We were lucky to catch up with Emry Wright recently and have shared our conversation below.
Emry, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?
Starting any business completely from scratch is going to be difficult no matter what you may be trying to accomplish. There is a seemingly endless amount of detailing and planning that goes into building a business. The hardest part for me was trying to turn my passion into a functioning business without getting so caught up in the business aspect of things that I lost sight of why I was doing this in the first place. Being a photographer at such a young age sometimes makes it difficult for me to feel capable of the things I aspire to do. In an industry that is so selective and specific, there are so many challenges that come with being confident in your own style and what you are doing as a creative. My photography journey, although it has mainly taken shape over just this past year, has taught me an endless amount of things, from confidence to creativity. Without all my struggles, my business wouldn’t be taking shape and growing like it should be. The lessons I have learned have taught me how to stay confident in my work when I don’t feel like it, and how to stay consistent with what I love to do even when the business aspect of it can be difficult to manage.
Emry, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Emry, a 16 year old landscape and portrait photographer from Arizona. My love for taking pictures and capturing little moments has become an almost full-time job now that I am beginning to run my very own photography business, and I could not be more grateful for that. The way that my photography has developed over the last couple years, even the past months of my life, have really given me so many new perspectives that I don’t think I would have if I hadn’t ever picked up a camera. Granted, building my own business from scratch hasn’t been all that easy, but the things that I have learned so far have truly made me appreciate what I do, the work I put into my business, and the art I am able to share with others. From taking pictures on an old little Canon Powershot from my dad to now having recently purchased my own camera for the first time, this journey of mine has taught be so many things. Early last year, (2023) was when I began to take my camera everywhere I went, and honestly, I took pictures of basically everything I saw. I practiced, practiced, practiced, taught myself basically everything I know about composition, camera settings, and lighting, and practiced some more. I went on a couple trips out of state that summer and that was where my passion for landscape/travel photography really sparked. Anything that made me think, “Oh, that could be a good picture!”, I took that opportunity for more practice. That summer I had also done a spontaneous little photo-shoot of a friend just to see if I would enjoy taking portraits, and I did! I started to get inquiries from people who wanted me to take their photos soon after that. It was very slow at first, but now I’m getting booked regularly and have begun to create my own photography business! My portrait photography has been my main focus recently, and I love capturing people just as much as I adore capturing landscapes. I also have an extreme passion for traveling and travel photography, and my goal is to eventually be a traveling landscape and portrait photographer. I know I have what it takes to do so, but I wouldn’t be this confident if I hadn’t struggled through some of the difficulties that come with creating a business from the ground up.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Comparison comes with any art form, it’s just inevitable. As a young photographer, I am just beginning to figure out my style and really trying to showcase the story that I want my art to tell, so comparison to others is definitely something I’ve dealt with and struggled with, and something I still have to work through some days. Comparing my work to that of other photographers, whether editing style or composition or whatever it may be, is so degrading. Something I wish I had known when I first started photography, and something I still have to remind myself of, is instead of using other photographers’ work as something to negatively compare myself to, I should be using it as inspiration, motivation, or a vision for my own work. This struggle of comparison has taught me how to turn comparison around into something that inspires me rather than something that breaks down my confidence in my work.
Instead of comparing, begin using others’ work as something to spur you on, something you can adapt and change into your own perception and vision, use their work to encourage you for whatever you might be taking photos of next.
It’s also so important to remember that everybody is at such different stages in their creative journeys. Everybody has to start at one point, and certainly nobody has had a perfectly smooth journey to get to where they are today. Every artist has had their own struggles, every artist is at a different point in their skill-set, every artist has different visions, interprets things differently, edits differently, communicates differently, and so on. There are an endless amount of things that can be compared from one photographer to another, but everyone truly is at a completely different stage in their journey, so take that not as something to compare yourself to, but as something to inspire and encourage you for whatever you might be doing next. Interpret their art in your own way and use it develop it into something that is authentically you.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is the joy I get to experience and share with others through my photos. The joy I feel when I am in love with a picture I just took, and when I get to share that picture with others and let them see things from my perspective. It comes from seeing the smile on my clients face when I capture photos that make them feel beautiful, or going home after a shoot knowing I captured my client in a way that truly shows who they are. It’s the happiness I feel knowing I get to do what I love and being able to show everyone else what my pictures mean to me. It’s easy to get so caught up in the business/professional aspect of things that I forget I started doing this because it’s what I truly love and enjoy. It’s so important for me to take my time to create and be intentional with every photo that I take and edit; slowing down is a little reminder that this isn’t just a job, it’s something I love and nothing can change that. Photography gives me a joy that I don’t really experience from anything else, knowing that I get to do what I love most. It’s also so exciting to think about the adventures I’ll have in the future, the places I’ll go and the moments I’ll get to capture.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: photography.by.emry and portraits.by.emry