Today we’d like to introduce you to Emilie Phillipson.
Hi Emilie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started to dabble in photography after I became a mom! I realized how quickly my first baby was growing and changing. I hired photographers a couple of times during that first year of parenthood, but because of my chronic “I can do that myself” attitude, I thought I could easily just buy a nice camera and do the same work as a professional. Well, that quickly turned out to be unsuccessful, so I started taking actual photography classes. Once I got started, I couldn’t stop and I photographed everyone who would let me. After a couple years of building a business that serviced everyone and everything–weddings, seniors, families, newborns, pets, you name it, I did it–I decided that my passion and desire was to work full time with families and newborns. Motherhood was what first inspired me to learn photography, and motherhood is where I now stay!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not much of it has felt like a smooth road. I spent years barely making more than what I spent trying to run a business and hone in my skills. For several years I also worked a full-time office job, and fit in photography sessions on the evenings and weekends. It was really rough trying to build a business that celebrated families and motherhood, all while spending more time with *other* families than my own. And while I love photographing, running a business in 2026 means you have to learn (or spend funds to outsource) many other parts of your business, like marketing, social media, accounting, website management… the list is never-ending and you really cannot do it all, even if you don’t want to let go of aspects of the business!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an in-home family and newborn photographer in the Portland area. I am passionate about creating art for families based on their real lives and what makes sense for them. I don’t care if families live in a rental space or own a Street of Dreams home, my simple goal is always to photograph the everyday moments that happen regularly…so mundane they’re almost forgotten… and help families remember not just how they and their children *looked* during this time, but how they *felt*. The people they love, doing the things they love, in the places they love.
While the photography industry seems to be bursting with photographers with very extroverted, loud, and hyper personalities (and I love that for them!). one thing that sets me apart is embracing my naturally calm and grounding personality to connect with and observe families. While I absolutely love the chaos that comes with photographing young kids (I’m a mom, too!), I strive to find the quiet moments within a family dynamic that are sometimes buried a little deeper beneath the surface…the ones that you have to intentionally draw out a little more than just encouraging wild running and forced cheesy smiles.
How do you think about luck?
I’ve had a little bit of good and bad luck at times, along with a heavy dose of hard work! I’ve definitely had to learn some things the hard way because of bad luck. I’ve had equipment fail on me and had to spend thousands to have repair work done, because I didn’t have an extensive enough backup system ready to go when I should have. That one hurt! I’ve had good luck happen to me too, sometimes in stunning shots that I couldn’t have planned better if I’d tried. But overall, a profitable business and a good reputation are not built by luck, they’re built over years of consistently putting in the time and effort to make a great experience for my clients, unique art, and wise business decisions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emiliephillipson.com
- Instagram: @emilie.phillipson
