Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Curtis.
Amanda, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I never knew I wanted to be a photographer until I became one. Yes, you read that right; I had no plans or intentions on starting a business until my mother-in-law inspired me to do so- and I’m so glad she did! I never viewed myself as creative or artistic, but I have always loved to learn, explore, and dive into new things. I loved being a student through high school and college and I actually enjoyed spending hours each day working on homework and studying for exams! (Super strange, I know.) My dreams and goals were always changing, but I decided to become a high school teacher so I could work with students to show them the benefits of self-driven learning inside and outside of school.
When I jumped into the field of photography, my interest in research and education is what made me develop a passion for being a business owner and capturing beautiful images. I started off by taking pictures of my children, and I realized there was far more to learn about using a professional camera than I had ever imagined. I needed to research how to manually adjust each setting on the camera and how to manipulate several variables under different lighting conditions. It was exciting to research these new topics, which led me to realize that I was far from knowing it all. After studying camera settings, natural and artificial lighting, poses, prompts, setting up websites and contracts, business and legal aspects, marketing, and insurance, I knew the field on photography would always inspire me develop new questions and put them into practice. I’m very thankful that my mother-in-law saw the potential I had before I even realized it. When I started to take clients, my passion for capturing precious moments and details grew like wildfire and I still am genuinely excited for every session I schedule.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
To my surprise, starting a business has been a fairly smooth road, but it certainly has taken up a lot of my time. I’m usually very busy, but that is no different than what I’m used to. Instead of relaxing when on my maternity leave, I decided to start my master’s degree and establish my business. My master’s degree was online and I worked very hard to accelerate through twelve graduate courses in just ten weeks. I was notified that I was the first student to ever complete those courses in that time frame, but instead of taking the rest of my maternity leave to relax with my newborn, I was crazy enough to start my business at that time too! I found clients immediately and through word of mouth and social media posts, my calendar started to fill up. I am now booking a couple months or more in advance and sometimes having trouble squeezing extra sessions into my schedule, which I never imaged would happen so quickly! I am still working on finding a good balance between being a mom, wife, teacher, and photographer, but I’m loving every moment of it! I will be continuing the remainder of my master’s degree this fall as well which may pose some challenges for a few months, but I feel lucky and blessed to love what I do and be off to a great start with my business.
A separate challenge as a photographer is that many people think that if they have a nice camera, they can take their own professional photos. I’ve received many complements on how I must have great gear and lenses to produce nice pictures, and although that is important, it means nothing without experience and knowledge. Photographers manually change camera functions and settings throughout the entire photoshoot based on the number of people in a picture or how bright or dark a scene is, then we need to position the client in a way to produce soft flattering light. Editing is a whole other factor as well! I promise there is a lot more to it than just snapping away with a fancy camera. And with new technological advancements, cell phone pictures are getting better too, but nothing compares to the product produced by a photographer so I hope that families still realize that!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Amanda J. Curtis Photography – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’m the business owner and photographer for Amanda J. Curtis Photography in Dudley, MA. I love to capture small details and I retouch images to have them be true to color, but bright and airy. I either shoot at outdoor locations or in the client’s home. I have been photographing most occasions, but I have a sweet spot for maternity, fresh 48, cake smashes, and engagement sessions. I love working with couples that are excited to get married or have a baby, and it’s always a pleasure to meet the newborn that the couple was patient waiting and preparing for. I usually bring a set up for studio style newborn shots right to a client’s house so they don’t need to rush to an appointment or leave their home days after birth! After asking for feedback from past clients, I’m told I am known for being responsive, communicating thoroughly before and after a photoshoot, and for delivering the final images quickly.
I’m most proud of my clients that keep my business going! I continue to work with amazing people with beautiful families, and they refer their friends and family members to my business as well. I love hearing that a client is booking with me because they loved my work from their sister or friend’s session, and I absolutely love getting repeat clients that want to capture all of their child’s milestones. I almost feel like a part of the family when I see the same clients so often!
What sets me apart from other photographers is that I can personally connect with any age group. I’m a mom with young kids, so I can quickly understand any concerns or fears that a new mom may have during a newborn shoot. Safety is always my number one priority and I always treat each baby like my own. Having young kids and working with teenagers makes it easy to stay up to date with current interests and trends which can help me connect with my clients and understand their preferences for their images. I’m also married, so I’ve been through the whole wedding planning process and know how important it is to capture perfect engagement shots for save the date cards, and to provide wedding timeline suggestions and tips to prepare for the big day!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m loving everything that I’ve learned about photography so far, and I’m looking forward to try new techniques and grow in my business. I plan to build up my business so I have a steady flow of clients throughout the years and I hope to continuously improve my work to impress my clients. I have never liked the mentality of setting and reaching goals, because goals should provide personal development with no near end point. I don’t want to ever settle and be content with my work because with more experience and knowledge, photography products should always display growth and improvement. Since I am already lucky enough to have many clients that keep my business flourishing, I may specialize in the future to focus on only a few areas of photography. As for now, I’m enjoying capturing families’ love and excitement with their kids at any age, so I will be keeping my options open to anything for now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amandajcurtisphotography.com
- Email: amandajcurtisphotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandajcurtisphotography/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandajcurtisphotography
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