About Emma Whitney

I was recently looking through old childhood photographs of mine. Seeing and old never seen before photo my Grandfather and I together made me instantly bust into tears. He died 30 years ago and I treasure the memories held in the photos. It reminded me of the unbelievable power they have to transport you back to a feeling stored in your cells, to reconnect with family that are now gone, to introduce and share these special people with the ones that are with you now. No matter how skilled you are at story telling and recalling, there is something so impactful and irreplaceable in a photograph to really create the felt sense of who they were and what life was like in that moment.

Having pictures taken of you is a very vulnerable feeling for most of us. Even in the age of the selfie the majority of us are not comfortable with it. It is scary and new, we are self conscious, we are not professional models, how do I do this, I’m not comfortable with how I look, do we look good, how do I stand or act or even do this, what about if the kids melt down or stop listening, or our partner is super grumpy, will this be worth the money, we’re not this kind of people to hire a photographer, the list is endless. I promise I understand. And I assure you that everyone feels this way. Every person you see in my photos has felt these things. I have seen it all, and we always move through whatever is happening for you in the moment and make beautiful images. That is exactly why you hire a professional, for we help melt these worries away, have some fun, and send you home with gorgeous images, memories you can share for generations.

I have been doing this long enough to see trends come and go, and it’s been fascinating to watch the test of time reveal which photographic monuments are lasting and which slip away. Though life is marked by the grand events, it is most defined by the fine daily details we live through ceaselessly. This, I believe, is where the magic begins, ultimately shaping our momentous occasions. Falling in love, for instance, does not happen all at once. It happens through a series of rushes and bursts, stages, hours, days, maybe years, culminating in––perhaps––a wedding. When I photograph a wedding, I set out to identify all those mini-moments that have worked together to breathe life into what is now a union, not only between two people, but of your entire family lines.

I’m originally from Minnesota, and a gut instinct brought me to Maui in 2009 after moving state to state for many years. I shot my first wedding in 2010 and transitioned to working as a full time photographer in 2013. I’m ever inspired by the fierce beauty of the islands and the love fostered within them. In fact, one of the main reasons I’m drawn to wedding and family photography is that I love love and the love goggles I wear make it easy to see and capture the love between people.

Some may wonder when, right off the bat, they see me carrying only the equipment on my body with nothing extra, no light reflectors or strobes. But I see it as my objective to be as unobtrusive as possible, and to sensitively feel into the brewing of it all. In my experience, extra equipment can sometimes get in the way, distracting some from being in the now. And the now is exactly what I’m looking to find. We take photos to remember events, but also to remember a sensation or a feeling, something to take us back. I also like to be mindful of the fact that everyone has different comfort levels around cameras, which is another reason I like to work light. 

So speaking of hearts, I ask that you look with yours as your scroll through my galleries. If you’re looking to book a session, what it comes down to, I believe, is that you love how you feel when you see the photos. The images we create together will be lasting representations of your memories, and I want you to feel like we genuinely captured your now.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the experience and who I am, I would LOVE to connect with you. We can email, text, chat on the phone, have a video call, or meet for a cup of something somewhere. 

Thank you for making your way to my work.