Meet Emma D’Arcy | Portrait Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emma D’Arcy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emma, how do you think about risk?
I’ve been thinking a lot about creative risk recently. I’ve been taking photos for eight years, and you get into a rhythm with your work as time goes on. It’s been very easy to pigeonhole my photography style once I found one. It’s become harder to take creative risks because it feels like it’s higher stakes – what if I lose my clientele? What if it doesn’t work? But when I started off taking portraits in high school, I was trying anything and everything; walking into hotels in San Diego with a camera and a friend in search of the perfect marble flooring, editing with bold colored presets. I was having fun! And it’s hard to look back at those photos now, or look at someone trying photography for the first time, and judge it. It’s unapologetic, it’s pure. It makes me want to take creative risks again. With every risk I’ve taken in my personal life like dropping out of school, leaving my job to pursue photography full time, etc, It has been incredibly uncomfortable. There’s no sugarcoating the frustration that comes with taking a chance on something. But, at the other side of these big decisions has been a deeper understanding of myself and a little spark that says “if I did it once, I can do it again”.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Photography was such a safe space for me when I first started. I was always shy and had a hard time in high school connecting with new people. When I joined a local photo group (Hello, Outside the Lens!), and started to take portraits of trusted friends, my world started to expand and I got out of my shell. Throughout this process, I’ve learned it’s okay to take a step back if the joy isn’t there anymore. When I got to college, I took a few photography classes, some good some bad, but I realized I didn’t like how it felt to have something so personal and so individual to be graded according to a rubric. I didn’t take photos for a few years, but eventually, I was far enough away where I could rediscover what I loved about taking photos. There are certain milestones that I want to achieve in my photography, like seeing a photo of mine on a billboard, or taking photos for a local brand. But, when I think about why I started photography, and what it’s done for me, my goal with my work has always been to create that safe space for other people. I hope that people see my portraits and realize that the version of themselves right now is worth celebrating.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m definitely more of a coffee gal when it comes to fun drinks, and I was lucky enough to live in Koreatown for my first two years in LA, which is packed with really amazing coffee. 6xs Coffee is definitely my favorite. Little Ethiopia has obviously excellent food, but also it’s home to my favorite thrift store in LA, Helping Hand. I had one of the best dinners of my life at Woon in Filipinotown. I would take them to an old theater for a 4pm matinee. The Los Feliz theater and Vista theater are ones that stand out to me. I would take them to an improv show at Upright Citizens Brigade, probably on a Saturday night to see a guest monologist open for ASSSSCAT. Lastly, a trip down museum row, LACMA, the tar pits, and the academy museum all in one day.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My grandpa, Dr. Richard Gould, was an avid photographer and filmmaker. He documented his entire life, making movie stars out of his friends, children and, eventually, grandchildren. When I was a kid, he showed me, in a black and white filter, how to look at the contrast of a flower. We looked at the light and shadows and how moving slightly changes the look of an image completely. I feel very lucky to have that moment as something to point to when people ask how I got into photography. He instilled in all of us at a very young age, an appreciation for art and whimsy, and without his influence, I would not be where I am today.

Website: https://www.emmdrcjpg.com

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