Meet Erika Stewart | Owner and Lead Photographer

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

Hi Erika, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
In the wayy beginning- 2013, Work/life balance was mainly work, and life fit into the cracks that were available. But that is what happens when you have a full time 40+hr/week job plus jump starting your business. It wasn’t until last year that I realized burnout is not a glamorous thing, and the balance needed to be more even. Now, we are a little more selective on the shoots we take, the parameters around editing, and when to have our phones switched out of work mode at night. After having my daughter this past August, I again changed the balance to have Sundays and Mondays completely off-limits so I can have family time, and a day to reset. The balance is so important to make sure you can fill your own cup, which will help you fill others more efficiently and being able to give your best self to your mission, vision, and clients.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
So, in 2013 I earned my bachelors degree in photography and business from Grand Valley State University. When I moved back to the east side of Michigan, I started my photography business, and my career in weddings by being a stylists for brides and selling wedding gowns. This really drove the passion behind our wedding photography portion of It Clicks Photo. We have huge hearts and love to plan ourselves which helps our couples when it comes to them planning their own wedding. I am always a short email or text away for our It Clicks couples who need help with their wedding- whether it is questions about things photographing well, all the way to bossy mother-in-laws and how to help keep them at bay during photo time (again, started selling gowns, so I know how family can be tough when it comes to weddings. I have so much knowledge and training on this topic it’s insane).
Another thing that sets us a part is I edit all of our photos in true-to-tone and color meaning you will always know what color your flowers were on your wedding day, if the sky was blue, how the sunset looked, the colors of your bridesmaids and groomsmen. Let’s face it- our memories are going to fade at one point or another, and your wedding photography is an investment. It should be preserved right so when you’re 70 looking back on your photos, you can say “ah, yes. Those dahlias in my bouquet were so vibrant and made me crazy happy.
I am most proud of the progress we make and continue to make. In the next year or so, we are looking to expand our team to help spread the word about It Clicks, and we’re looking into our own studio! Exciting things are coming.
But I must say, getting to where we are now was not a walk in the park. I began It Clicks Photo in 2013 after graduating, and it wasn’t until 2017 that I felt confident enough to step away from a full-time job to really pursue my business all the way. The same year (2017) I started to bring on interns, and in 2018 Sara joined us full-time to second shoot weddings. Since then, I’ve seen tremendous growth in both of us in our shooting, editing, and style. It’s so cool to see and has been a ton of work. Sara now takes elopement and smaller weddings by herself which helps us continue to grow. I am so proud of her.
Trusting others with my vision and my business was not easy, but I knew it was necessary to scale to what this has always been called to be. As much as I tried to do everything myself, I knew I could only go so far because I am only one person. We’re in business to make people feel at ease, relaxed in front of our lens, and loved- so so loved. The world can be cold, and it brings a smile to my face knowing we give warmth to others on their important day.
I’ve learned you truly can’t do life alone and it takes a team to help with your vision. Luckily we are building a lovely team- not just photographers but also someone to help with taxes, my coach Mallory, assistants on bigger shoots- so on and so forth. Listening to your gut and feeling out the vibes people give will always guide you in the right direction and help bring on the right people who align with your mission.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would definitely spend the day hanging out on Belle Isle, visiting Eastern Market for the Eastern Market Vintage, the Sheds, and other shopping. From there, we would check out what local events are happening, and go to The Grand Trunk for ruben sandwiches and onion rings. Maybe shop on Woodward, and then head to Townhouse for dinner. At nighttime, we would find what shows were going on, and either have a night out at TV Bar, Marble Bar, Spotlight, or Tangent Gallery.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to Mallory Campbell, and her Level Up + Next Level groups! She helped me realize that we cannot just pour pour pour and give give give when we have nothing for ourselves. But rather, if we look inside and find who we are truly meant to be, honor it, and fuel ourselves, we can go so much further with our dreams, our energy, and our lives.

Website: www.itclicksphoto.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/itclicksphoto

Facebook: www.facebook.com/itclicksphoto

Tiktok: @erika_stewart Pinterest: @stewaeri

Image Credits
PC: It Clicks Photo