Interview with Erika Greene

So how in the world did that girl hike up there in a dress? Or better said, how does one attract adventurous couples that are down for just about anything, even hiking up on a mountain in their wedding clothes? 

My couples expect some sort of hike/adventure on each of my sessions. I’ve had girls show up in their beautiful dresses with tennis shoes underneath, ready to scale a mountain! I also offer the option of bringing a changing tent so they can wear comfy clothes on the hike and then change once we get to the location. Both my Instagram and website do a good job of showing how I mix adventure and nature into my work. I love to showcase weddings and sessions that are more carefree and free-spirited and that results in attracting clients who relate to that and share the same love of adventure that I do. 

How do you usually find your muse? 

I’m constantly inspired by music and by nature. I love to throw on a pair of headphones, blast my favourite tunes, and go for a hike. Location scouting is also a HUGE thing for me. I have an ever-growing list of places I want to explore for shoots. I usually spend a couple days each month checking out these spots and getting inspired for future shoots that I could do there. I get SO excited when I find new hidden gems and find that most of my best ideas come to me in these moments. 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I would be absolutely thrilled if in 10 years I am still shooting weddings and traveling the world. But hopefully I will be able to bring my family along. My husband and I don't have any kids yet, but I’m sure in 10 years we will have a few. I would also love to be focusing more on mentoring other photographers and hopefully hosting some workshops! 

We know you are good at connecting with your couples, what’s your secret?

I really try to establish a friendship with all of my couples. I think we get stuck believing that we need to be these professional robots all the time when dealing with clients. Once I let my guard down and really opened myself up to establishing friendships and connections with my couples, I noticed my photos started to change. I wanted my clients to feel like they were just hanging out with a friend instead of being nervous and worried about how they look in front of the camera. What a huge difference this made for me! I start my shoots by getting my couples talking about themselves. I ask questions and show a genuine interest in their lives. I also like to think I’m pretty funny so I’m always joking around and having fun during my shoots which puts them at ease and makes them feel like they can relax and be themselves.  

What is the craziest adventure photography threw you in? 

I went to Spain for 2 weeks by myself! Here’s the backstory: Last year I was on a Facebook group and saw them advertising for a photography workshop on the Canary Islands. The wheels in my head started turning and before I knew it, I had bought my ticket. I ended up flying to Barcelona first so I could spend a few days there exploring. It was incredible. Then I took another flight to Lanzarote, and from there hopped on a boat to La Graciosa for the workshop. I was there for a week and it was the most inspiring week of my life. I loved every second of it! After it ended, I went back to Barcelona for a few more days before heading home. Multiple times throughout the trip I thought to myself “what in the world am I doing?!”. It was the craziest, most intimidating, and most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life and I’m so glad that I did it.

What is the best life lesson you learnt from photography?

I shot a wedding years ago where the couple was on a serious budget. The location was less than ideal, the decorations were all homemade, etc. I’m embarrassed to say this now but I remember being disappointed because I couldn’t imagine getting super “epic” photos at this wedding. Before the ceremony started, the groom came up and talked to me for a bit. He told me that they had a tiny budget for this wedding but the photography was the most important thing to the bride. He said that I was her dream photographer so they spent their entire budget on me and had their friends and family donate or make everything else. I was incredibly humbled (almost to tears) and felt horrible for being disappointed that this wasn’t a “Pinterest” worthy wedding. It completely changed my mindset and immediately put my entire heart and soul into capturing these precious memories for them. I realised that day that I have such an important job as a wedding photographer to capture these once in a life-time moments for my clients and I am so lucky to be able to do that. 

Recommend us a book, a movie, and a podcast. Why do you love these? 

Book: I recently finished reading “You Are a Badass”. It’s such a motivating book. I would recommend it to anyone, especially business owners! 

Movie: One of my all time favourite movies is “A Beautiful Mind”. If you want to watch an incredibly inspiring movie, this one is amazing. 

Podcast: I am obsessed with learning about true crime cases so my current favourite podcast is “True Crime Garage”. 

Was it a good decision to hire Squaremuse to help you build your website?

I couldn’t be happier with my decision to use Squaremuse to build my website! They were so easy and quick to communicate with and the quality of their work is unbeatable. I was super overwhelmed trying to re-do my website and they jumped in there and created the exact vision that I saw for my site. I am so grateful to have found them! 
 

Erika Greene Photography
Full setup build on Black Onyx