Meet Elena Cornwell | Photographer and Maker

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

Hi Elena, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
One of the most important factors behind my success has been choosing to be myself over trying to be some other photographer. That is the key to most photographers that I was shown early on–the best way to get clients that you enjoy working with, and then get more of those clients, is to just be you! When I tried to attract clients that I wouldn’t necessarily vibe with just because of aesthetic or vibe that wasn’t something I cared about, I had a hard time getting anyone to bite. When I leaned fully into being myself and focusing on the people, that’s when things really took off. I photographed things and people I cared about and enjoyed myself! I found goofy clients and we had fun traipsing through the prairie and making fun and beautiful photos that represented them and the people and things that were important to them.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m most proud of my ability to connect with others through what I do. Getting in front of a camera is always a vulnerable experience; whether you are getting married, graduating from high school, documenting a milestone, or modeling for your friend, you are still THERE. As the person behind the camera, it’s my job to make you feel comfortable enough and safe enough to be yourself. The practice of giving myself permission to be me has always been the key ingredient to giving others permission to be themselves. And once you feel you can be yourself, you can really have fun and enjoy the process. This gives the most authentic images and allows me the gift of showing people how they are seen by others–joyful, cool, expressive, fierce, kind, and most importantly, beautiful. Always beautiful.

Through the process of encouraging others to be themselves, I found myself becoming more and more confident in who I was too. This opened new opportunities for me in my photography business which is part time, and in my full time traditional work as well.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of my favorite places to visit and take people is the Sheldon Museum of Art. After browsing through the latest exhibits, we’d stop by the Mill for coffee and then walk around my neighborhood while I point to all my favorite houses. Before they left, I’d make sure we also grabbed coffee and crepes at Cultiva Coffee!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to the friends who refused to let me accept defeat while I still figured out what was important to me. Thank you.

Website: elenacornwell.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elenacornwell_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenacornwell/

Image Credits
Elena Cornwell