Who do you know that owns 35 cameras that range from across the 20th century? Emma Corcoran is a dual credit student at ECC with a passion for art and a unique hobby. 

As a Burlington Central freshman, Corcoran enrolled in a photography class and purchased her first film camera. Corcoran quickly discovered a passion for taking and developing photos in an old fashioned way.

“I got this camera and I started doing film development and I absolutely fell in love with it,” Corcoran said. “Even the worst parts of the developer smell on your hands— I loved it. It was just part of that nitty gritty of photography.”

Since her time in that class, Corcoran has fallen in love with the old technology of cameras and her passion for analog photography quickly evolved into a collection that she continues to add too.  

“There’s something about an old camera that’s just the coolest thing in the world,” Corcoran said.  “I think old cameras have this grunginess and this old timey steampunk aesthetic to them that I’m so attracted to. It’s just so rock and roll.”

Corcoran has always had an interest in the arts. She began her journey as a dancer and as she progressed through her dance career, she started to explore more artistic mediums. She experimented with painting and drawing but photography helped her discover her true artistic passion: fashion.  

“I think I always thought of fashion as my passion in life,” Corcoran explained. “I hate saying fashion is my passion, but it was something I always loved. But when I started photography, I really started to look at it as an art form instead of shopping.”

In the fall Corcoran will be attending Columbia College in Chicago where she will major in fashion merchandising.

After graduating college, she hopes to start her career on a product development team with a brand or at a clothing store. She believes that her passion for photography will help her in the professional fashion world.