I have to begin this post giving thanks to the brave ones who put their lives on the line for our country. Having family member’s in the military, I know how it feels to have them be hundreds or even thousands of miles away, fearing where they are or what they’re doing or how they are. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU, for all that you have done and all that you will do for our country. :)
Last week, while in Seattle, Jeff and I were finally able to meet the couple we are featuring for Be Inspired today. After several months of exchanging some Facebook love, it was so great to finally hug them and spend some face to face time with them at the PASS Premier. :) It was awesome!! Emma & Josh Smith are currently based out of Seattle, Washington, where they are rockin’ out some killer, fashionable imagery! They are so much fun to hang with and absolutely talented, too! :) We hope you enjoy this week’s installment of Be Inspired!! Happy Monday!
Our names are Emma & Josh and we are wedding photographers for the fashionably romantic couple. We are relocating BACK to Los Angeles from Seattle, but no matter where you are getting married we would love to visit you!
What are 3 things we should know about you?
1. We are pop culture junkies.
2. We can finish each other’s thoughts. (Even our kids look at us funny when we say the same thing at the same time.)
3. Josh is totally into anything sports related, whereas Emma is the opposite and can’t stand it in the least! Makes for very interesting conversation.
Define your style in 5 words:
Fashionable, Romantic, Contemporary, Creative, Fun.
What is your specialty?
We specialize in contemporary weddings. We love bringing a little dramatic flair to our couples and the way they interact with each other. Gone are the days of traditonal poses, we like our couples to have fun and yet still keep that romantic vibe going. We like to throw on the 70-200 lens and sit back while our couples walk together or we tell them to go talk or kiss and while they do that we are capturing moments they don’t even realize.
What inspires your work?
Love. Being able to relive that feeling through our couples, the excitement of their big day. Hearing their stories about how they met, why they fell in love and capturing all those elements as they come together, is something we are fortunate to be part of.
When I (Emma) am putting together a concept shoot for Couture Clicks, I am inspired by fashion and use pinterest as a way to piece together the concepts with inspiration pieces.
Where is your dream location to do a shoot or wedding?
We would love to travel to anywhere in Greece. There is so much history and amazing architecture there. Combine that with the beauty of the Mediterranean and there are amazing backdrops everywhere you look.
Divulge one of your dreams for your business:
We would like to be able to do this full-time. Balancing our family life with our work life so that we are able to enjoy doing the things we love.
What do you love most about being a photographer?
Capturing more then just a photo. Being able to develop a relationship with our couples that lasts well beyond the wedding day. We love knowing that we are capturing such a special moment in their lives.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
We see our wedding business thriving in 5 years, with us having travelled to numerous destinations and meeting amazing couples. Our Couture Clicks concept shoots will grow and we will be able to teach new photographers about the inner workings of these styled shoots and how they can shoot creatively.
As a fellow Showiteer, what do you love about Showit?
Emma loves the community, through the Facebook group she has established friendships and networks of people that she can relate to. A community that is founded on sharing and teaching. It truly is more then just a “website” it’s beyond that. (Although the freedom to continually change the style and look of the site is appealing as she is never happy and always wants to do more and more and more…says Josh.)
Josh loves how they are always on the forefront of technology by introducing new interactive features like Facebook widgets and the new PASS system. We always looking for something new and breaking the traditional mold, Showit lets us do that. Its great to be able to feel like we are the first one’s to try something new when Showit has an update! Its exciting and it keeps us from becoming complacent.
If you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be & why?
Hmmm…….that’s a hard question, of course being completely immersed in pop culture, Emma would love the chance to meet many celebrities. (There are some hot ones out there… Ian Somerhalder, Clooney, come on…) But in all seriousness, I (Emma) would love to photograph Jack Nicholson and Paul McCartney…. if I got to meet someone from my past, probably my grandfather on my mom’s side as he passed away before I was born and I have heard such amazing things about him.
Josh would (aside from the numerous celebrities …most of them hot actresses..haha… says emma) like to meet Steve Jobs, as he has built an iconic brand. It would be interesting to say the least to sit down and have a drink with him and just pick his brain.
What advice do you have for new photographers?
Shoot for yourself and what you feel. Don’t just do it a certain way because that’s what everyone else is doing. Stay true to who you are, dont think you have to follow the masses and be like anyone else. It might take some trial and error but eventually you will figure out who you want to be. Dont compromise that. You will be happier.
Emma & Josh, thank you so much for joining the Be Inspired Family! I know that you have inspired many today with knowledge and amazing words of advice! :)
Be sure to follow Emma & Josh:
Website: http://www.emmajanephotos.com/
Blog: http://emmajanephotographyblog.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmajanephotography
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/emmajanephotos