Hello, hi… Welcome to Amanda Jean Media. If you’re here, thank you. This has been an epic passion project that has been years in the making, without me even realizing it. My career journey ever since my first job post-grad has been nothing but boring, and I can’t help but wonder if every little decision I made led me to where I am today; Freshly 29 years old, and feeling like this is what I was made to do.
While there’s a brief introduction on my website under the “about me” tab, I’m writing this for the curious individuals who want to know even more. Because choosing a photographer that… gets you, will make all the difference in the world. Photography is cherishing life’s sweetest moments, so you can remember every detail. It’s art that moves you to tears because the subjects are you and your loved ones. It’s an expression of identity, not just for the photographer, but for the people they serve. It should feel like you. You should hang your photos in your living room so that every time you enter the space, you think, ‘Yes, that feels like me’. So yes, yes, choosing a photographer whose aura speaks to you is important. So let me explain, to the best of my ability, my aura.
I think the key to this career of mine is that I’ve always been a hopeless romantic. Though hopeless romantic doesn’t quite cover how I feel about love and human connection, and is a bit melodramatic. But, I do identify with it. My adult years and experiences have shaped the very realist side of me, and now I know it’s not all butterflies and rainbows, but in high school… I was certainly imagining my love life like it was a fairy tale. One of my best friends in high school once called me a hopeless romantic offhandedly, and that has stuck in my head ever since. For some reason, it felt significant. At the time, I was kind of offended by the comment, and definitely embarrassed. Looking back on it, she was right. I was a dreamer, and could not be stopped!
Fast forward to my adult years, after my brain fully developed (lol), I grew into my knack for connecting people. The dopamine rush I would get after introducing two different friends to each other and then watching them absolutely hit it off… was electric. I even did a little matchmaking for some of my friends in college, and I was always delighted to hear about it actually working out. Even if it was just for a few dates. Through all this, I was learning that I was pretty good at understanding people. Now maybe this isn’t a shock, since I’m the oldest sibling and a Virgo… But I think ever since I was little, there’s always been a part of me that can empathize hard, listen, and just understand.
I moved to Utah from my hometown of Richmond, Virginia (*Midlothian, Virginia for those who know) because I had an itch to explore the mountains. The woods and the mountains, and all the activities that go with exploring that, had a huge positive impact on my life ever since I was introduced to them in college. Camping, climbing, running, biking, snowboarding, the list goes on. Since then, I’ve been revolving my life around the wonders of Mother Nature. And that includes my career. As I was planning my move out west, I was determined to work for an outdoor brand. So I did. I worked for Black Diamond Equipment, and after switching positions within the company 3 times in 2.5 years, I realized that working for them was not what I was looking for after all. I felt a little lost, since I thought the only way to have a career with meaningful connections to the outdoors was to either work for an outdoor company, like Black Diamond Equipment, or to literally be a boots on the ground guide of some sort. And realizing I wanted neither of those… Let's just say I might have had an existential crisis upon that realization. The outdoors was my identity. Was I losing that?
It wasn’t until sometime within a few months of launching my photography business, slowly but surely figuring out my brand and my niche, that I realized I can be a wedding and portrait photographer and still have a career that’s rooted in nature. Nature has always been my muse, so of course, nature can continue to be my muse as I photograph people. In the way I color-grade, the way I incorporate natural elements in each image, the way I choose beautiful, jaw-dropping locations for my clients. It’s all nature-inspired.
So, if you made it this far, I hope this all resonates with you. I hope you’re walking away with a better understanding of my aura. (And I hope you’re filling out my booking form ASAP.) Thank you for reading, and thank you for being here! Every single person who reads my writing, browses my website, and interacts with my social media posts, has a huge impact on this business, so THANK YOU.
Xoxo, Amanda