We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Macchia recently and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I love this question because the story isn’t a linear one.
Growing up I was always a storyteller. I would make movies with my dad’s handheld camcorder, perform comedy routines in front of my parents, and I was always writing – poetry, essays, short stories, you name it. I loved it.
In college, I went to a school with a reputable music program, so most of my friends were musicians. I began writing as a music journalist to go to their shows for free and help promote their bands. I started interning for a local magazine, and soon I was heading out on assignment to events like SXSW and large-scale music festivals around the country.
One summer my friend and I decided to join forces. She was a budding photographer and together, we made quite the pair. Watching her take photos, I found myself curious. I looked around at the other music journalists – and they were all photographers. So one day I borrowed her camera and went into the concert pit at the festival we were attending to take photos of Das Racist, an alternative hip hop duo from Brooklyn. Something clicked for me, and it was a little scary. I realized that I didn’t love writing like I thought I did. This was a love I hadn’t yet experienced.
Many years and a graduate degree in Economics later, I was working as Director of Marketing for a small architecture firm in Boston. One day I came in to work and found a new hire there with my same job title. I was confused, but went along with it. A few days later, I was fired. It was the best thing to ever happen to me, but I just didn’t know it yet.
All that time, I had been taking pictures on the side. I loved it so much, but couldn’t imagine making a career out of something I hadn’t studied (hi, imposter’s syndrome!). Yet there I was: new to Boston and recently fired. I had a lot of bills to pay, but no idea how to pay them. So I decided to take a chance. I got a job in a restaurant, one I knew would be flexible, started clipping coupons to make ends meet, and opened my business.
When I first started in Wedding & Lifestyle Photography, it was a means to an end. I thought I would build up my business, hone my craft, and then shift to commercial work. So I begged two of my friends to let me photograph their weddings for free and used those photos to start my portfolio. I then got connected with a few local wedding photography groups and began to work with as many reputable New England wedding photographers as possible.
Once I began taking my clients, I quickly realized that this thing I was doing was so much more than a foot in the door. I saw myself supporting families, individuals, and small businesses in ways they would remember for the rest of their lives. Then, when I came out as queer and non-binary I started to attract more like-minded clients, and I knew I had discovered something really important. It was my purpose.
Today, I get to tell some of the sweetest, most heartfelt stories through my work – stories that capture the legacy of generations and will be passed down for future ones to come. Stories of real people on the biggest days of their lives. Stories of people who, less than 10 years ago, were not legally allowed to get married. Stories that, in my opinion, need to be seen, shared, and loved on. I have an opportunity to educate others on queer love and queer power, especially those in the wedding industry that struggle to look at things in non-binary terms. Taking that leap of faith all those years ago was one of the scariest, seemingly backward decisions I had ever made. I could hear my parents worry in the back of my mind, but I did it anyway. I am so glad I did.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a Wedding & Lifestyle photographer based on the East Coast who primarily serves New England and New York. While I work with all sorts of individuals and small businesses, my sweet spot is photographing unique, thoughtfully produced weddings for queer and non-traditional couples.
Giving back is a core value for us at AMP. We regularly donate services to the queer community by photographing drag artists and queer nightlife events around Boston, and whenever possible we donate the proceeds of our mini sessions to causes that are important to us.
As a Queer-owned business, advocating for LGTBQIA+ love is a core part of who we are, but another big priority for us is supporting Black, Indigenous, + POC’s lives and businesses. We can’t be inclusive if we’re not intersectional. We’ve committed to being an anti-racist business, and to creating an inclusive community. Some of the steps we’ve taken include:
– Building and actively maintaining a fully inclusive list of Wedding Professionals to share with our clients, of which at least 25% of the vendors listed are BIPOC-owned businesses.
– Active and consistent use of our social media accounts to raise awareness and educate others on issues of systemic racism, police brutality, and white supremacy, and making it a priority to create and post content that supports and celebrates Black lives and POC.
