Meet Emily Kinney | Photographer and Author

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

Hi Emily, why did you pursue a creative career?
For me, it was something that was cultivated when I was extremely young. I was originally inspired by the books my mother would read out loud to us before bed, and I wanted to be the person who wrote them. That seemed like seemed like sheer, omnipotent rock star status to me. Opening the door to endless possibility, and an unmatched level of control not afforded in real life. It was an addicting adventure. Fast forward a healthy number of years, and it turns out selling books is hard. In an effort to expand my audience, I decided to pursue an interest which had recently caught my eye: YouTube. Which led me to becoming obsessed with all things cameras, lighting gear, editing software, and an increased fear of creator block. However, fate intervened and a friend of mine, who had admired my experimental photos taken when trying to familiarize myself with my camera, asked me to take her engagement photos. It was an unexpected turn of events, but as it happens, selling a service is considerably easier than selling a product. I committed to the art and joys of photography, and suddenly found myself in a business. I still love writing, filmaking, and storytelling in general, so that isn’t going anywhere. But the harsh reality is that you can’t stay in the arts long term without some kind of revenue, and this enables me to do that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is encompassed by the term “storytelling”. I know that sounds like an answer half the community would provide, but it truly is the most concise way I can describe it. My entire life I felt the internal hum of magic that would occur whenever my mind was swept away by encountering stories or thinking of them. And stories are versatile things. They can be created in an endless array of ways. Even just going outside and noticing the grass is wet. That could be the story of it raining over night, indicating dark clouds and possibly wind shaking the trees. Or, someone left the sprinkler system on, and the electric bill is about to go up, but at least the grass will be green.
That pursuit of logical stepping stones, mixed with whimsy, and the potential for emotional catharsis, is what I’ve always chased after. Mostly with writing, but some day I would love to transition into filmmaking and acting. When I began my photography journey, I was having trouble connecting with it. The only reason I was attempting it in the first place was because I had been asked to, and at the time I was trying to say Yes in life more than No. Things started to get easier when I was able to connect how the stories were involved. An engagement shoot told the tale of a couples journey together until now, when they were ready to take a life changing step. A portrait shoot of a single person said, I want to feel good about myself, maybe because I spent so much time doubting my appearence, but now I want to embrace it. I think that is so beautiful, and I am always honored to be a part of it.
Pursuing any creative endeavors professionally is always a challange. You have to be the head of your own company, be the problem solver and your own PR team. Marketing has just about everyone in a choke hold. Not long ago it was both expensive and difficult to gain access to the avenues that would get you attention, but now it is cheap and at the ready, yet flooded with all the other creatives who also noticed. Plus selling yourself never feels natural. Imposter syndrome is an inescapable miasma that looms over us all. Unfortunately, you just have to push past it. I recommend infiltrating a community who deals with the same issues so that you can offer each other practical advice, as well as emotional support.
My company is called Erämaa Studios. Erämaa is a Finnish word that means “wilderness”, and I can’t think of a better word to describe stories. The open unknown full of possibilities waiting to spring at you. The company is the result of perseverence and allowing myself to try new things. Don’t let your plot be set in stone. Allow transformation.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Maine is an amazing place to visit, and a week would be a perfect amount of time to see all the best spots. Starting with Portland, of course! I might not live there, but Portland is still the home of my heart. We are a food and arts town, so most of our time here would be spent eating and soaking up some culture. I would probably stay here for a couple of days so that we could dip in to see some shows. The music venues and little theaters are actually really nice.
After that I would probably do what every tourist does and travel along the coast. I’m partial to Ogunquit, but there’s so many cute little coastal towns to spend time in. The asking a local thing would really only point back to what everyone already knows. We can drive inland to see the logging communities, but I promise you don’t want to.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Honestly, let’s take it back to the eighth grade. My literature teacher, Mr. H, gave me just enough praise on my silly little short stories to add gasoline to my already ignited passion for writing. It was a moment where someone in the world acknowlegded me and said, Not only can you, but you should. I’ve never been the same since.

Website: https://www.eramaastudios.com

Instagram: @eramaastudios

Youtube: AuthorEmilyKinney

Image Credits
Emily Kinney is the photographer. Premission has been given by all parties to use the photos for professional use.