Meet South LA Photographer and Inventory Planner: Ernest Wheeler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ernest Wheeler.

Erneset, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey as a photographer started as a kid with a 110 camera. I was the designated photographer at all family events and even took it to school when the opportunity presented itself. At one of the family events, one of my uncles gave me his Pentax SLR to shoot the family Christmas gathering and I instantly fell in love with it. But as time progressed and the teen years arrived I began focusing on sports rather than taking pictures. The pursuit of sports continued through the college years and then came my wife and family and paying the bills became the priority.

After about the third year of marriage, my wife and I were given a Minolta SLR by her uncle and I began using it over the years to capture the kids growing, family events, and even shot a wedding for a friend or two. But it wasn’t until a high school reunion in 2005 that the photographer bug in me was awoken again. At that reunion a friend that I have known since we were 6 years old said, “Ernest, you have had a camera in your hands since I have known you!”

The photographer in me was alive and ready to start the journey into the business of photography. I began earnestly studying the subject, reading any and everything I got my hands on about: taking photos, composition, lighting, apertures, lenses, cameras, posing, and anything that peeked my interest. I was still shooting film, but one day a friend at work let me use his Nikon D50 in 2006 and it was instant love with DSLRs. I had purchased my first one within a few months of using his and the rest is history.

5Wheelers Photography was born in 2007 and I have been at it ever since shooting a variety of different types of photography: portrait, glamour, boudoir, event, wedding, and landscape.

Has it been a smooth road?
No, the road is never smooth from my experiences. But you learn to adapt and improvise as you retool yourself and your craft. I guess my biggest gripe as an event/wedding photographer is the prevalence of cameras at weddings. This really wasn’t a problem 15 years ago, but today every guest at the wedding has a camera on their phones. This presents a few issues for the paid photographer. The first is that the photographer and his or her team can only be in about 3 places at any given time while all those cameras at the event can cover an unlimited amount of vantage points. Secondly, lots of those photos are normally up on social media before the photographer even leaves the event. Then there is the issue of all those other photographers trying to get the same shots you are trying to get. People eventually wind up in your way. I actually had a lady tell me to move because she was trying to get a shot of the bride and groom! It’s a tough crowd out there!

Has there been people or an institution that has played a pivotal role in your career?
Yes, there has been a person who has been pivotal in all that I have endeavored to do. I would be remiss if I did not thank my wife of 29 years for supporting all my dreams. She’s been everything to me personally and professionally. She’s been behind the camera, in front of the camera, my mark up artist, my marketing department, etc. You name it and she’s done it. There is not another person I can count on more.

Do you have a favorite type of client or project?
Recently, I have found myself enjoying landscape photography more than I have in the past. There is nothing more beautiful than that dramatic sunset over a body of water that is reflecting the splendor of the sky. So, I see myself traveling to different locations capturing various landscape scenes. But there is also a thrill in doing event photography. I recently did a party for a client and when they received the photo album of the event they were moved to tears. That brings a satisfaction to my heart and makes all the work worth the time and effort!

What have been some of the most important lessons you’ve learned over the course of your career?
I would have started my business much earlier! I just turned 50 earlier this year and I have a lot of catching up to do in the photography business. Today’s culture is an image generation. This can be both good and bad as people want images more than they ever have, but now everyone has cameras and it makes it harder for a photographer to stand out. But it can be done; you just have to find your niche and master it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.5wheelersphotography.com
• Phone: 310-292-1378
• Email: 5wheelersphotos@gmail.com
• Instagram: 5wheelersphotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5WheelersPhotography

Image Credit:
Model Credit:

Wilford and Pamela Mayfield
Shaquanta Marie
Gia Youngblood
Altheria Wheeler
Maria Cervantes
Courtne Jones