– Routinely engaging in anti-racist education, with a dedicated focus on the field of photography as well as on the wedding industry. The core of our research will center around the stories and voices of BIPOC; they are integral as a result of the proliferation of white supremacy in these fields and industries.
– Dedicating 10% of our budget to working with the BIPOC community and small businesses
Right now, we’re busy capturing all of the Boston-area graduates amongst the cherry blossoms and magnolia trees as wedding season gets underway, but we’ve spent the winter working on several new offerings we’re super excited about.
The first is that our team has added two new luxury print options to our client galleries. One is a Fine Art Acrylic print that is an absolute show stopper, and the other is a beautiful mounted Standout print that is a little more affordable, but just as impactful.
The second is that we’re pre-booking Graduation Sessions, Family Plans, and Seasonal Mini Sessions since our schedule fills up so quickly. Folks who are interested can find more information and book their sessions here: https://amandamacchia.sproutstudio.com/bookings
The third is that we’re now offering Family Plans and Retainer Programs for individuals and small businesses who want to have a photographer in their back pocket, all for a discounted rate. This is ideal for growing families and small businesses who need regular content creation.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The first is active listening. I truly don’t think that it’s possible to provide a service to someone without really understanding who they are, what they struggle with, and what brings them joy. We really want to connect with our clients and allow them the opportunity to connect back with us. This approach is not only great for relationship management, but it’s also a good way to figure out if you’re a good fit for them, and vice versa. This also, unsurprisingly, translates over to vendor relationships too. We all have a common goal, but to reach that together takes a thoughtful, caring approach. I like to say teamwork makes the dreamwork, but it only does that if we’re all working together with our clients best interests at heart – listening to what each other needs so that we can execute an event that will leave our clients glowing for years to come.
The second is my experience in marketing and more specifically event planning. I love working on projects with multi-faceted timelines, and this is where I shine as a wedding photographer. I have created a 100-page document to help guide my couples through the wedding planning process, giving them tips and tidbits on what to expect and how best to prepare for their big day. I work closely with them to create detailed, comprehensive schedules and photo lists and I’m fantastic at executing our plans day of. I am adept at managing complex timelines with multiple different parties – from the couple to the family members, and different vendors involved. I approach every wedding day from a wholistic, yet detail-oriented and people-focused perspective.
The third is the magic that comes with knowing how to shape light. When I learned how to use off-camera and on-camera flash, a whole new world opened up to me. It doesn’t matter what the weather has in store, or what lighting conditions we’re working with indoors. I know how to make timeless, beautiful, creative photos no matter the setting. That type of skill, and the confidence that comes along with it, is truly priceless.
My biggest pieces of advice for any up-and-coming photographer is to find community, find a mentor, and practice practice practice. The more you network (and this includes with other vendors, like planners, florists, and venues), the stronger your business will be. Not only do you learn so much from working alongside other professionals and watching how they do things in their business, but those relationships will garner you referrals down the line. Some of my best clients come from other reputable photographers and wedding planners. They say teamwork makes the dream work, and in the world of photography it really, really does!
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Streamlining and improving the AMP client experience has been our biggest project over the last year. We wanted to create a seamless, luxury experience for our clients, and I think the rollout is a big part of our growth and success over the last year. We currently have a CRM system that manages everything for us and our clients, providing them with their very own client portal – a beautiful one-stop shop for everything associated with their sessions
Our system manages communications, booking proposals, schedulers, contracts, invoices, day sheets, and galleries. It even handles and fulfills our client’s print orders. It’s incredibly comprehensive and extremely easy for our clients to use. One of the best features (and one we spent a lot of time setting up) is that it can be largely autonomous. This allows us to focus on what we’re good at – getting to know our clients, planning their sessions, and making beautiful photographs with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amandamacchiaphoto.com
- Instagram: @amandamacchiaphoto
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandamacchiaphoto
Image Credits
Amanda Macchia Photography
