and simplicity when I’m taking photos and if the project allows, I like to think outside of the box and add abstract elements to my photography.

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

Wave.com (invoicing/accounting platform)

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being able to do what you love, and transitioning your ideas to reality in the form of art.

Contact Info:

• Website: qiuli.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qiuliphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qiuliphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-lyons-24b080173
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@qiuliphotography?lang=en