Nomadic photographers make a pitstop on Folly for the month of May
by Miranda Steadman | Contributing Writer
Matt and Emily Stanfill, a creative couple from the Atlanta area, rolled the minibus they call home onto Folly Beach last month with plans to share their passion for travel and talent for photography with the local community. The Stanfields have been all over the country, including Florida, Colorado, Oregon, and South Dakota, just to name a few places. After a honeymoon in Jamaica, the Stanfills moved into a GMC Vandura 3500 minibus and have taken it all over the place, documenting the places and people they meet along the way. More than just a hobby, the couple are experienced wedding and event photographers who offer their services wherever they go. They will be on Folly for the month of May.
“Matt and I love to travel and can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for us,” says Emily, who has always had an interest in photography. As she grew up, she fell in love with capturing nature. “For me, it was so beautiful to try and capture all that God had created for us,” says Emily.
Matt and Emily first started dating in middle school. Even then, they both had a passion for photography. A true romantic, Emily says she became in love with being in love and is so grateful to have found it early in life.
“I wanted to be able to capture that for other people … I love hearing and seeing all the amazing love stories of others,” says Emily, who started photographing weddings when she was a senior in high school. “I started off really small and simple and slowly built myself up from there.”
According to Emily, she likes to use a slow shutter to create a romantic blurred effect. During receptions, she captures intriguing light streaks by using the same effect, giving a sense of movement to a still photo and bringing images to life.
In addition to weddings, the Stanfills also photograph senior portraits, engagement ceremonies, family reunions, and maternity photoshoots. They’re both very excited to photograph Folly Beach together this month.
“We like to fly our drone over the beach and find wildlife whenever we get the chance,” says Emily.
When discussing the tools of their trade, the Stanfills state they’ve always been fans of Canon cameras, but have also used Sony products for certain projects. Emily says Sigma is her favorite brand of lenses to use while photographing.
“For weddings, I always use a Sigma 24-70mm … We have a couple others we trade out for different times and Matt likes to keep shoots simple with a ‘Nifty fifty’ for video,” she says.
According to Emily, most of their clients find their business through Facebook or word of mouth.
“This industry can be hard,” says Emily. “The photography market is super saturated, and it can be difficult for people like us who are so young when this is our full-time job.”
She also admits that living on the road can be tough at times, but she believes that the benefits of their nomadic lifestyle still outweigh the challenges.
“Being able to have your home wherever you go is such a unique feeling. We love being able to have everything with us at all times,” she says. “Matt and I like to joke that we only have to make one trip with our groceries,” says Emily.
Samples of the Stanfill’s work may be viewed on their website: www.stanfillphotofilm.mypixieset.com and at their Instagram account, stanfill.photofilm. For photography inquiries, fill out a form on their website and the Stanfills will respond to interested parties.
