Making A Memory
I am enthusiastically embracing genuine connection, not as an illusion (where we fake a moment that looks connected) - but as a moment where I strip away any false pretenses or expectations and hold space for you to connect back to yourself, to each other, and to your surroundings.
As a photographer
I am enthusiastically embracing genuine connection, not as an illusion (where we fake a moment that looks connected) - but as a moment where I strip away any false pretenses or expectations and hold space for you to connect back to: yourself, to each other, and to your surroundings.
“Love, joy, and peace are incompatible with hurry. All three are more than just emotions; they are overall conditions of the heart. All of the spiritual teachers, psychologists, and mindfulness experts, agree that if there’s a secret to happiness, it’s simple - presence to the moment. The more present we are to the Now, the more joy we tap into.”
People don’t need photos anymore - they need connection, memories, and experiences.
When you’re focused on getting the photos it’s so hard to get the real genuine moments you’re hoping for. Instead, I want to make this a memorable experience so that when you see the photos and remember a specific moment behind it, you are drawn back to it by your recollection of the senses at the time.
Any time you think about a memory, you go back in your life and remember it as senses - what you heard, smelt, saw, tasted. The smell of her perfume or the sun baked pine. You remember the the aqua blue color of the lake, the golden sunset. You remember how their tiny hand felt in yours or the soft kisses on your face. And to be able to remember that, the moment has to be slowed down, and you HAVE to have the time and space to engage with those senses and to experience that true connection. These are sensory experiences that become associated with nostalgic memories of our lives. And our senses influence our experience which contributes to how we “feel” when we see that image again.
The photos are a byproduct. That’s the extra thing. That’s the gift you get afterwards.
SO WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT WHEN WE HAVE OUR PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION?
First I get to know you. What is your story. What makes you and/or your family unique. I find out what you want to remember about this season of your life.
Plan, Plan, Plan! We plan all the details that make beautiful photographs. What you wear, what our locations will be, what time of day for beautiful light and great attitudes. We take into account how your husband feels about pictures, the energy and attention of your kids, how your body feels to you in this stage of your life… all the things that are concerns. The more I know about these things the better I will be prepared to help you at your session.
3. The day of the session I encourage you to set aside all expectations and just have fun and connect with each other. If you are a couple I will hold space for your love story. If you are a family I will share prompts and games that invite joy and fun into our time together. I don’t charge by the hour and I don’t hurry you through the process. I help you to connect to each other and draw on personal memories to engage in physical affection, to dance and move together.
If you want:
To connect to this season and your loved ones in a real, authentic and joy filled way.
Get rid of grumpy dads, stressed out moms, and awkward smiles and poses.
Engage your senses and create meaningful memories that are connected to beautiful photographs.
Then I’m your photographer!
PHOTOSHOOT GIVEAWAY! Do you like getting your pictures taken? I don’t and that’s why I am on a mission to change the whole experience! Find out how at my very first blog post! Also, enter to win a free stylized engagement or family photoshoot!
Do you like getting your pictures taken?
I don’t… That’s me with my family in the picture above. I asked a fellow photographer friend to do some “quick” family portraits and a headshot for my new website. Let me tell you what a learning experience that was to be on the other side of the camera. First off, I forgot to dye my gray hair line. My daughter woke up sick on the day of the “shoot” and as soon as someone points a camera in my sons direction his smile gets weird… like weird. Of course we are just trying to get the classic posed, everyone is smiling at the camera in an authentic way, but that’s not happening. So me and my husband get stressed and then the kids start crying. It was miserable. We were still able to get the shot above and many other which I love but the whole experience left me wondering if there was a better way… and all that wondering led me to…
Creative Connections
I decided to research and explore the idea of using prompts instead of posing. My photography sessions definitely started to help my clients loosen up and begin to show their authentic personalities better. However, something still felt like it was missing. People were still stressed about getting their pictures taken; the prompts sometimes felt random and didn’t flow very well from one to the next. That’s when I stumbled onto @athenaandcamron. They taught me how to turn a stressful, awkward posed photoshoot session into a powerful, connecting, heart-felt experience. They call their experience Inviting Joy. I call mine Creative Connections. My goal is to turn your photography session into an experience that helps you connect with those closest to you. I want to take away the stress of having to be perfectly posed and smiling at the camera and put the focus on helping you to remember why you love those people gathered around you. And then I want to document the connections and love. I’m still new at making my sessions a beautiful experience, but I’m working on it every day. And that leads me to…
The Giveaways
To celebrate the changes I am making and to continue to explore my style as a photographer, I will be doing TWO giveaways this winter! If you’re viewing this, you will have a chance to win a FREE stylized photo shoot- one for a family and/or one for an engagement! The giveaway includes my new Creative Connections Photoshoot session, 25 high-resolution digital prints, and a short highlight video. The value of the session and package is over $650.00!
