Summer Eaton shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Summer, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’m being called to photograph a lot of memorials and final send offs. A year ago if I had been asked to photograph a funeral I would have panicked. I hadn’t even attended a funeral, let alone knew the etiquette of a funeral!
Now I get asked every few months and I’m always so honored that I’ve been asked to be the one to provide those final images of those precious last moments with their loved ones. It makes my heart so full to know that I can provide these memories for the families and friends.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Summer Eaton and I am the owner and primary photographer at Summer Eaton Photography. I work alongside my husband, who acts as my second shooter, to capture those fairytale moments in life. Together we will photograph weddings, engagements, and couples. Solo I photograph the more raw parts of life, including but not limited to birth, newborns, boudoir, and end of life.
Right now I am actually working on building a mobile photography studio. My hope is that I can bring the studio experience right to my clients, especially for newborn and end of life photography.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be I was an artist. I loved writing and telling stories. I loved drawing, although admittedly I wasn’t good at it. I loved to create. The world quickly told me that you don’t get paid to be an artist. So for a while there I stopped. I went to college for a boring degree. I got a job in a boring field. But as I got older that artistic itch came back. I knew that if I wanted to be happy in life I’d have to go back to art. At some point I think I told the world “hey I HAVE to be an artist. You’re not stopping me. I’m here to create.” I found a cheap camera on sale and realized I loved taking pictures, even if nobody cared to see them.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Oh most definitely. There were a few times where I sat down and I remember asking myself why am I sitting here struggling when I could just pack it up and work a 9 to 5 like everyone else. And then I shot my first solo wedding. And then I was featured artist in a magazine. And then I had two of my images featured in PhotoVogue. So forth and so on. Every time I almost thought of giving up the universe showed me how great I could be if I just chose to continue on.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My cats! Literally everybody in my life knows that I will live and die by my cats. I even have them tattooed on me. I am obsessed with them.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
It’s not just about the business, it’s also about building your community. I could become the best most well known photographer on earth, but if I don’t have a strong community what do I have? If everything is a competition you will end up alone when you reach the top, and nobody wants that. Everybody wants people that are there to cheer you on, but what about those people that help you after you fall? At the end of the day everyone needs that community, or it’s all for nothing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Summereatonphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/summereatonphotography?igsh=aDZjNzVsc3Q5b3ow
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19GtUHwWWU/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: TikTok: @summereatonphotography
Image Credits
Summer Eaton Photography
