Writing by Marcie Browne // Photos by Lauren Joseph
Based in Washington D.C. and a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Emma McAlary is an editorial and lifestyle photographer with a portfolio that includes social media photography for brands like J.Crew, Coach, and DeNada Design. Her work is fresh, vibrant, & colorful — so eye-catching you have to look twice. But asides from what meets the eye, her photos elicit an authentic reality not often caught on film. Whether she is shooting product or person, you feel the atmosphere of that moment she captured with her camera — and that's what'll make you look three times.
I met her years ago during a summer I spent working at Urban Outfitters. She was my supervisor — one of the cool ones. We became Facebook friends and for the following years I noticed her photography on my feed whenever she shared it. I loved seeing her work, and instantly thought of her when I decided to start this interview series. We set up a meeting at a location of her choosing: Roosevelt Island — a green oasis encompassed by the Potomac River. The island is completely shut off from cars and bikes, making it a spot where any busy Washingtonian can go to enjoy the simplicity and vastness of the greenery. It's no wonder Emma named it one of her favorite spots in the city. Accompanied by Emma's boyfriend, and fellow D.C. creative Lauren Joseph, we walked around the island, talking about Urban Outfitters, photography, detectives, and cameras.
Can you give a description of your career at the moment?
I am a freelance photographer for small companies around the D.C. area. I shoot product, social media, and fashion portraits mainly. For some extra flow you can find me around town at events snapping away. For some even more flow and some great discounts you can find me a couple days a week at Dominion Camera in Falls Church. I'll also usually take anyone's portraits for hire because I love it so much.
How did you get your start in the professional world of photography — did you have a mentor who inspired you?
I'd say my very first mentor was Ms. Appleby in high school. On top of our class assignments, she would also challenge me on other projects and help me pursue some of the ideas floating around my teenage head. She would also bring me books on photography and memoirs. Those rocked my world as a young person. I got my start when I decided to drop everything else I was doing and just shoot. I made myself so busy in the studio asking everyone to take their portrait. I talked to everyone about what I was trying to do and I just started getting small jobs that grew and grew.
What was your first full-time job after college?
Right after college I worked at the student legal services office at University of Massachusetts. Then when I was moving back to D.C. and looking for jobs nobody was hiring. There was nothing! So I was like, "What have I always dreamed of doing since I was 13?" And that’s when I still thought Urban Outfitters was really cool, so I thought I’d just get a job there and it ended up becoming a full-time thing.
Did working at Urban Outfitters help inspire you to pursue a career in the arts?
Not many people know that Urban Outfitters is a pretty creative atmosphere to work in. They gave us general guidelines for making visuals in the store, but we still got a lot of creative leeway. So while working there — I was the Women's Accessories team lead — I got to help build with the visual artists, and I think this helped me creatively. We also always got new music first and it was always playing. Everyone working there was in school or doing something creative, and that job was their part-time or full-time job while they were figuring it out, so that atmosphere helped to pump me up to also pursue my creative side.
Was that when you started doing photography as a hobby?
I started photography when I was a kid. My dad was into it — it wasn’t his full-time job, but he was a journalist, so I was always exposed to photojournalism. My grandfather was a graphic designer so I would see his stuff, and he bequeathed a bunch of cameras to me too. I later took the obligatory high school classes and I was just hooked! But I never thought I could do it as a job so I just kept doing it as a hobby — collecting cameras, doing film. I was always the one in college taking pictures.
So where did you end up after Urban Outfitters?
I went to grad school for conflict analysis and dispute resolution, but I was miserable. I was coming home sad everyday so I didn't finish. [Afterwards] I started dilly-dallying in making jewelry and doing arts and crafts but I didn’t really like any of those. I had a true mental breakdown, where I was crying and unhappy, so I decided I was going to leave all of it and take classes in photography and really pursue it. My parents were so supportive. They encouraged me to just do it. While I was taking photography classes I started working at Roche [hair] salon and began getting offers for little photography jobs here and there.
What's your favorite part about your career?
Getting access or being made aware of places and things that I wouldn't have otherwise heard of. I also love meeting the creatives that I often get to shoot and work with.
What's your camera collection like?
A lot of film cameras, a lot of antique cameras. There were a good 50-100 cameras at one time. I still collect them, but not every camera — I used to collect every camera that was given to me! Now I just try to look for good pieces. My favorite camera is something my grandfather got in the 30s' at an estate sale but it’s dated about 1905 — a field camera.
You're walking out of the door and quickly grabbing a camera, which one is it?
Of course it’s my Nikon D750! Nikon is just the best. It’s my go-to camera, and it’s what I do all my paid work with.
If you weren't a photographer, what would you be?
A detective!! I have an extreme obsession with true crime. I'm very fascinated by the morbid and macabre.
Out of all the projects you've worked on, which are you most proud of? Which was the most challenging?
I haven't really had a favorite project, but any project where I get to collaborate with other creatives is my favorite. If I get to feature creative work that someone is doing, even better! My most challenging was probably my Icelandic Project in which I photographed Alzheimers patients at an old folks home. Actually, that might have been one of my favorites too.
What's your dream project?
I would love to be asked to travel the world to document people. Any kind of person. I would love to sit and talk and shoot. Also, I'd love to shoot again for J.Crew!
Looking back to when you were freshly graduated, what advice would you have given yourself?
Don’t be afraid to pursue what you really love, and don't be afraid of not doing what you think is expected of you. Also, take risks if you have the luck to do it. I had really supportive parents, but I still thought they expected something of me, which is why I took the LSAT. I always denied photography — my one love — and I’ve never been happier than I am now, doing what I’m doing. I wish I could’ve done that right out of undergrad, because, even though I don’t regret it, I feel like I wasted time and I could've been farther along in my career by now. However, you can change at any time too! So if you did deny it [your passion], just do it. Julia Childs didn’t start her cookbooks until she was 40, so there’s always time.
What advice do you have for young artists?
I used to be afraid of showing off all my work — don’t be afraid! Show it everywhere and show everyone — own your art. For the longest time I would take pictures, but nobody saw them, and then nobody knew I was really a photographer. So I started posting and sharing and that’s when I started getting more opportunities to do things, whether it was for work or just for fun. Just own it and don’t get discouraged!
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| Marcie Browne is the founder of Gallery U and a graduate of James Madison University. She hails from Washington D.C., but can be found exploring different corners of the world at any moment. In her spare time, she is often spilling coffee on her shirt, analyzing Joanna Newsom lyrics, and riding in planes with her cat Penny. |
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