Meet Emily Camp of EmVision Photography in Dalton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Camp.

Emily, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was first introduced to a DSLR camera at the age of 12. My father was always a gadget nerd like myself, and we loved all things technology. I remember really falling in love with photography in 9th grade. We were assigned a project in which we had to create our own photography book. I, being my emo 14-year-old self, included sad song lyrics on pretty much every page. Thank goodness things have looked up since then, ha! I think everyone goes through this weird emo stage, right?

Anyway, fast forward to college, and I was given a camera as my graduation gift. I was so excited to drag all of my friends out into a random cotton field in Statesboro, GA. This was 2011 when photography/Facebook was really starting to become prevalent. I graduated with a Business Management degree from Georgia Southern University and went on to become a sales representative for the next 5+ years. I was doing my photography on the side, mostly weekends, but never made the leap of doing it full time out of fear of not being able to pay the bills. It was exhausting working 8-5, then coming home to edit photos. I wore myself out and wasn’t enjoying it as much as I knew I could. I spend a lot of time thinking “if only.” If only I could afford the equipment. If only I could quit my job and do this full time. If only I had the skill-set I need to do this…

I met my husband in 2014. We got married and had our first baby at the end of 2015. We were slap broke, and could barely afford diapers, much less expensive camera equipment to boost my weekend “hobby.” I was starting to lose hope of ever being able to do what I loved and thought for sure I would spend my life in corporate America, behind a desk, under someone else’s thumb.

2016 was the year my life changed completely. My husband got his dream job, and I ultimately got mine.

Because of my husband’s new career, we were relocated to the town of Dalton, GA. I thought to myself, “If I don’t take the leap now, I never will.” So I jumped. We moved 100 miles from our old home, bought a new house, and I invested in the equipment I knew I needed to thrive in the photography world. I always explain it to people like this: If you had a great love for carpentry, and knew you could build the most incredible building, but lacked the tools to create it, your talent would only go so far. I spent so many days sitting at a desk dreaming of the images that I knew I could create if only I had the tools. The day I invested in my photography business was one of the greatest decisions I’ve made.

Three years later, and I couldn’t be happier that I took the leap. I do what I love every day. I devote time to my career, myself and my family because I am my own boss. It’s truly a dream come true.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Becoming a photographer wasn’t always a walk in the park. There’s tons of competition. If you are even briefly familiar with social media, you know how many photographers there are in the world. I used to compare myself but quickly learned that comparison is the thief of joy. Once I started to focus on my own goals and my own creativity, I stopped burning energy on comparing myself to others.

Financially, it wasn’t always easy either. If you’re a photographer, you know that it is an expensive profession. If I had any advice for this, I say: save the money, take out the loan, do whatever you need to do to make your dreams come to fruition. After all, you can’t take it with you when you go.

I don’t think that you ever know everything there is to know about photography. It’s a profession where you’re constantly learning and evolving. Your style is constantly changing, and you’re enlightened by how little you actually do know over and over again. I get excited thinking of all that I still have yet to learn, and look forward to what this new year will bring!

Please tell us about EmVision Photography.
I think that if someone were to describe my photography, they would describe it as “real.” Of course, I direct my clients, but I try to be sure that I am capturing the true, real, honest and raw version of their relationship, instead of something they dressed up to be for a day – although that can be fun, too!

Natural light, lifestyle + wedding photography is my favorite, but I hope to push myself this year by learning more of a studio/editorial style. Changing it up is always fun!

The thing I love most about this business is all of the incredible clients, vendors and fellow photographers I have had the opportunity to meet. Connecting with these people brings so much joy to my life. I don’t pat myself on the back much, but I’m truly so proud of the path I’ve created for myself.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Gosh, that’s a hard question. I have had many proud moments – booking a wedding in Italy, being chosen to photograph Cassie’s wedding from The Bert Show from hundred of “applicants,” and totaling 26 weddings in 2018. Those are definitely top 3!

Pricing:

• Lifestyle sessions starting at $500
• Wedding photography starting at $2,750

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emvisionphoto.com
• Phone: 7708627877
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/emvisionphotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/emvisionphotographs

Image Credit:
EmVision Photography

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.