We recently had the chance to connect with Emily Stuckey and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Emily, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
A phrase I hear at almost every wedding I photography is “What a fun job, you just have to click a button and make money!” While it is true, my job is FUN it is also a lot of work. The hours of editing are just the beginning. Experienced wedding photographers have put in hours of work learning how to be the ultimate hype people. We make couples feel like rock stars in front of the camera. Encourage them when the weather isn’t perfect on their wedding day. Adjust to ever changing timelines. We show up for our couples knowing it is one of the best days of their lives, no matter what is going on in ours. So yes, there is a lot of “button clicking” but there is also vision, art, and a love for the couple in front of our cameras.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Emily! I am a wedding photographer in the mountains of Western North Carolina and I love my job. While the technical side of photography is very important, I like to focus on the people (no pun intended 🙂 ). The client experience. If couples feel good in front of the camera, they will look back and have great memories and love the photos. If they felt awkward and off kilter, they won’t have fond memories and probably won’t enjoy their photos as much. I am the ultimate team member for Team Bride and Groom on a wedding day, and it is probably the most fulfilling piece of my career.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
In 2016, I was a college student. It was in the height of the 2016 election. I was having a cup of coffee with my Aunt Patti (who has recently passed) and of course, the candidates casually came up in conversation.
Speaking of the candidate she said: “You know, I have always been fond of them. I might not agree with their politics, and I might not vote for them, but I really like them as a person.”
I think she saw the sparks coming out of my ears as my brain was processing what I had heard. We can separate the person from their politics? We can see humanity through the outer layers of things like opinions? We can disagree with certain things but still find common ground? Revolutionary to my early 20s brain.
Before this conversation, I leaned very far and very hard one way. That way was correct and any other way was wrong. If you know me now, 11 years later, you know I am not that way at all anymore. I can see the grey area in almost everything. I do like things a certain way, but I recognize my way might not be the way for everyone. Life experience has a HUGE impact on how each individual sees and views and lives in the world.
I was reflecting on how much I have changed in the last 10 years. That conversation with my aunt Patti changed the trajectory of how I see the world. That might sound dramatic, but I can pinpoint the view I have now to that specific conversation. It started me down the path of being able to separate people from their politics and any other opinion that might not match mine. We can always find common ground, and not everything different is bad.
She was a writer, so it would make sense that she was able to see the world from several different perspectives. Her faith was important to her, as is mine. She was always able to find common ground and show love to everyone she met.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
One time, I was finishing homework at the kitchen table. My mom had just got a load of towels out of the dryer. She came up behind me, wrapped one around me, and said “This is what Jesus does when we are alone and afraid. He wraps us in a warm hug with His love, even if we feel alone. All we have to do is take time to feel it.”
That stuck with me. When I would be at dance class ready to be done and go home (it was not my favorite activity) I would just remember what that warm towel felt like and know Jesus was with me.
It sounds so simple and childlike, but even at 31 I still hold on tight to that. In the last two years there have been several times because of circumstances no one could help, I have felt totally alone. Then, I would remember Jesus’ love is so much warmer and bigger that the towel fresh out of the dryer, even on the darkest most lonely time.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
I say this as someone who used to spend hours doom scrolling, so I get it. I think doom scrolling is causing a lot more harm than good to us as individuals and society in general.
I think social media is great for business, for keeping up with friends who move, building a portfolio, etc. It is a great tool and if there is a healthy relationship with it, I think it is a great advancement in technology and job opportunities. I think using it as a tool is a great thing.
But doom scrolling for eight plus hours per day cannot be healthy. Doing anything for that many consecutive hours can’t be healthy.
My hot take is that social media (specifically doom scrolling) will be our generation’s version of smoking. I used to ask my Papaw why everyone smoked all the time everywhere. His answer was always “Because we did not know just how bad it really was for us. By the time we did, it felt too late and too hard for us to quit.”
I don’t keep the apps on my phone anymore. I check in during business hours, watch a few funny videos my friends send me, plan my content and check in on my favorite music artist. But, it doesn’t live in my pocket. I don’t use it to bust boredom. I am almost 6 months “clean” of having it on my phone and it is amazing how much more time I seem to have. I am less anxious and I feel like I can see moments for memories instead of just content.
Please hear me, it is not a bad tool to have. And I use it. But for me, I had to get it off my phone and out of my pocket to have a healthy relationship with it.
I’ll jump off my soap box now:)
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say that I was a force to be reckoned with in a good way. I hope they say I was able to find good in everyone and everything, but also stood up for the ones who could not stand up for themselves. I hope they say I was fiercely compassionate in a practical way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emilylaurenphoto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilylauren.photo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilylaurenphoto
Image Credits
Tiffany Mcfalls Photography for my profile photos.
All other photos by me:) (Emily Lauren Photo)
