Emma Gallaher was always losing the lens cap to her camera growing up.

Sitting at a small, circular table in Hurricane Coffee shop for this interview with her Canon EOS30D, Gallaher’s camera lens is still without a cap. This quirk would later serve as a catchy name for her freelance photography business — losinglenscaps.

Gallaher, a Sequim High School senior, is on a mission to capture the young personalities of the peninsula through her photography. Her business has picked up over the last year with senior portraits, couple and family photos, and social media collaborations for local businesses such as Hurricane Coffee.

“Ever since I grew up, I’ve always messed around with cameras,” Gallaher said.

“My style has very much developed more this year than anything else and a lot more people have been taking notice.”

The demand for senior photos has increased significantly in the last year, she said, and she is pleased to offer her fellow classmates quality photos at an affordable price.

Gallaher was approached by Hurricane Coffee owner Teresa Gordon about one month ago if she was interested in collaborating with the business’ social media. She had previously worked on the shop’s chalk wall with a friend before she was approached about photography.

“For right now, even just for a short increment it gives me total exposure,” Gallaher said. “And exposure to their community.”

She said this is the first business that has reached out to her and she is excited to have her work out there for the community to see.

Gordon said she has been getting to know Gallaher over the last several years and is looking forward to working with her for the business’ social media.

“We’re super excited,” she said. “This is a space to get to know each other on a personal and professional level.”

Gordon said she has been working with Gallaher on taking still shots of drinks and products and wants to possibly get involved with other students from Sequim High School’s photography class to support their talents as well.

“We like to support the youth at Hurricane,” Gordon said. “Giving them a venue of some sort and starting the development of whatever that may look like.”

Inspiration

Gallaher said her photography is inspired by her friends and youth in the community as well as the surrounding area of the peninsula.

“I just want to document personalities because there’s so many people that go under the floor mat and they don’t get exposed, which is a sad thing to me,” she said.

“I want to capture their personality and show them what other people see in them.”

Gallaher said “youth” does not exclusively mean teenagers, but anyone who portrays youth in their personality.

She plans to use the funds from her business to help pay for college and to expand her business.

On top of her freelance photography, Gallaher is a four-year AP art studio student working on a portfolio and filling out college applications.

She said the portfolio she is working on for AP art also is geared toward college and she is creating 12 pieces that reflect 12 parts of depression that people go through.

Talents

Gallaher’s talents also led her to be involved in community art projects such as the mural at Whimsy Park on East Washington Street next to Jose’s Famous Salsa. She also co-wrote the winning film at last year’s Sequim Education Film Festival with Sequim High grad and aspiring filmmaker Luke Silliman.

In the future, Gallaher is thinking about applying to colleges such as the California Institute of the Arts, Western Washington University and Colombia College Chicago where Silliman attends.

Gallaher said she is contemplating a degree in photojournalism and a minor in business and she’s exploring potential internship opportunities.

“The type of people you reach is insane, whether it’s a good shoot or a bad shoot, you’re always learning something,” she said. “And that’s one of the most rewarding things and why I would probably want this to be my career.”

She said a website for her business is in the works but interested clients can look up “losinglenscaps” on Instagram and find her page at https://www.instagram.com/losinglenscaps/?hl=en.

Emma Gallaher took this photo for a Hurricane Coffee social media post announcing the shop’s collaboration with youth in the community. Submitted photo