Conversations with Emma Eunoia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Eunoia. 

Hi Emma, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up, I spent my time between Milwaukee, WI and a touristy yet quaint town in the Northwoods called Boulder Junction. You could always find me barefoot in the woods, foraging, making, brailing the earth, and taking note of my surroundings. Milwaukee, a very blue-collar and industrial city, is where my strong work ethic and love for repurposing all started. In Boulder Junction my family ran a log cabin resort and cafe, this sparked my desire to create a strong sense of community regardless of where I am. The seemingly polarizing nature of the two worlds I lived in – being a wildling but also a city dweller – was actually an environment I thrived in. I found the space between the two to be united into who I am now. I have been able to take that inspiration and use it daily within my art and my career. 

Ever since I was young, I’ve been a lover of moments. An intimate sunrise, that stranger that smiled at you from across the market, that deep blue color of the sea when the light hits just right, a dancer when no one is looking. My niche as a photographer isn’t just documenting a look or a place. Instead, I want to capture the light that radiates from one’s soul because we are so much more than our physical appearance. 

It wasn’t until my teenage years that I realized the power photography holds. How one single image can tell a thousand stories. Being behind the lens, I have the power to create any story I wish. Capturing a split moment in time that we can never revisit. At the age of 15, my mom dropped me off at my first photography job. It was at a studio in an old wooden barn that had been renovated. My only real photo experience was over exposing rolls on a Pentax K-1000 and taking my parent’s camera, making my younger brother and friends model for me. I started off by learning camera basics and editing but didn’t fully know how to work a camera until I got thrown into shooting a wedding only months after starting at the studio. Thriving on that kind of pressure, I took it and ran. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a maker and a creative has always been a constant. Most days I thrive on being a visual artist, but the ebbs and flows certainly occur. Photography is not just a career, it’s my passion and most authentic form of self-expression. In order to protect this creative space and keep myself from burning out- it’s important to remind myself of why I do what I do in the first place. Reasons being that I love storytelling through visuals, capturing a split second in time that we can never revisit- good or bad, intimate moments in boundless spaces, documenting history, and evoking emotions. Creating something just for the sake of creating, not for anyone but myself. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Immersed in vast landscapes that hold an abundance of life, plants and water are where I feel the most like myself. As I mentioned before, my surroundings play a significant role inspiring my art and the desire to create with a strong sense of purpose. A pivotal moment I could never forget was a grade school trip to the landfill. It was the first time in my life I had really understood that trash doesn’t actually go away and that recycling only does so much. Since then, I’ve been motivated to cut back on my consumption and to be more resourceful, understanding the impact we all have on the planet. By 2050, it is estimated that there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight- a fact that is heart-shattering to me. Sadly, enough it is only one of the many issues caused by humans. Fulfilling a sustainable lifestyle day after day is an effort to be the change I want to see. Being a part of the solution rather than the problem with hopes of moving others to do the same whenever possible. Creating a more liveable future for all is the main motivation! 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.EmmaEunoia.com
• Instagram: @emma.eunoia