Today we’d like to introduce you to Emmery Leach
Hi Emmery, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always had a love for photography. I would walk around with my iPod taking pictures of rocks, tree bark, and landscapes wherever I went. I eventually upgraded to a red point-and-shoot camera, which I was convinced was the absolute coolest thing on earth. I started recruiting my friends to model for me when we’d hang out together! Then I got my hands on my mom’s old Nikon D50, and I started to dabble in manual shooting mode. I’ve never been much of a “read the directions” gal, so I would just press random buttons and see what happened. After doing that for a few months, my friend gave me a 5-minute tutorial on manual shooting, and that’s when my skills really started to take off. I was unstoppable. I was then challenged by my church to set goals that focused on different areas of my life. For my intellectual goal I decided that, at the ripe age of 16, I would start a photography business. I wanted to learn how to manage money, create social media content, and shoot portraits. It definitely started out as a hobby that was technically called a business. I would do $5 shoots for friends from school. I loved being creative and building my portfolio! I would take photos in Taco Bell, in front of my fridge, or anywhere else I could think of. The business eventually started to grow enough that I could use the money from my shoots to buy newer equipment. I started getting photo requests from people who found me on Instagram. I eventually took a photography class for school, and that helped get me out of my comfort zone when shooting. I had so many kind people in my community cheering me on and giving advice. One of my sister’s friends was even kind enough to let me shadow her at a bridal photoshoot so I could get some experience. Every new thing I learned and small step forward was thrilling for me, as my dreams of being a real-life professional photographer were coming true.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As unfortunate as it is, I think my biggest obstacle is often myself. My ADHD went undiagnosed until just a couple of months ago. ADHD provided me with a great sense of humor and creativity (which I have coined as “my sparkle”), but it has also created some challenges. If you were to go back through my Instagram, you would see that the longest I could consistently post was about a month at a time. I really struggle to follow through with the final steps of any task. I was taking so many photos that I was so proud of, but actually making a post seemed too overwhelming. I would get hung up on details that I felt like made the finished product unfit to be shown to the public, so I would spend hours trying to get it “just right”. There were countless times where I would take pictures/videos throughout the day so I could post a “day in the life” compilation, but I would always forget the plan about 3 hours in. Editing also took me a lot longer since I would switch back and forth between photos and get fixated on small details. I struggled to make a consistent experience for my clients. As I’ve become more aware of my tendencies and found resources to help, I’ve improved my life and the experience for my clients by leaps and bounds. That being said, I still wouldn’t expect me to show it on social media very often 😉
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Over the years, I’ve discovered that my passion is photographing couples and seniors. I love that I can be there to capture the excitement they feel about the chapter of their life they’re in, whether that’s graduating from school, getting married, or just being in love! One of my most favorite photos to do is of proposals! I love it so much that I offer it for free to any clients who purchase an engagement/bridal package! It’s so fun for me to help plan a secret surprise and capture a once in a lifetime experience!
I love capturing people’s authentic moments that make who they are! My favorite part of what I do is getting to connect with people while helping them feel confident in themselves. Since I want people to feel as beautiful as possible, I let them pick which photos they want edited! I know that I would look at a picture of my client and think that it’s an absolute masterpiece, but all they might see is one of their physical insecurities on display. I want to spend time editing the photos that they’ll be in love with! I use my ability to read people and adapt, to capture their authentic selves. I’m there to create art from their moments!
What are your plans for the future?
I grew up in Idaho, but moved to Provo in 2022 to start at BYU as a full-time student. I didn’t have much time to put into my business when I first arrived here, but the clients I have had are kind enough to recommend me to their friends! I’m excited to keep building on this momentum and grow my Utah client base. I’d love to start branching into the second-shooter business to assist your photographer and celebrate your big day!
Pricing:
- Seniors: $200-$340
- couples: $180
- engagements: $220
- bridals: $220
- engagements/bridals: $400
Contact Info:
- Website: https://momentsbyemmery.myportfolio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moments.by.emmery/
