Meet Erica Dragon | Photographer

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

Hi Erica, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
To have fun? I hope to do many different careers before I eventually retire. I feel that I have so much passion for so many different fields that hopefully I’ll get to pursue all of them, but only time will tell.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I run a wedding and elopement business called Erica Dragon Photography. I think what sets it apart from others is my neurodivergency. You’re probably like whaat?? But it’s true. I’m a little weird and sometimes awkward and I love to help couples who feel that way about themselves have an amazing experience from the start of planning their elopement to once they get to see the final product. We’re all a little weird and I want my clients to know that it’s not going to get in the way of having a fun and beautiful wedding day. I know two of the biggest reasons couples choose to elope is they don’t like being in front of a crowd because they’re introverts or shy and/or they don’t have family who they feel supported by. Ultimately, I just want to be the person who they can come to and be excited about eloping and feel that they’ve made the right decision.

Photography is an incredibly saturated and low barrier to entry market to start a business in. And the low barriers is what made it possible for me to start. I was in college and truly hated learning at a desk and I’ve always loved art- I used to get yelled at by my teachers in elementary school because I didn’t want to focus on anything but crafting. I never was any good at drawing or rather didn’t have the passion to get much better, but when I got handed a camera my senior year of high school, I loved it. It was something I could learn slowly at my own pace. So when I was two years into college and was hating life I thought to myself, “Why not start photographing for money?” I loved the art form and I needed money so why the heck not??? I’m thankful to the people who supported and paid for my work when I was just starting out because it allowed me the opportunity to grow my skill with my business and as I gained confidence in my skills, I also grew the confidence to take my business more seriously. In 2020, I photographed my first elopement and I fell in love. My values align very much with the idea that a wedding day is about the couple and what they value. So if they want to hear the thoughts and advice of friends and family, that’s wonderful, but if they don’t that’s fine too. It’s a start of a new chapter in their lives and they should be able to celebrate it how they want. And thus I started stepping away from larger weddings and became enthralled with the values of small weddings and elopements.

Photography will always be a difficult job because it is an art form. You can’t just say 2+2=4 and no one tells you that you’re wrong. Art is so subjective and thus everyone has different opinions on what it is and how it should look. And that’s alright, but it makes it difficult when you’re the creator. What is 100% look like? And that’s different to everyone. Luckily art does have the ability to evolve and grow depending on where you are at in life. I think a lot of creatives struggle with perfectionism and one of the ways I’ve been able to keep those thoughts that tell you that you aren’t good enough is knowing that people follow and hire me for my work. There are people out their who love it and believe that how I photograph life and love is worth being displayed in their home. And I can’t tell you how eternally grateful I am for every client who has hired me because they believe in my value and the beauty I can create when given a camera and a computer. So to wrap this shpeal up, thank you to my clients for supporting and trusting in me to capture those wonderful and special moments for them. You’re wonderful and whether I’ve captured your day or will one day capture it, thank you.

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?
I actually get to do this a lot because many of my clients come from out of state. I’ve lived in Colorado my entire life and love it here! I think if you’re coming to Colorado, you absolutely have to see some of the gorgeous mountain views. Usually I direct people to drive up to Lake Dillon and check out that area including Breckenridge. It’s beautiful and in my mind is “the Colorado”. Or at least what I grew up with. I know a lot of people love going to Rocky Mountain National Park, but I recommend going not in the summer as it gets super crowded then. I have a few favorites around Denver and in the suburbs so while you’re here, if you’re a bit nerdy, hit up Thane’s Table. If you like night life and love to dance, check out the Grizzly Rose or the Mercury Cafe, they have very different vibes but that’s alright because there’s something for everyone. Drive an hour south and visit Garden of the Gods for some beautiful red rock formations or maybe stay in Denver and see a concert at the world famous, Red Rocks Amphitheater. There are so many fun things here and around Denver that’s it’s not quite possible to see everything during one trip, but that’s okay because you’ll just have to come back. 🙂

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Everyone. I attribute a lot of my successful habits to those around me. My friends and family are incredibly supportive of who I am and where I’m at in life. I’d love to name everyone but it would be a LONG list, though I should mention my mom and dad for constantly pushing me to do better and to find things I’m passionate about in life. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have found some of my lifelong friends and most of the opportunities that have come my way that changed my life for the better.

Website: https://www.ericadragonphotography.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericadragonphotography/

Other: Check out my senior photography website here – https://sunshineseniorphotos.com/
I’ve recently started managing the social media for Thane’s Table – https://www.instagram.com/thanestable/

Image Credits
Emily Warnock