How a chance encounter led to working with Hollywood royalty Emerson Miller On-set photographer for TV drama series Yellowstone
Angelina Jolie said to me 'Buddy your job here is literally 99% of the marketing and if you want me to climb a tree, I probably will, because we are helping each other
Originally from the gritty favelas of São Paulo, Brazil, Emerson Miller moved to Los Angeles to chase his dream of becoming a photographer. While working at a car wash on Hollywood Blvd, he had a chance encounter with Nicole Muirbrook – the wife of Taylor Sheridan, creator of smash-hit TV show Yellowstone – which landed him the gig as the show’s on-set photographer, rapidly transforming dream into reality.
Since then, he’s shot everyone from Angelina Jolie to Kevin Costner to Dame Helen Mirren and Sam Elliott, with his work appearing in Vogue, GQ and Elle and on billboards all over the world.
The job of an on-set photographer is a little-known, but integral role for any TV show and film, with their photographs used across everything promotional – including billboards, social media, magazines, you name it! Here, Emerson shares his personal experience of how he works on set (spoiler: it may involve interrupting Kevin Costner’s reverie!), how he picks his moments between takes, plus, the charisma, talent and nerve needed to get that shot.
Follow Emerson @emersonmiller
EPISODE INSIGHTS
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A window into life working on a smash-hit show
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Learning on the job (fast) and on-set etiquette
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How to identify and capture ‘the moment’
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The value of a mentor
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How personal reinvention can take you where you want to be
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Why a photographer’s job is to remain open to the creative process
What did you think of this episode? Drop us a DM @creativebloodworld
EPISODE CREDITS
Hosted by Laura Conway
Produced by Scenery Studios
Show music by Ben Tarrant-Brown
Video by Nicola Collins
Emerson Loves
listen: Luke Grimes
The Yellowstone actor has just released a self-titled debut album of country music
read: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
The debut novel from Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong
visit: D.O.M
Renowned for its innovative Brazilian cuisine and led by chef Alex Atala, D.O.M. has earned international acclaim and is often regarded as one of the best restaurants in Latin America
visit: National Cowgirl Museum, Texas
The only museum in the world dedicated to honouring women of the American West