I’m kind of angry lately.

I’ve been reading about photographers and who have a history of promising big things and giving a lackluster experience or just downright scamming clients. They do things like cancel on the bride the day of the wedding, refuse to give refunds where it’s warranted, or simply do not deliver the product they advertised. To be frank, it pisses me off.

Simply put, your wedding day is too important for that kind of trash experience. I’m furious for all the people who have been taken for a ride by these vendors, and I want to do everything I can to prevent it. One of the saddest things I’ve ever heard in my career is “I wish we would have hired you.” It makes me sad because the wedding day has passed and they don’t have quality images of their day. That breaks my heart.

I do things differently.

I mean obviously, I don’t scam people. That’s usually a good start for a great experience, but that’s not the only way I do a good job for my clients. Here are 5 ways I deliver a an exceptional experience for my clients.

BEING MYSELF
I go into every interaction with you and be myself. You might think “Yeah, that sounds great. Be yourself.” And then you meet me and realize that I like bad taxidermy. And not just like. I am enthusiastic about horrifically preserved dead things. If it’s so bad it puts Pet Sematary to shame, I probably want it as a porch decoration. Now, I don’t introduce myself by saying, “Hi I’m Emma, I like dead things and I want to shoot your wedding.” But I don’t hide my quirks. I make it safe for you to be fully yourself. And if you want to have horrific taxidermy in the front row of your wedding, I will shoot some magnificent portraits of every single dead animal in all of its glorious horror.

Have a dorky-as-hell wedding, and I will be foaming at the mouth with excitement. If you’re having a themed wedding based on your favorite sports teams or your favorite TV show, the excitement will be uncontainable. K-Pop themed? Bring it. Ceremony full of puns? Great, the worse the better. Did you write your vows in Dothraki? Sweet. I won’t understand it, but I will be stoked for it! I’m here for couples who want to flaunt their nerdiness, their weirdness, on their big day. Let your freak flag fly.

BEING HONEST
I’m not going to lie to you. I’m not going to scam you or rip you off. I’m not going to be the photographer that I described up front. That’s no way to run a business.

I’m going to be upfront with you, even when it might be uncomfortable for either of us. If I can’t get a shot that you wanted, or we’re talking about rearranging the timeline, I’m going to be upfront with you about what that realistically means for the photos you’ll receive. I’m not going to promise something I can’t deliver.

I’ve heard stories of people lying to clients and then going and complaining on social media about their clients (yikes!), and that’s just so much drama. It’s just so much simpler to shoot straight and be honest with you. Weddings are stressful enough, and you don’t need to work with someone who is going to make things messy.

CONNECTING
As an engaged couple, you want someone photographing your wedding with whom you’ll feel comfortable. One thing people have said about me throughout my life is that I make them feel safe being fully themselves. That’s really important to me. It paves the way for connecting. Tell me all about your wedding, but also tell me your dog’s life story, and what inspired you to choose your career. Your wedding is pretty important, but even more than I care about your wedding, I care about you as people and as a couple.

SETTING CLEAR EXPECTATIONS

Have you ever read a contract and asked yourself, “What the hell does any of this actually mean?” I have. There’s a reason why nobody reads the Apple Terms of Agreement. Legalese is so frustrating to read, and I don’t know why it’s so necessary. The harder it is to get through from a language standpoint, the less likely it is you’re going to read it.

When you sign my contract, I will walk you through every non-legalese word of it, and ask if you have any questions. I make sure every clause is clear and written in plain English. When you walk away from your contract signing, you will walk away with a copy of it. That way if you have questions later, you can reference back to the contract and ask for clarity. Even I reference back to my contract to see what I’m allowed to do.

SHOW UP TO DO GOOD WORK

This is the part you care about. You want someone who will show up on time and do high-quality work. High-quality work means seeing the moments within the moment, the emotional micro-moments within every part of your day. The way your father cradles your head to his chest during the first dance, the way your mother smiles with a tear in her eye. The sweet little glance your partner gives you during the speech. You know the one. The one that can be memed as, “Find you someone who looks at you the way ____ looks at ____.” And of course, the moments when your 80-year-old aunt is throwing down on the dance floor. As a deeply empathetic person, I have my radar finely tuned and highly sensitive to these moments. See, it’s not just the moment you want to remember. It’s the people and their joy. It’s not always the moment that matters, but the people in it.

This is what I’m here to capture. I’m here to document the moments that will become a legacy, the moments that will capture your family line for generations. I’m here to document and preserve your story for generations to come.