Meet Julia Smerling | Photojournalist

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

Hi Julia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started my photography business when I was in high school, more specifically my freshman year, as a way to better financially support myself and my family. Photography was also an outlet for me to express myself during personal challenges in my life. I wanted photography to be accessible to others, to be communal, and to give others a voice. Truthfully, I want my photography to be a voice for others because photography gave me a voice during a time when I felt like I didn’t have one. During my freshman year of high school, a kid from my school—whose name I later learned was Alexander Thomas, a dance major in his junior year, and who would later become one of my best friends—approached me and asked if I would be a photographer for him. I was extremely shocked. It was the first time anyone had really seen me as a photographer, and I was so excited that I said yes without even asking what I was photographing. I later found out it was for his sponsorship with Nike for Black History Month. I was incredibly stunned, and then, and still to this day, extremely grateful. The photographs and writing I did for Alex changed my life. I truly felt and saw how impactful art is in giving people a voice, in making people feel seen. At that moment, I realized that this is what I wanted to do with my life. I want to make people feel seen, and I want them to look at my work and feel everything—to see the person, to truly see them.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
They say that as you’re dying, you see your life in flashes, experiencing your entire existence in mere seconds. When I look at my photography, I relive each moment I captured and remember how I felt. It reminds me of my existence and solidifies my perspective on how fleeting life is. I want to give that sense of life to someone else. I want my art to impact others. Through writing, photography, and all forms of communication, I hope my life can give hope to others in the same way art has given hope to me. Photography not only brings me joy but also helps me gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of life. Through this art form, I’ve found determination and hope.
My photography revolves around human connection and interaction. The human experience is my muse. All my work is about people—about love, joy, pain, and what it means to be human, unapologetically so, filled with emotions and complexities. To be honest, it’s hard for me to say I’m proud of any piece of work because I’m always seeking ways to improve and better my craft. But one of my favorite projects has to be my documentary on the Morton Williams Supermarket in Greenwich Village. It focused on how the local residents, especially the elderly, felt about the supermarket and how it impacted their lives. This project started as an assignment for class, but with each interview and photograph, I realized how much the supermarket meant to the community as an important food source and a place of connection. I became deeply connected to this project, and it reminded me why I became a photojournalist: to give people a voice, to make them feel seen. This project reaffirmed why I do what I do.
Throughout my career and my life, I have learned how one person can truly change everything and the importance of leading with empathy. I am where I am today because of the extraordinary people I’ve met and who took a chance on me—from working with incredible individuals at Washington Square News, which led me to an opportunity to photograph with Pandora Jewelry, to my high school administration that allowed me the opportunity to photograph Gwen Stefani during my senior year. I am a firm believer that it takes one person to change everything, and I hope to be that change in someone’s life one day. In my work and in my life, I want to lead with empathy, kindness, and understanding.
When I first came to New York, I didn’t know anyone, and it was difficult to find my place, both as a person and as a photographer. I was struggling with my craft, feeling stagnant and that I wasn’t good enough or would never find my footing here. Then, a friend of mine—a girl who lived in the dorm next to mine—passed away, and I felt even more lost. I didn’t feel like I belonged in New York, and I considered going home. The day after her passing, I photographed New York Fashion Week for the first time, which had been one of my biggest dreams for years. Going into the show, I felt incredibly guilty, like I didn’t deserve to be there or belong in New York. But then the fashion show happened, and it was life-changing—genuinely. It was absolutely breathtaking, so full of life, and I was deeply moved by the show and the joy backstage. It reminded me why I do what I do: I want to give people a voice and allow others to feel seen through my work. I came to New York to make a difference through my art, and I plan on staying here and doing just that.
In what I want the world to know about my story and my brand, I want people to really see my photography, to hear the voices in it, and to look at my work with empathy, giving space for understanding and allowing these people and subjects to truly be seen. I am extremely grateful for where I am today, for the incredible people I have met and have been inspired by; I would not be here without you, and I hope to make more work that can impact others. Overall, in my work and in my life, I want to make people feel, to truly feel human, to feel everything, to make a difference, and I want to speak to the world and have it reply.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love to go to Bagel Bob’s and grab my usual bagel order: an everything bagel with capers, tomatoes, lox, olive cream cheese, and lemon. Then I head to Washington Square Park to do some street photography because there is always something interesting going on in that park, and you get to meet so many fascinating and inspiring people there. I also love a good coffee, so we would probably grab one and venture out into the city. At night, we might go to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt to see the view of the city. It’s so beautiful with all the lights on, and there are reflective floors so you can see all the other people in the room—it’s truly incredible.
The next day, we would visit The Strand Bookstore to check out some cool things to buy or go thrifting in Brooklyn to find some fun clothes. After that, we could take the ferry that passes near the Statue of Liberty because it provides a beautiful view of the entire city. It really puts into perspective how big it is and how we are all just a part of it. It’s quite beautiful, actually.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people I want to dedicate my story to because, without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today. From the absolute bottom of my heart, I thank them and am forever grateful and appreciative. To name a few: my mamãe, my mom, who is the most remarkable and beautifully hearted person I have ever met. My love for photography grew from her, and she sees the world in the most incredible way. I hope to be even one percent of who she is one day.

Another person is my little sister, Sophia, who has constantly supported my work. She is the embodiment of kindness and humanity, and I am so grateful to be her sister because I am nobody without her, as well as my family in Brazil, who are the foundation for everything I do—I love them so much.

Moreover, my friends, who I see as my family, keep me going every single day. A few people who have forever changed my life include Aarnav Gautam, the brightest and kindest person I have ever come across—he is one of the most remarkable people in my life and someone I can’t believe I have the honor of knowing; Christian Chantayan, the most selfless person I have ever known and the first to see me as a writer—he is truly exceptional; Manit Kumar, who is an unbelievably amazing person and friend; Sophia Roberts, one of the most persevering and kind people I know; Claire Zhao, my best friend since childhood, who is more like a sister to me and is truly beautiful inside and out; Cory Neering, one of my best friends and biggest supporters; Jeremie Guerrier, one of my favorite people in this world; Alexander Thomas, one of my best friends and one of the first people to truly see me as a photographer; Jordan Aboderin, an incredible musician who finds so much life in everything he does; and Leonie Okunyade, one of the most beautiful and kind-hearted people I’ve ever met. All my New York City friends inspire me every single day in every possible way, from William Barclay, an incredible photographer from California, and Jaidon Eisenpress, an amazing sports photographer, to Walter Yip, a phenomenal street photographer—both teach me so much about photography and life, and for that, I am so grateful.

I also want to give a shout-out to the Washington Square News, the newspaper I work for, because they were the first community I found when I got to New York University. The people there are some of the most dedicated and hardworking individuals I have ever come across, and they made New York City a home for me—I will always be grateful for that. The people there are truly family to me, and I am so lucky to know them.

In New York City, Brazil, Florida, and everywhere else, there are so many people—so many I didn’t include here—amazing teachers, phenomenal friends, and others I have met, who have impacted my life. I wouldn’t be who I am without them. I dedicate my life’s work, everything I do, and everything I am, to them because, without them, I am nothing.

Website: https://juliaemmasmerling.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: juliasmerling

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-smerling-30779822b