HI EMILY, IT'S NICE TALKING TO YOU! FIRST, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF? WHO ARE YOU, WHERE ARE YOU FROM, WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW? TELL US ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL BACKGROUND!
I currently live in Los Angeles with my three dogs:
Kokoro (8 years, American Eskimo)
Chibi (7 years old, Welsh Corgi Pembroke)
Kibo (5 months, Berger Blanc Suisse)
ARE YOU A FULL-TIME CONTENT CREATOR? WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO DO SOMETHING WITH PHOTOGRAPHY?
It only recently became my full-time job. I started freelancing at the end of 2020, working for myself and my own clients! Before that, I worked full-time in advertising and did videos and photoshoots just for fun on the side.
YOU OBVIOUSLY LOVE DOGS AND SHARE HEARTWARMING AND CUTE PICTURES OF THEM ON YOUR INSTAGRAM PROFILE! IS IT HARD TO TAKE GOOD PHOTOS OF YOUR DOGS OR ARE THEY NATURAL MODELS
Photographing dogs is always difficult. I really enjoy training my dogs and it always helps to teach them certain tricks. In my job I also photograph dogs that are untrained, which gives me a lot of practice in working with energetic dogs and taking active photos quickly!
WHAT INSPIRES YOU AND WHY?
I just love good storytelling, especially in visual form. Whether it's a very creative photo or a cinematic video, I'm always impressed by any form of storytelling I see in the world. It can be a very simple Instagram post or a certain style of shooting I see in a video. Anything that makes me think: "Wow, how did they come up with such a creative idea?!"
WHEN AND WHY DID YOU START SHARING YOUR PICTURES ON INSTAGRAM?
When I got my first dog, Kokoro, in 2012, I started sharing more photos of her as a puppy on my Instagram account. We gained some followers and connected with other dog lovers and this community really fueled my passion for dogs and photography.
DO YOU TRY TO PLAN YOUR IMAGES IN ADVANCE OR ARE THEY MORE SPONTANEOUS? HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH YOUR IDEAS?
I think it's a combination of both. Sometimes I get a spontaneous idea and I like to add it to a list of concepts I'd like to do when I have the time. Sometimes the dogs are doing something funny or cute and I quickly grab my camera and try to capture it!
A FEW MONTHS AGO YOU WELCOME A THIRD DOG! WHAT WAS HIS FIRST DAY IN HIS NEW HOME
Kibo was great from day one. He is a confident little puppy and fits in wonderfully with our family. Kokoro has always been a good big sister (also from day one with Chibi) and welcomed Kibo straight away. Chibi, the youngest of our family and also the cheeky dog with a lot of temperament, needed a little longer to get used to the fact that he was no longer the baby. Typical middle child syndrome haha. But now she is behaving really well and all the dogs get along wonderfully with each other!
YOU AND YOUR DOGS ALSO ATTEND THERAPY SESSIONS WITH PEOPLE! CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT IT?
I've always wanted to volunteer in the community with my dogs. Kokoro and Chibi absolutely love people and I love seeing them bring smiles to people's faces through photos and videos and when I get the chance to meet them in person. When I started working for myself and my work schedule became more flexible, I decided it was finally time to do some volunteer work. So we enrolled the girls in a therapy dog program and now they visit senior centers every week and make the residents smile every time!
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PHOTO THAT YOU HAVE SHARED? CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE STORY BEHIND IT?
It's hard to pick a favorite image, but I'm especially proud of images that require a lot of conceptualization and editing to realize. For example, the image with Kokoro, where she is "lifted up" with the help of balloons, took a little more time to produce and Photoshop magic, and I just love the vibe of the final image!
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR IG COMMUNITY? DO THEY INSPIRE YOU A LOT? HAVE YOU EVEN BEEN ABLE TO MEET SOME OF THEM?
I've been lucky enough to make some really great lifelong friends through Instagram. The thing about the community there is that it brings people together with shared passions and interests. I've met other dog lovers, photographers and creatives over the years.
CAN YOU TELL US SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE INSTAGRAMMERS WHO INSPIRE YOU?
Andrew Knapp & Momo , This Wild Idea , Cache Bunny
DO YOU STILL ENJOY SENDING AND RECEIVING POSTCARDS?
Yes!
We hope you enjoyed our little chat with @emwng ! If you are looking for cute postcards with dogs and want to support Emily, you are in luck! You can discover her postcards in various sets in our online shop or individually at your local retailer to buy!
