We recently connected with Eva Woolridge and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Eva, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
Simply put, life’s hardships. We all experience them, and yet it can so easily sway us to isolate ourselves. To suffer quietly. I don’t say this to be pessimistic, but instead a realist. Because feeling hardship in the end is quite beautiful for me, once I make it to the other side. When you’re going through it, it’s utterly isolating, cold, and sometimes teters along the lines of hopelessness. But once you make it through the season of hardship, as it’s only a season, you will be in awe at the wisdom gained. Finding true compassion and understanding for others who are going through their season. Finding wisdom through life experiences helps me develop my empathy for others. Stepping out of my comfort zone and challenging myself to explore parts of the world that I wouldn’t find mirror my daily life. Having conversations with strangers during our commutes, smiling, and engaging with others with charm. These are all methods I use to develop my empathy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am an award-winning photographer, director, and public speaker based in Brooklyn NY, originally from South Orange, NJ. I specialize in conceptual storytelling of the feminine energetic experience through portraiture, photojournalism, studio photography, and filmmaking. I am an outspoken activist of reproductive justice for womxn, specifically Black women, queer, and non-binary communities. Ultimately I help people embrace what they find beautiful about themselves through my portraiture work. I created Embrace Your Essence as a series to uplift the self-esteem of all people looking to embrace their full selves.
I have worked in this industry for over 12 years and learned a lot about how true vulnerability is the method to best connect with my audience and encourage progressive change in the systems with navigate in. My work holds a mirror up to societal conditions that no longer serve us, and through my creative pieces, I imagine what a better future could look like. I have worked with Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Peloton, Chips Ahoy, Boys & Girls Club, and Uber to name a few clients.
I have a Tedx Talk that speaks about how art is a vessel to heal from trauma, a process we shouldn’t feel, but instead embrace as it adds further depth to our human experiences. I teach workshops with Leica Camera, Skillshare, and Universities on the social ethics of photography: how to photograph communities without exploiting them. The social responsibility of documentation. My work was exhibited in major states and countries such as Washington State, Washington D.C., Berlin, Germany, Rio, Brazil, Boston, Massachusetts and I have a solo exhibition in Miami this February.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Listening is a big one. For anyone starting our in photography and filmmaking, there is such a need to listen to the needs, fears, doubts, and asks of clients. Normally, people are not used to being photographed, and many aren’t comfortable asking for a shoot. And so to find someone ready to trust you with a portrait it’s important to know our roles. We are guiding a person to feel comfortable with themselves and the decision to celebrate themselves. And so we have to listen, making sure our clients feel heard and taken care of.
Another is there will be times when the profession you do may not be as fulfilling anymore. And that is ok. It’s ok and expected to pivot. I understand the fear and doubt; you worked so hard to get to this point in our career and it almost feels like you’re choosing to throw it all away and go back to square one. That’s not true though, that’s fear talking. Art is a forever-evolving form of creation, and the medium will change. Embrace it, and see how your skills can apply to the next vessel. Mine has transferred into filmmaking and I couldn’t be more excited, and scared. And that makes life living as an artist worth it.
One more is relying on referrals. I have worked as an artist fulltime for 3 years, and what has kept me afloat is referrals, and asking. Expanding my network, keeping charming friendships, and being an authentic person that people want to work with. No one wants to work with an asshole, no matter how good they are. And so I want to encourage artists to continue to build their relationships with former clients and ask them for their help to spread the word of your work. Get testimonies. Let others brag about you. It’s only going to help you!
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents were very encouraging toward my brother and I to follow our passions. I grew up with art all around us, my friends would visit our home and say it felt like a museum. We had the great artists of the Harlem Renaissance on our walls. Pieces by Miles Davis and Remere Bearden. They ensured that we focused on school and that we had a great work ethic. And so when I came to them and said I want to be a photographer, they said “Ok, just figure out how you’re going to earn a living.” They encouraged me while keeping me grounded knowing that I’d have to work multiple jobs at once to eventually get to the place to become a full-time photographer. And 10 years later, I am finally here. Thanks to the support and belief of my parents.
Contact Info:
- Website: ew.photos
- Instagram: @ewphotos1
Image Credits
Credit: Eva Woolridge
