My New Branding Portraits!

Well, this is a little unusual … today I’m recapping ME! A few weeks ago, I had an an amazing branding session with Andie from Costola Photography. This is something that’d been on my to-do list for over a year, but I talked myself out of it so many times. It’s a significant financial investment of course, but it also meant stepping in front of the camera for once – something I wasn’t quite ready to do (more coming on that soon).

However, professional imagery is SO important to any brand, and that’s doubly true for photographers. I needed more than just one quick photo of me holding a camera and smiling – I needed a way to visually communicate who I am, who I serve, and why. Because if there’s one thing you should know, I am so much more than just a girl who pushes a button on a camera.

Andie and I spent weeks prepping for the shoot. She helped me select props, outfits, and locations that helped to tell my story, and ultimately, we decided that shooting in my own home made the most sense. I’m so glad we shot here at home, so that you can see a bit more of my office and what a day in the life is really like for me! Adam and the girls even made a cameo appearance at the end of the shoot!

Outfits were tough. I knew I wanted to wear some Lilly Pulitzer (I mean, obviously) and shades of mint and blue, but after years of unhappiness with my appearance, shopping for clothes wasn’t exactly something I was looking forward to.

Looking back, I am SO GLAD that I didn’t let my own mental insecurities keep me from following through on these portraits. Ladies, you are WORTHY of being photographed and seen at any size, and you deserve to be celebrated NOW. Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us – just book the shoot!

On the morning of the shoot, I was dying of excited anticipation. I do this for a living, and yet I couldn’t believe how nervous I was! It really made me appreciate what my clients must go through, too. Jacqueline from JacquelineJayneFX came over to do my hair and makeup. We spent the entire time talking business strategies, which helped my Enneagram 3 self calm down and focus on something other than the fact that I was about to be photographed!

When Andie arrived, I was instantly at ease. She photographed our family last year and is truly someone I admire not just for her obvious talent, but for her kind heart and business acumen as well. Andie made a checklist to keep us running through the shoot smoothly, and before I knew it, Adam and the girls arrived and we were almost done! We wrapped up outside in our (much-neglected) garden. The girls loved having another photographer in the house to shadow!

Andie delivered the gallery the NEXT DAY (seriously, this woman is a magician). Honestly, I cried tears of joy when I saw them. I felt like I was finally seen, with this set of images that conveyed everything I want the outside world to know about me.

Because here’s the truth … anyone can take a great photo. I can literally teach you how to pose, shoot, and edit exactly like I do. I can tell you what gear I use, the philosophy behind my business structure, I can give you everything you need to replicate my business – but no one else in the world is ME.

These images portray the warm, approachable, sometimes-funny girl who you’ll meet at your engagement session, cracking jokes and teaching your guy how to nuzzle. They show the more polished (but still fun) Amanda who will arrive on your wedding day, ready to perfectly balance directing moments versus documenting them. You get to see the thought and care that goes into serving each of my couples, my ambitions and hopes for the future, my quirks, and the things I love. And of course, you get to witness the why behind it all – Adam, Caroline, and Ellie.

At the end of the way, you have a lot of choices out there when it comes to your wedding photographer. But there’s only one Amanda Wose, and I’m so dang excited for you to meet her.

A HUGE thank you to the amazing vendor friends that made this session a reality: