Meet Amanda Swanson

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Swanson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.

Hi Amanda, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I found my purpose through the smiles of all of my clients I have been able to work and collaborate with. Doing photography has become more than just a service and has become a connection to my client’s ideas, the art they create, and moments that they will remember when they’re 30, 50, and 80 years old, and they get to look back on knowing that they had that wonderful time at their wedding or they got to create art that looks straight out of a comic book or fantasy novel. The first time I got to make a client feel that way after the first wedding I worked, I was hooked. And the first DragonCon I was able to do photoshoots at, I had a particular photoshoot where I really went all out in my composition and the composite work after the shoot and made it really feel like my images came from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game.

There’s no greater joy than being able to make someone feel that rise in their chest when their heart is truly happy and that they can take that memory or moment and have it physically for their eyes to see over and over again, and getting to smile over and over again.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
So I capture memories and art for a living! I love to capture cosplay/fantasy looks and I also love to capture weddings. I also teach photography at my alma mater and that’s something that brings me joy just knowing more photographers are getting out there in the world.

My brand is all about getting to create, convey, and love what you’re doing in a session with me and the photos out of the session. For my cosplay clients, it’s all about that magic of making you feel like you’re a part of the world that you’re cosplaying from, whether it be from a superhero movie or from a magical girl anime. I love to make sure that everything fits together from the setting to the posing and to all the editing after. For my wedding clients, it’s about making sure that every precious moment gets captured so the couple can look back on it and smile and laugh or happily cry over what a wonderful day it was. I love being a part of a wedding day and getting to know my clients as much as possible as well as their bridal party and family because 1) I love talking to people and getting to know them in general, 2) The more I get to know everyone who is a part of the couple’s lives, the more special that day becomes with every important connection added and even more important memories and smiles I get to capture.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three skills that have been very impactful on my journey and that I recommend every photographer who wants to go into the career professionally:

1) WORKFLOW. Learning how to stay organized and to always know where every image I have ever taken is (even from 2016 when I first started professionally) is so important and a relief. Knowing where my product is going from the start of taking a picture at a session/wedding to the editing process to the file organization and backing up is a photographer’s lifeblood. Always practice your workflow and know where your images are going to be from start to finish and knowing you’ll have 3 copies of that album somewhere can put you at such ease, which is what we all want in our jobs.

2) CONNECTING WITH YOUR CLIENTS. Understanding each person you work with is different and being open to getting to know them is one of the best parts of this job. You can literally make a new friend just by doing that and the work you’ll create can become even more engaging and fun. Ask questions to new clients and have fun getting to know them!

3)UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT. I teach this to my students all the time with each assignment they do. Knowing what the client wants and how you’re going to achieve it the best way possible is key to making yourself a successful professional photographer. If someone wanted to practice this for themselves, they can give themself a subject to photograph and be creative pertaining only to that! Practice like that will always make perfect.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
My backlog.

I am finally getting caught up on that and creating a more fulfilling work schedule for myself with boundaries that will make me more diligent. As a person, I feel like I get caught up in too many other things that get me sidetracked on my photography work such as wedding planning (which has been fun but being in the bride’s hot seat has seriously put a new perspective on my wedding clients haha) and just life in general.

I can’t wait to start turning in albums even faster and getting my clients fresh made memories in their hands or their computers.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Headshot image of me waving: @adoylible

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