Career Bliss: Emma Simmons, Photographer

Our first career bliss post comes from my friend Emma Simmons, a photographer who has traveled the world and whose work has been featured on the Orbitz Travel Blog as well as by our friends over at TOMS. I hope you enjoy our interview as well as her work, and that it inspires you to Follow Your Bliss!

Bailey: When did you start with your photography

Emma: I started photography at a very young age. My parents had given me my first camera, the Kodak Instamatic X-15 when I was around 2 years old. It quickly became my favorite toy and ever since then I havent put the camera down!

B: How did you hone your skills? Have you taken classes? Been mentored?

E: I was basically self taught until jumping into digital. I had taken basic photography classes in middle school and high school but also learned from keeping a camera with me at al times. In the summer of 2007 I enrolled as a Summer Resident at the Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine, where I learned not only some of the basic rules of photography but through some of the instructors how to approach people to photograph or how to approach a certain situation. It was the best 12 weeks of learning I have ever had.

B: What was the most essential lesson that taught you? What did they teach you about how to approach subjects?

E: One of my photography mentors, John Isaac taught me one of the most valuable lessons. To back track a little bit here, I met John at the Maine Media Workshops. I was fortunate enough to take his workshop, as it is always a very popular workshop each summer. John spent 30 years photographing for the United Nations and was head of photography there. His images moved me, they always seemed to have this connection with the subject. It was the 4th of July, 2007 and our class went to Thomaston, Maine to photograph the 4th of July parade and I told John that my goal for the day was to learn how to approach people to photograph. I didnt want to just get an image of someone, I wanted to see inside of them and really capture that person inside and out. So John stuck with me that day and helped me approach people, and I also stood back and watched the way he worked. It wasn’t a one day lesson. A year and a half later I had the amazing opportunity to assist John to India and Kashmir on two photography workshops and I continued to watch and learn from him. It was this trip that I felt I finally understood photographing people the way I wanted to.

B: You can really see that connection in your pictures, especially with children. Do different people and cultures react differently to being photographed?

E: Thank you! So far I have had an incredible opportunity to travel and capture everything with my camera. Different cultures and people definitely react differently but I like to make a connection with people from all over the world. We are all the same in a way, the exterior may be different, but it is the human soul that I absolutely love the connection to. There were times in the markets in Tanzania where women did not want to be photographed and I respect that in every way and other times when people wanted not just a few frames shot of them but a whole photo shoot!

B: You have traveled a lot for photography, where all have you been?

E: I have been very fortunate to have traveled to quite a few places! Lets see, I guess we’ll go by continents: Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa. Quite a bit of Europe (I studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain), Japan and India, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico New Zealand, and the Caribbean. Yes, I have caught the travel bug!

B: What was the most memorable place in terms of your photography and why?

E: That is difficult to say, but I would have to say India and Kashmir. I was assisting John Isaac on photographic workshops there so all we did for 3 1/2 weeks was photography. It was incredible being with a group of people where they love photography just as much as I do and we didnt get bored of it, even if we had only about 4 hours of sleep and we were up again to shoot a floating market at sunrise.

B: I love your pictures of children in sunglasses, could you explain/tell more about that? How did you come up with the idea?

E: Project Sunglasses! After graduating from college I traveled to Tanzania for 3 1/2 months with one of my good friends from home to volunteer and do some exploring. When we were packing for the trip we decided to bring a huge duffel bag of supplies, as we knew we would be teaching at a day care. We then decided to bring about 50 plastic sunglasses to hand out to kids and we proceeded to do so throughout our time there. I loved seeing the children’s reaction, so now I always pack a few sunglasses when I travel to hand out.

B: What most inspires you in continuing with photography?

E: Just this past week in New York City was Photo District New’s PHOTO EXPO, which is always such a huge push for motivation and inspiration. People from all over the world come to New York to see the show floor and hear photographers give seminars and key not speeches. I had the opportunity to hear James Nachtwey speak and show his work as a war photographer. He said, “I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony. The events I have recorded should not be forgotten and must not be repeated”. His work was so powerful. Documentary photography is what inspires me most.

B: You have done work with TOMS, one of my favorite companies. How did you get involved?

E: When I came back from Tanzania I had no idea what I wanted to do. I also didnt know why I left there. I had fallen in love with the country and the children I was teaching. I wanted to continue to give back. My sister told me about this company her friends brother started, which was TOMS. I instantly contacted Blake MyCoskie introducing myself and seeing if I could get involved and participate in a shoe drop. I had just missed their first drop in South Africa but continued to ask about doing a shoe drop. In the spring of 2008 I participated in the first volunteer only shoe drop, which was one of the most amazing times in my life. I met absolutely incredible people and experiencing first hand the giving away of shoes to children who have never worn shoes before was just so heart warming.

B: How can other people who perhaps aren’t as connected go about getting involved with TOMS beyond purchasing their shoes?

E: Visit the Friends of TOMS website, where you can find out about participating in a shoe drop and other great happenings. http://friendsoftoms.org/

B: Where did you go on your drop?

E: We were down in Argentina- we did 2 drops in Buenos Aires and then flew to the Misiones Province and spent a few days driving around hand delivering 1,450 pairs of shoes. It was incredible!

B: That sounds incredible!! I love TOMS, such an amazing example of what is possible when you have a great idea that you put into action, I would like the shoes despite the mission, I think its the future of consumerism, consciencious consumerism if you will

E: I agree and its great to know that the One for One Movement is really getting out there!

B: Where/when is your next big trip?

E: I am making the move to San Francisco in a few days from New York City, so I would have to say that is the next big trip. For photography though, I don’t have anything planned as of yet- but that can change quickly!

B: What will you be doing in San Fran? Are you primarily persuing photography as a profession right now or are you working in other fields?

E: I will be looking for jobs in photography and hopefully shooting as well.

B: Where would you like to see your career in photography take you?

E: I would love to shoot some stories that go beyond just one shoot. Where you really get connected with your subjects.

B: What advice would you give someone looking to turn their hobby/passion, whether that be in photography or otherwise, into a career. My goal with these Career Bliss posts is to show people that if they take the leap it can be done, but sometimes people have trouble taking that first step in declaring their passion and getting started.

E: Don’t give up. If you believe in yourself, things will happen, we just have to remember to be patient. If your heart is in it, it will show.

Thanks so much Emma! For more information on Emma Simmons Photography check out:

www.emmasimmons.com

http://emmasimmons.tumblr.com

Email: Emma@emmasimmons.com

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