For this month’s partner spotlight, we’re excited to introduce you to Elizabeth Martinez of ECM Photo. Elizabeth is based in Los Angeles, California; and specializes in lifestyle and event photography. Liz is a candid storyteller who uses her performance background to capture the excitement and emotion of every wedding!

Elizabeth’s love of photography started to develop in high school when she was on a traveling team and started keeping a photo journal of all her travels. She would take her disposable camera on each trip and still has boxes of the photo prints taken on those trips! Liz’s passion for photography continued to grow in college taking photography and production classes where she learned the love of fundamental photography, framing shots, the art of good lighting, patterns, tones, and spending time in the dark room. In Liz’s own words, “I’ve always been a performer and photography is just another form of performance art for me.” We got the chance to catch up with Elizabeth and ask about her journey. Read on to get some insight on ECM Photo in her own words!

Liz, give us the backstory on ECM Photo.

ECM Photo has been my photography journey over the past seven years. I’ve worked in portrait studios, assisted event photographers on major productions, shot smaller corporate events, family parties, family portraits, sporting events, concerts, lifestyle blogger campaigns, jewelry, food, architecture, real estate, and weddings. I love experiencing new things, it keeps life interesting and pushes me to be better as a photographer. I don’t want to say I’m only one type of photographer because I’m not. I’m versatile, flexible and I’m not scared of challenges. ECM Photo is my way of journaling my personal growth as a professional photographer and when people come to my website I hope they see that. I didn’t just pick up an iPhone a year ago and decide that I’m now a photographer, I’ve put in years of time and energy, trial and error, tears, frustration, heartache, wins, losses and I’m very proud of where I am today.

Where do you find the motivation to create each day?

Literally everything motivates me to create. My mind and eyes are constantly framing shots and searching for light. Whether I’m walking around my neighborhood, at a party, talking to a friend, or at a wedding; I’m always observing and taking notice of my surroundings. It helps that I live in a pretty magical place, Long Beach, California. Our world is so beautiful and interesting, I can’t help but feel inspired daily.  

I also work with a creative agency and we recently started a non-profit, Long Beach Architecture Week. I am completely in love with Long Beach – the beach, city, art, architecture, and vibe are all so captivating. Architecture Week highlights everything that I love so much about Long Beach. It is 10 days of tours, seminars, parties, and art happenings that celebrate and foster an appreciation of architecture and design in the City of Long Beach and I’m obsessed! I love exploring old buildings and learning the history behind them, it’s fascinating to me. As the Executive Director of Long Beach Architecture Week, I’d love to invite anyone interested to LBAW 2020. It is happening in the first week of June and I hope to see you there! Check out our website for more details.

What makes you different from other photographers?

I think what sets me apart from other photographers is my warm nature. I feel like I’m an easy person to talk to and get along with; and I think my clients can feel that from me, which is so important. Especially when you have someone who is shy or uncomfortable in front of the camera. I make it a point to give direction and feedback when clients need it. I want my clients to feel their very best when we shoot and I feel like my easy going nature really helps get them in the right mindset.

What do you like to do outside of work?

My favorite thing to do outside of work is spending time with my family and friends. I love going to the beach, art walks, concerts, community events, farmers markets, breweries and so much more. I also enjoy traveling and need to do more of it, so if you’re considering a destination wedding, I’m all in!

We’d like to thank Elizabeth for giving us a little insight into ECM Photo. We absolutely love her style of photography and the energy she brings to each shoot. Recently, we partnered with Liz on a New Year’s Eve shoot that took place At The Top which you can see more of here!