Today we’d like to introduce you to Emari Williams.
Hi Emari, can you introduce yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
At a very young age, I knew I wanted to be in entertainment and media. So I starred in plays as early as kindergarten and elementary school, and my love for theatre flourished! I attended Lavilla School of the Arts for Theatre for only a short period and felt that my entertainment dreams would soon become blurry. So I packed up my monologues and focused on school. But something in me wanted more. An opportunity came up for me to tinker with a Nikon camera. And there it was, my interest in photography. Once enrolled as a student at First Coast High School, my plans were set, join NJROTC and the Concert Choir in hopes of getting scholarships for college. So I felt I didn’t have room to fit photography into my schedule, and it began to fade.
Fast forward to 2021, my senior year of Edward Waters University, undergoing Covid-19 restrictions. With little to do outside of work, I struggled to find a healthy distraction to keep from indoor madness. A great friend told me,” Mari, you take pictures of everything!” Little did she know it, that message made me want to start taking photos seriously. I quickly hopped on the Facebook market to purchase my first professional camera. What I thought would be a simple exchange was everything but that. The older gentleman selling me the cameras told of how he only used these for a short time. He bought two, so he and his family could take photos while they traveled, but soon tragedy struck and his daughter, unfortunately, passed away. So he was no longer interested in using them. His story stuck with me and gave me the motivation to keep going. Thank you, Mr. Charles! After exactly a year of photographing everything in sight, MariJayMedia was born and had its first professional photoshoot.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest obstacles I am facing right now are building a professional social media presence and building the confidence to introduce myself as a photographer of my own business. Though this road has not been an easy one, it’s one I’m privileged to be traveling. The easiest part had to be purchasing my first pieces of equipment and seeing my client’s reactions after each session made all the struggles worthwhile.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
As a third-generation tiger, I recently graduated from Edward Waters University, earning my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. While doing so, I have been employed with Amazon and became a substitute teacher, teaching all grade levels and special needs students here in Jacksonville.
So, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you before we go? How can they support you?
I always seek to network and promote marketing with other photographers and artists. This allows me to collaborate ideas and strategic plans with colleagues with the same passion for the lens. Please get in touch with me on all social media platforms for those who would like to collaborate with me or give me any advice. For models and those looking to build their branding portfolio or schedule a professional photo shoot, please feel free to contact me via email, telephone, and all social media platforms. Let’s link with the lens!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/marijaymedia?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084291008313
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@marijaymedia?_t=8WsueIPRSYA&_r=1
