Meet Eleanor DeMore | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eleanor DeMore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eleanor, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
As a creative, my work is deeply personal and my style, though inspired by others at times, is unique to me. I think the only way for me to freely make photographs and be satisfied with the whole process from inquiry to gallery delivery was for me to start my own business. I did it as a hobby for a long time and realized that people are not only willing, but excited to pay for what I do. It’s an honor to be trusted with task of telling people’s stories visually. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
What sets me apart from others is that I am the only me. As far as my gear, technical skill, or the final product you will receive, there are plenty of other photographers out there that will give you a quality image, but the experience of being photographed is vulnerable and intimate. The person you trust to be your photographer must be someone you are comfortable with, that helps you let your guard down and be authentic. I’m the only one who creates that space in the way that I do.

The work I am most proud of was done in Southeast Asia. I traveled to Northern Vietnam as a documentary photographer gathering content for my sister’s fair-trade jewelry company she started in Sapa. I got to witness the story of the jewelry being made by one local tribe of women from start to finish, This wasn’t just beads on a piece of metal, but fabric woven, dyed and embroidered by hand. I can feel the beat of my heart quicken even as I write about it. I don’t have words for the beauty of this experience and culture, but I have my photographs. Thank God.

Where I am today feels like a moving train that I hopped on a long time ago out of curiosity and for the sake of fun. It’s been a journey of self-doubt, camparison robbing my joy, and feeling like an imposter, but then there are these moments where all of that disappears and I feel this glorious obligation to use the skills that now come very instinctually to capture moments that are lighting my heart up. It’s not been easy and I have worked extremely hard to get to where I am. I have invested time, money, and so much energy into my work. My husband has invested so much in me.

The business side is my weakness, but there are so many resources and mentors out there that are waiting to be tapped into. One of the biggest lessons is to take one step at a time. That sounds simple, but I can get overwhelmed when I think of how much I don’t know and where I want to be. If I just put my head down and work on one task at a time, before I know it, I’ve moved farther than I thought I could!

I want people to know how much I love it. There are so many photographers out there that are talking about burnout and finding ways to make passive income so you don’t have to shoot anymore. I have nothing against that and maybe it will be me one day, but right now I want to be shooting, I want to be editing, and I want to be helping people pause their stories in time authentically so that they can hold onto and share them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, it’s hard to know whether a hike or coffee is a better way to wake up, but thankfully Phoenix has beaucoups of both. The Phoenix Mountain Preserve offers a variety of levels of distance and elevation for a solid sunrise hike. Although I love a good coffee made on the jetboil at the summit, the next stop would still have to be a coffee shop. My choices would be Press, Cartel or Moxi. Solid cups of specialty joe at both. Dick’s Hideaway has got to be my absolute favorite for a brunch of New Mexican cuisine with unmatched ambiance. If you’re looking for breakfast pastries or fresh sourdough bread, Proof Bakery is the place to go. Other brunch spots would be The Henry, LGO, and Luci’s at the Orchard. Rock climbing is one of my favorite activities outdoor and inside. There are beautiful local spots for bouldering, sport and trad as well as some solid indoor climbing gyms. Berry Berry Acai is the best Acai I have ever had and it’s good any time of day. For dinner spots, there is no way to disappoint me if there is pizza involved. Some of my favorite pizza spots are Pizzeria Bianco, Doughbird and Il Bosco. I don’t drink alcohol, but my favorite mocktails are served at Buck & Rider. And finally, for dessert, because every day should be based primarily on food… LGO’s bake shop has the most incredible key lime pie I’ve ever had and I’m obsessed with the Tiramisu at North Italia. If you want to catch a show, The Van Buren is an awesome venue and the Art Museums in Phoenix are also solid options for entertainment. I’m sure I haven’t even scratched the surface, but if you are visiting me, if nothing else, we gonna eat WELL. 

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Billy Weeks. The man was my photojournalism professor in college. I have photo hobbyists in my family who are gifted with the eye, but I never really had any interest in making photos until I was taught how to see a story. He taught me how to observe situations, look for the story that is playing out and capture it in a way that makes words unnecessary. He taught me how to do what words cannot with my camera. There have been plenty of photographers who have inspired my work from Ansel Adams to Brandon Stanton, but the rest of the credit and recognition goes to every human that has been on the other side of my lens. Whether you have paid me or not, if you have been vulnerable enough to let me make your photo, you have helped shaped my gift into what it is today and I can’t show enough gratitude for that.

Website: https://eleanor-photo.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eleanor.photo/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-demore-a8b5825a/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eleanortrescott/

Image Credits
Eleanor Photo