Meet Emily Harris: Photographer, Love Capturer, Memory Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Harris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
I strongly believe in the value of service not only in respect to being a good human being, but also in achieving a successful business. Servicing others by creating an enjoyable and memorable experience, not only makes my heart full, but will also almost always guarantee a returning customer. The service of creating a memory, a still moment in time, for my subjects to cherish for their lifetimes, is extremely rewarding to me. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I understand that a life event, like a wedding, will encapsulate a lifetime within one day. Families, histories, friends –these worlds collide from past and present and send you off into a newlife together. It is, in a word, momentous. And it is my primary goal that the photographs that I capture represent this. I believe that my days working in newspapers is what sets me apart from others resulting in photographs that are natural, unrehearsed and emotional. Covid-19, like many businesses, has been my biggest challenge. It is a challenge that I am still trying to tackle head on every day. I’ve tried to overcome the adversity of Covid-19 impacting the events industry the hardest, by expanding my services to virtual photo sessions and offering my clients more online products. I want the world to know that my work and my brand is my authentic self. My clients see how hard I work to capture the best moments available during our time together and they don’t have to be anything but themselves for me to be successful.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite thing in the world is listening to live music. There would definitely be a trip to The Funky Biscuit in Boca, The Revolution and the Culture Room in downtown Fort Lauderdale, or the Filmore in Miami beach for some good jams.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that have influenced me, loved me and supported me throughout my career. It would impossible to list them all. I am fortunate to have an amazing, caring, and insanely loving family which includes my husband who has helped grow my business from the bottom up. I have had incredible teachers and mentors, including my photography teacher in high school, Mrs. Schwantes, who taught me all the photography basics and the wonders of the dark room. She was the first to notice my natural eye for composition. My University of Florida college professor, John Kaplan, who really encourage my talent, and challenged my photography skills to another level. All the amazing photojournalists that I was honored to work with at The Gainesville Sun and The Miami Herald. I was just a kid, and these creative souls pushed me out into the field and out of my comfort zone. Finally, the incredible vendors that I am so blessed to work with every weekend – the party planners, the catering managers, the florists, the bands, the makeup artists, the videographers the other photographers. They continue to inspire me with their talents and hard work!

Website: www.emilyharrisphoto.com
Instagram: emilyharrisphotography
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilyharrisphotography

Image Credits
Emily Harris Photography