Hi there! I am Amanda, and I am so glad you stopped by!

Most photographers would tell you that they began their photography journey with a passion for taking photos. While photography had been an interest of mine for a while, I’d be lying if I made that same claim. My passion for this art stems from the innate passion I have for life, for people, and for what knits us all together. I regularly sit in awe at how vast and complex our world is while marveling at how it is also so very simple. Beside a complete stranger at a traffic light, I’ll wonder what their story is, who they are walking through life with, and what makes them tick, and then drive off fascinated that I will never know anything about them and will likely never see them again.

I’ve always looked at things that way, but my perception of life transformed when I became a mother. I developed a new appreciation for life’s details and saw the benefit of being still during the hours I spent watching my daughters grow and embrace their identities. I tried to record everything: the chubby fingers gripping my index finger as wobbly steps were taken, the awkwardly hilarious dance moves during our jam sessions in the family room, the scent of my oldest’s hair as we snuggled on the couch reading for the afternoon—even the imperfect moments because they were a part of who we are.

Through my own attempts to preserve our story, I grew to realize the value of helping others to do just that. I wanted others to see how radiant their story was—imperfections included—because it was who and what they were. I wished for them to feel each stitch of their masterpiece so they could understand how significant the little moments truly are. But most importantly, I wanted them to be able to relive the chapter of their story that I would help them tell over and over and over again.

My passion for documentary photography, for storytelling through photographs, was born there. And the journey to this name that would represent my passion, my art, and my mission came along the way.

There’s a quote by Ernest Hemingway that I love: “We are all broken—that’s how the light gets in.” 

Our brokenness is profoundly significant; without it, we cannot grow or learn. As much as I appreciate the cracks that allow the light in, the thing that really pulls my heartstrings is the moment the light enters. That moment is the moment we feel, the moment we change, the moment we let Love reach the innermost part of our hearts and souls, the moment a story begins.

And that moment—the one When the Light Gets In—is where my passion for photography evolved into what it is today.

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