Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Jahr
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I come from a nomadic household. Always moving around due to my father’s job, never staying in one place for too long. Due to this, my mother graciously homeschooled myself and my 4 sisters. 5 girls, one home, being taught by an artist. As we moved through the years, I was the documenter. From hotel to hotel, new home to new home, I carried for starters my Nintendo ds everywhere I went. The photos weren’t great in the beginning, at least to my eye now, but as time went on I saw that change. I joined National Geographic Myshot in the early 2010’s and my obsession for photography exploded. Within a year I was published by National Geographic and had made a network of close friends in our own little corner of the internet. Sadly, that platform would eventually close down. But it was the catalyst I needed to begin my career.
When you’re homeschooled, you have to do a certain number of hours of curriculum. English, mathematics, history, etc etc. But once that’s done, the extracurriculars were free rein. By the time I was 16 I had two internships and a part time job at an art gallery. Photographing my sisters in our bedrooms with a $50 photography lighting kit from amazon. It didn’t seem like a lot to me then, but now looking back I am floored by how much time I invested in the art. Those opportunities landed me at Savannah College of Art and Design, the school my mother had gone to and I had prayed I would as well.
2020 came around and from then on I continued in the SCAD Photography program in Savannah, GA. The balance of life was heavy though, my family doesn’t come from abundant means which meant I would have to work my way through school. So I balanced a life of starting my own business and getting the grades I needed. Little did I know that business would be my life line and the open door to many opportunities. Come 2022, I met a group of mentors and agents from around the country who I stayed in touch with over the last 2-3 years. They have been my open door to the industry, filled with wisdom and kindness. I owe everything I have to the people who took one moment to listen to the eager scad student with a dream.
When I graduated, I had 2 goals. Become financially sound enough to live in a big city and to speak to every photographic artist who has ever inspired me. A few months later and I have done just that. Due to those agents brought in to SCAD, I am now a repped retoucher with a full time business and a freelancing photographer working with multiple studios and studying under entertainment photographers here in Atlanta, GA. I have also been able to speak with artists such as Frank Ockenfels, Art Streiber, Laura Makabresku, Tony Barbera, Frank Masi, and more. They have infused me with wisdom and open doors, helping me in ways I will never be able to thank them enough for. Now, flash forward to current time, at the ripe age of 22, I am honored to have been gifted so many chances. Chances I hope to say I have taken by the horns. But all in all, I should never have been able to pay my way through SCAD. I should never have been able to afford living in Buckhead ATL. Never should have been able to meet who I did. The only reason I did is because of my relationship with God. He opened doors to scholarships, people, places, and more than my human hand ever could have accessed. To sum it up, my career is only as bright as my relationship with him, that is what I have learned over the last 20+ years. That is what brought me to where I am now.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being transparent regarding the financial requirements to be an artist is something I believe needs to be discussed more. Coming from a lower income household with a dream of Savannah College of Art and Design was intimidating. Anyone who goes to SCAD can attest to how intense the work load is and how much attention it takes. My main struggle, which became a learning experience, which became a career, was how to make money doing what I love. Starting a retouching business in college seemed like a small part time thing, I mean I was starting with retouching abs onto men (true story). It took up hours of my week as I not only paid for housing and necessities, but the looming bills for school every 3 months. I say all of this though to attest there is a way. I committed myself to making my way through school with minimal debt and still appreciate the fact that I did. It goes to show that no matter how expensive something is, you can make it happen. Now, I have learned how to be a business woman and manage a business for myself, which folds into my photography career.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I like to say I specialize in bringing stories back to life within a photograph. Living in an age where digital content is so readily accessible, instagram, Tik Tok, Pinterest, etc etc, I am inspired by artists such as Gregory Crewdson. His images take days to construct because he is infusing them with a story. A background. A belief. My work is about environmental context and giving my models and subjects a story to tell. This is what gives me life and a meaning in my work, the moment where someone hesitates and had to really break down an image of mine is what I live for. As far as what I am proud of? I am proud the images have told stories to people I don’t even know. When I receive messages to this day regarding my “Happier” Series on how it helped someone feel seen, that’s what it’s all about for me, what sets me apart. Every image I take, has a motivator, even if it’s a fashion shoot or branding. I want to know the why and the story behind the images we’re creating.
What matters most to you?
In my life? God. Family. Memories.
In my work? Light. People. Stories.
They play into one another in a way. Interconnected.
Good photography can be stripped back to reveal a person and a story, thats what matters in art, my art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emilyjahr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily_jahr_co/
