Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Pavlock.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
What drew me into photography is familiar to the stories of many fellow photographers I’ve met; my children. However, the deep need to document their little lives from birth stems from the lack of photographs I have to reminisce over my own childhood. I can count on one hand, the number of pictures I have of me when I was a baby. Even now, I can close my eyes and see those images in my mind. They are photos of the home I grew up in but can no longer visit, family who I love deeply but can no longer embrace, and memories that I would give anything to relive. I’ve memorized them by heart and still marvel over the fact that they’ve actually made it through all these years.
Photographs serve as a time capsule that can transport you back and breathe new life into the moments that may have otherwise faded in our memories. I chose to step into photography because I wanted my children to have these pieces of history to look back on as we share stories of ‘remember whens.’ Being able to share that gift with other families is just the cherry on top.
Please tell us about your art.
Something I’ve noticed about my style is that I tend to favor the candid shots above the overly posed type of photographs. Although my focus is on shooting small families, as a creative, I don’t like to narrow my options too much and love to venture out of my comfort zone. In fact, one of my favorite recent shoots was an in-home session that documented a family’s beloved fur-baby in her natural element, eating Whataburger and watching Will & Grace. It wasn’t a typical shoot, but it was refreshing and opened up the chance for me to play around with new ideas that relit that creative fire in me.
Regardless of what type of session I am doing, I like to have a phone call before we meet to collaborate our ideas and thoroughly consider the important details my clients want to document. Call me old-fashioned, but I just feel like there’s something so personal about a verbal conversation instead of an email. It really opens up the communication and sets the tone for our shoot.
Sessions with me usually include blanket rides, tickle fights, secrets shared, and Q+A moments that keep things interesting! One of the most profound pieces of advice I’ve been given was that a client is more likely to love an image not because of how it looks but because of how they FELT taking it. If you feel happy and are genuinely enjoying yourself, it shows.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
Being a part of an artistic community can be overwhelming at times. You aren’t plugged in with ‘co-workers’ who can give you professional advice and your income ebbs and flows. Something that I would recommend to anyone who is just starting out is to find a local community who can give you advice on smart decisions that will help to give you a solid start. For example, with photography, I knew very little about what equipment or software I needed to begin with and the price range varies from hundreds to thousands. I reached out to a few friends and photography groups on Facebook and was given enough information that gave me confidence in making that first investment.
Do something that sets you apart from others and be true to yourself. It’s very easy to get caught up in the what’s trending and lose sight of why you started. If you are creating something that is authentic and your own, you are going to succeed and your business will flourish. There’s is no better pay off than when someone recognizes your work because you’ve created a consistent, stand out style.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can find me on social media & I have a website:
https://asp-photography.smugmug.com
https://www.facebook.com/aspphotograph/
https://www.instagram.com/aspphotog/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://asp-photography.smugmug.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspphotog/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aspphotograph/
Image Credit:
{ASP} Photography–Amanda Pavlock
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