Meet Emma Stokwielder | Editorial & Portrait Photographer

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

Hi Emma, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
I’m not sure if they are habits or rules to go by, but I believe strongly in “passion over everything”. When you do your job with passion, there’s no way you can’t succeed. For me, it started as a passion – and it still is.

That ties in with my second habit to be a human and not a business. I know if I would focus more on making money, I would make so much more than I probably do currently. But for me it’s not about earning more. Of course, I also have to pay my rent and my work is worth something – but it’s not the main goal. The end of the day, I’m a human and I would like to build human relationships with my clients. I don’t want to build a wall and become just a business – because I know my personality is all throughout my work & it’s a part of who I am.

And last but not least, a habit that worked for me is having trust in my own work. This wasn’t there when I started and it’s still evolving day by day but I believe, especially when you’re in the creative industry and creating something, it’s important to trust your own taste, expertise and own it fully.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I rolled into photography during my first full-time job, here in Dubai. I was a social media manager and one day decided to pick up the camera and shoot myself, instead of hiring other creatives. I had a little bit of background as photography was one of my curriculums when doing my minor abroad, so I had the basic knowledge of the camera settings, lighting, composition etc. From there, I decided to buy my own camera and I starting shooting when traveling. Because of these photos, some friends who organised events asked me to photograph for them, and slowly slowly I got noticed. However, it took me another 3 years before I finally took the step into the world of freelancing. I’ve worked really hard during these years to build my cliental & portfolio, so when I finally took the decision to quite my job and step into the world of freelancing, I felt confident that I would be alright on my own… but this only happened 4 months ago. I’m proud of myself for finally making this step, for choosing myself and my art over stability and for the hard work I put in all the years before to make this easier on myself.

I believe I got to where I am today because of my passion for the art. I don’t shoot for money, I shoot for myself and for my client to get the best results and to (hopefully) exceed their expectations. Because I put this goal first, I believe I have a good reputation what makes that I get recommended by previews clients and this honestly is the biggest compliment for me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favourite hangout spot is definitely SEVA Table, what is a vegan cafe in Jumeirah area. It’s a little oasis that doesn’t feel like Dubai, and is also not known by everyone in the city. It’s mostly a nice, chill kind of person who knows about this spot. The food is also incredible. I’m not really someone who goes out a lot and knows the coolest places around but I love walks around Kite Beach area – especially in winter when the weather is cold. I have an amazing group of Emirati girl friends and we often have picnics on the beach or in the desert during the winter season what is way more fun than sitting in a restaurant. Lastly, I love Alserkal Avenue and the vibe and people over there. It’s a little hub where creative people come often, share their work in the galleries and meet up to talk about life.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I cannot thank enough people to be honest. Every single person who booked me for their portraits, weddings or projects and believed that I could deliver what they were looking for deserves a shoutout.

I think I’m incredible lucky with all my clients so far. There’s not a single one that wasn’t part of the process, who wasn’t amazing during the shoot and who wasn’t thankful for the quality and creativity I brought to the table. My clients and friends are my biggest supporters and they always promoted me throughout the communities here in Dubai, what is the best marketing I could ever wish for. So a big shoutout to all my past, present and future clients.

Website: https://www.emmasproductions.com

Instagram: @emmastwd

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@emmastwd

Image Credits
All images are shot by me.