Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Perez.
Emily, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a native to LA with a film background.
I made a career change into photography about 9 years ago and I am mostly self-taught. I was fortunate enough to have been able to use some of the skills I had acquired while working in the film industry and have applied them cinematically to my work. I also shoot and direct from time to time anything from infomercials to music videos.
I find it incredibly inspiring to help my clients achieve their own vision as a final creative result. It’s always a win-win and it makes my job that much more enjoyable.
I do a lot of research, look at mountains of images of all kinds and also take in all other sorts of art forms even in nature to find new inspirations.
Has it been a smooth road?
Well, having had set life experience I suppose it felt a lot smoother than the heavy grind on any production 🙂 just on a different level with a more creative reward. There is a lot of hit and/or miss that takes place while building a portfolio and trying to create a style that you are proud of and that can stand out enough to get you the paid jobs. There is definitely a lot of trial and error and a lot of growth that happens through it all. Main thing is to believe in yourself enough to keep moving towards what you love and keep working at your craft until you just can’t.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
It’s hard to say; with smartphones, social media sites, and digital cameras being so easy for people to take pictures at an instant nowadays imagery has definitely become more interesting.
It seems to me that versatility with capturing video has become a higher demand, and we have had to adapt to new trends and take on new skills at a much faster rate. There is always something new to learn in order to continue to work on refining our skills and the future is likely to move us right into that.
What would you say has been the biggest challenge for you over the course of your career?
My biggest challenge… I would have to say has been self-promoting regularly. It feels like a whole different type of mentality and to switch over to see myself as my own client can take me a little more effort that just focusing on my craft and being creative.
Let’s change gears – is there any advice you’d like to give?
My advice would be to shoot. shoot anything and everything that may provoke inspiration because practice really does help to stay sharp. Never be shy or closed off to receive constructive criticism, that really helps polishing one’s talents and pushes us to grow even when we may think otherwise.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.emilyperez.net
- Phone: 310-804-7479
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: em_perez and emilyperezphotography
- Facebook: fb.me/emilyperezphotography
Image Credit:
photography by emily perez
