Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Early.
Hi Emma, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I’ve been taking pictures for as long as I can remember, all the way back to around 6-7 years old with an old flip phone at the zoo. I didn’t get my first decent camera until around 2018, it was a Canon Rebel T3i. I used it on automatic mode to take photos of my rabbits and dog. It wasn’t until late 2019 when I started an Instagram for my dog, that I started seeing other dog owners taking and editing all these cool photos. I knew I wanted to do that too, so I spent all my time taking photos, watching YouTube videos, and learning to edit. After a while, my Instagram had grown to 13k followers and I was selling my own presets for other dog accounts. I figured that meant I was doing something right, so why not try to take photos for other people? I posted on Facebook in the fall of 2020 looking for dog models for extremely discounted sessions, and I got over 100 inquiries. Just a little overwhelming, right?!
I did several sessions with dogs but was still too scared to branch out into things like engagements or families. I slowly started photographing people and their dogs, and then by the Spring of 2021, I knew I wanted to keep doing photography and grow my skills. I did a big camera upgrade and then tried out my first couple and family sessions. I didn’t hate them, but I knew after a while that families just weren’t where my passion was. In the fall of 2021, a friend asked if I would do a boudoir session for her. I hesitantly agreed, I’d never done anything like it and was super nervous she would hate her photos. Quite the opposite though, she loved them and I loved doing the shoot! I did a model call for a couple more boudoir shoots and quickly knew I had found my passion. I invested thousands into education for boudoir and made it back within the first 6 months. I just opened my own private studio in Columbus, and I’m booking up to 12 months in advance.
However, when I started doing boudoir full-time, I missed working with my couples. This lead me to pursue weddings and see if they were something I’d like to continue doing alongside boudoir, after all, the two genres go together pretty well. After a couple weddings I realized how much I do enjoy them, bought a second camera body, and started marketing myself as a luxury wedding + boudoir photographer. However, I’ll still never turn down a dog session.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been some struggles along the way, one being that I actually live an hour and a half southeast of Columbus, but most of my shoots happen in Columbus due to my client base being there. Driving a 3 hour round trip for sessions on a regular basis isn’t exactly fun, but I do think it is worth it to do what I love!
When I started boudoir photography, pretty much no one in my family approved, I even lost some people I thought were close friends. It’s really hard to go through when you want your family and friends to be proud of you and support you, but this is my passion and I stood my ground, most of them have accepted it by now.
Being a business owner also comes with lots of struggles, regardless of your industry. Burnout is very real and it sneaks up on you. Setting boundaries is difficult because you want to be available to your clients 24/7, but it’s overwhelming trying to keep up with several different message platforms, texts at all hours of the day, and separating work from your personal life. It often feels like you can’t just be on social media to take a break and relax, if anyone sees you online, they’ll question why you’re not responding. This has been a huge struggle for me mentally, and I’m working on enforcing the boundaries that I’ve set.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a luxury boudoir and wedding photographer! I’m known more for boudoir, and the amazing self-love experience that I offer to ALL women. However, I still love shooting weddings, capturing not just how their day looked, but how it felt. I strive to provide all of my clients with a luxury, high-quality experience!
I would say I’m most proud of owning my own private studio at 19 years old, and only a year into my business. It’s an overwhelming but super accomplished feeling!
I think some things that set me apart from others would be my attention to detail, and the studio space I provide my clients. I have an 1000sqft studio that includes two main shooting rooms, an image reveal room, and a wardrobe room. My client closet is inclusive and includes sizes XS-6X, with special props such as high-quality and inclusive body jewelry or harnesses. I also have snacks, cozy rugs, a stocked bathroom, and special drinks to add to my studio experience. For my wedding clients, I help them create their timeline, sneak peeks within 72 hours, and a surprise goodie bag! These are just a few of the many things I do to provide value and attention to all the details, big and small, throughout my time working with clients.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I would say that I am very fortunate, or lucky, to have had such amazing clients. We’ve all probably heard at least one photography horror story, and I am grateful to not have had such an encounter so far! I’m definitely hoping that it stays that way
Contact Info:
- Website: www.emmaearlyphotography.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/emmaearlyphotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/emmaearlyphotography
- Other: www.emmaearlyboudoir.com
Image Credits
@raylahalephotography
