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

Hi Emily, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Photography started as a hobby and while I was a classroom teacher while living in the Caribbean I thought I could try it out of a part time job. While capturing nature and families I began to think how fun it was to create my own schedule and create images for people of beautiful moments. This continued when I moved to Los Angeles & Richmond until I resigned from classroom teaching after eight years in 2018 to go full time with my business. Classroom teaching was draining & mentally (and sometimes physically) exhausting. I had no free time between teaching 5th grade and photographing! I needed a break from teaching and thought I would try out full time photography to see how it went. If I can handle a classroom of 32 students I surely can direct people during a photoshoot. Now residing in San Diego and 4 years later and I’m happier than ever to have started my own successful photography business!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Through my business, EmmiClaire Photography, I want you to feel comfortable in front of the camera, as many people do not. I want you to feel confident during your photography session and have some fun! I’m most proud that I have created this business from scratch and learned so many things about business ownership along the way. It wasn’t easy to learn how to market myself to gain clients, bookkeeping, taxes, websites, and so much more! I asked for help from experts when I needed and learned that it’s okay to ask for help. Sometimes as a business owner you want to do everything because you think you can, but in reality it’s better to ask for help!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting the area we would start off by going to La Jolla shores and checking out the cliffs and sea lions. We would grab some iced coffees & sandwiches at the Torrey Pines Glider port because watching people “fly” is incredible. Then we would head to In & Out of course and grab some animal style burgers and fries for dinner, and maybe a shake! Throughout the week we would go to Cabrillo National Park & then down to Seaport Village for a bite. Dinner at El Prado in Balboa park is definitely going to be in the itinerary too! The San Diego zoo would be a 2 day event because there is so much to do! There are so many things to do in San Diego, it’s a blast!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My dad, Jim Mandeville, is also a professional photographer who showed me the ropes of photography over several years! My husband Ben also pushed me to follow my dreams and passion and is my IT expert for the business.

Website: emmiclaire.com

Instagram: instagram.com/emmiclairephoto

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

Image Credits
EmmiClaire Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.