“Anyone can take a picture of someone sitting or standing in front of a fake background with a fake smile. But what is special about that?” asks Emily Esslinger, owner of Golden Aura Photography. “I still remember the day that my family got our photos professionally done. I was 13 years old, and had just gotten into a quarrel with my dad… It was awkward, uncomfortable, and felt so forced that we all had to be at certain angles in front of a purple curtain and smile at the camera. I hated it!” shared Emily.
Emily’s style is anything but uncomfortable! We’ve collaborated with this talented New Hampshire based photographer for the month of September to bring our Facebook and Instagram followers a taste of moments that make life matter.
“My passion is to photograph special moments between families so they can look back at those moments, smile and feel all the feels.
“Most importantly I want to capture the raw emotion of parents when they admire their kids in candid shots, so that when the kids have only photos to look back on they can see just how much their parents truly love them.”
The most moving moment in her photography career was working with a family whose 4 year old daughter has Leukemia: “I asked them to sit in a field while I changed my lens and when I looked up they were all so close, comforting each other in their own way, and communicating without saying a word. I gave them no direction and just shot silently. Their sick little baby girl gave her mom a kiss, while the dad hugged their older daughter while taking in the scenery and it was just a peaceful beautiful moment that brings me to tears when I look at it because you can FEEL the love when you look at it.”
Emily lives and works from a farm in Chesterfield, a small town in New Hampshire. She typically serves clients in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts clients, but she is open to traveling anywhere!
You’ll have the opportunity to view some of Emily’s work this month through our Dimples Moments collection on social media. Hope you enjoy!
Get in Touch with Emily:
Insta: @goldenauraphotography
Web: goldenauraphotography.com
Here’s a little bit more about Emily from our interview:
WHERE DID THE NAME OF YOUR COMPANY COME FROM?
I love, love, LOVE natural sunlight – particularly, “The Golden Hour”. There has always been a special place in my heart for sunsets, as I feel it’s always a way of God reminding me of his love for me. When I started dabbling in photography I was naturally drawn to photographing during the Golden hour. It felt so fitting to use a name that depicts my style of shooting. So I went with Golden which means: having glowing vitality, radiant, full of happiness and prosperity, rich and smooth. And Aura which means: A Distinctive but Intangible quality that seems to surround a person or thing, atmosphere.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE AREA OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND WHY?
Definitely children’s photography! They are so candid, and honest. The younger they are the less self conscience they in front of the camera. It’s amazing how when I take a picture of them and show them on the back of my camera they giggle and love it! As we grow older we become more self conscience and instead of seeing the beauty in a photograph our eyes instantly go to our “problem areas” of what we don’t approve. I wish we could all have the mindset of children and just love life, love ourselves, and approve of the fun loving photos captured of ourselves.
WHAT MAKES YOUR COMPANY UNIQUE?
I strive for perfection. I work hard to produce the most genuine emotions during a shoot. I get down and dirty to provide the best photos. I am not just a photographer; I am a stylist, comedian, therapist, and friend. Every person comes in to a session nervous and unsure, and leaves saying that was so fun and they can’t wait to do it again.