Engagement Giveaway Rules: Any engaged couple who are getting married in 2023 or 2024 are eligible. The couple must be willing to accept styling suggestions for clothing that will include a dress for the woman and a button-up shirt for the man. The couple must be willing to travel to the photographer's location of choice. The location will not be more than a two hour drive away. The session length will be determined by the location, but the couple should be willing to shoot for four to six hours.
Family Photography Giveaway Rules: For the Family Photography Giveaway, single families of up to eight persons are eligible. No animals. The family must be willing to accept styling suggestions for clothing that may include dresses and or button-up shirts. The family must be willing to travel to the photographer's location of choice. The location will not be more than a one hour drive away. The session length will be determined by the location, but the family should be willing to shoot for one to three hours.
How to win:
Make sure you’re following @amandajanephotography22
LIKE & SHARE this post with the hashtags #created by ajp, #ajpcreativeconnections
Tag friends in the comments! 1 friend=1 entry 2 friends=2 entries, etc.
Fill out the entry form at the bottom of this post. Each entry form will be matched up with the social media requirements and multiple entries will be noted and added to the draw.
On 12/11/22 11:59 pm pacific time the winner will be randomly selected and notified via DM.
Please do NOT share any personal information with any other accounts.
Residents within a two hour radius of the Portland/Vancouver metro areas only.
Must be 18 years or older to participate.
This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram or Facebook.
Welcome To my First Blog Post!
Do you like getting your pictures taken? I don’t and that’s why I am on a mission to change the whole experience! Find out how at my very first blog post! Also, enter to win a free stylized engagement or family photoshoot!
Do you like getting your pictures taken?
I don’t… That’s me with my family in the picture above. I asked a fellow photographer friend to do some “quick” family portraits and a headshot for my new website. Let me tell you what a learning experience that was to be on the other side of the camera. First off, I forgot to dye my gray hair line. My daughter woke up sick on the day of the “shoot” and as soon as someone points a camera in my sons direction his smile gets weird… like weird. Of course we are just trying to get the classic posed, everyone is smiling at the camera in an authentic way, but that’s not happening. So me and my husband get stressed and then the kids start crying. It was miserable. We were still able to get the shot above and many other which I love but the whole experience left me wondering if there was a better way… and all that wondering led me to…
Creative Connections
I decided to research and explore the idea of using prompts instead of posing. My photography sessions definitely started to help my clients loosen up and begin to show their authentic personalities better. However, something still felt like it was missing. People were still stressed about getting their pictures taken; the prompts sometimes felt random and didn’t flow very well from one to the next. That’s when I stumbled onto @athenaandcamron. They taught me how to turn a stressful, awkward posed photoshoot session into a powerful, connecting, heart-felt experience. They call their experience Inviting Joy. I call mine Creative Connections. My goal is to turn your photography session into an experience that helps you connect with those closest to you. I want to take away the stress of having to be perfectly posed and smiling at the camera and put the focus on helping you to remember why you love those people gathered around you. And then I want to document the connections and love. I’m still new at making my sessions a beautiful experience, but I’m working on it every day. And that leads me to…
The Giveaways
To celebrate the changes I am making and to continue to explore my style as a photographer, I will be doing TWO giveaways this winter! If you’re viewing this, you will have a chance to win a FREE stylized photo shoot- one for a family and/or one for an engagement! The giveaway includes my new Creative Connections Photoshoot session, 25 high-resolution digital prints, and a short highlight video. The value of the session and package is over $650.00!
Engagement Giveaway Rules: Any engaged couple who are getting married in 2023 or 2024 are eligible. The couple must be willing to accept styling suggestions for clothing that will include a dress for the woman and a button-up shirt for the man. The couple must be willing to travel to the photographer's location of choice. The location will not be more than a two hour drive away. The session length will be determined by the location, but the couple should be willing to shoot for four to six hours.
Family Photography Giveaway Rules: For the Family Photography Giveaway, single families of up to eight persons are eligible. No animals. The family must be willing to accept styling suggestions for clothing that may include dresses and or button-up shirts. The family must be willing to travel to the photographer's location of choice. The location will not be more than a one hour drive away. The session length will be determined by the location, but the family should be willing to shoot for one to three hours.
How to win:
Make sure you’re following @amandajanephotography22
LIKE & SHARE this post with the hashtags #created by ajp, #ajpcreativeconnections
Tag friends in the comments! 1 friend=1 entry 2 friends=2 entries, etc.
Fill out the entry form at the bottom of this post. Each entry form will be matched up with the social media requirements and multiple entries will be noted and added to the draw.
On 12/11/22 11:59 pm pacific time the winner will be randomly selected and notified via DM.
Please do NOT share any personal information with any other accounts.
Residents within a two hour radius of the Portland/Vancouver metro areas only.
Must be 18 years or older to participate.
This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram or Facebook.