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MEET AMANDA

My journey toward becoming a professional photographer in Cape Town, began, in truth, when my beloved father returned from an expedition to Antarctica in 1973. The images that he had shot of what is known to be the coldest, windiest and driest continent in the world, absolutely fascinated me.

Those images, shot with a simple Minolta camera, told such a rich story of his experiences and looking at them, ignited within me a passion that would motivate me to tell stories through the lens of a camera many years later. There is no question that it is the raw appeal of old school photography, such as those beautiful photos of my father’s expedition, and later, our family photos, which has influenced how I approach photography today. 


I received my first camera in 2003, and in those days everything was still done in film. Real film photography is the best training ground for any photographer. You learn to be disciplined about choosing the perfect shots, while maximizing the use of lighting and texture to help your shots come alive. I attended a photography course with one of Cape Town’s most prominent photographic schools, and this really was the solid foundation for my career in this incredible profession. Not only did we explore every aspect of Black and White photography, but we learned advanced processing techniques such as how to develop our own film, as well as a wide variety of printing methods on all forms of paper. It was while completing this course that I got to network with others in the photographic community, and I was eventually approached by Faces, a modelling agency in Cape Town. Here I realized that I have the ability to bring out the very best in people, by helping them to feel completely at ease in front of the camera. From young children to adults, from all races and backgrounds, I worked with such a diversity of people, and loved every minute of it.


People both intrigue and inspire me, and I believe that everyone I meet has an incredible story to tell. They may not feel good enough, good looking or pretty enough for a photoshoot, but I know that their perception of themselves isn’t reality. By working with them, I thrive on putting people at ease so that through photography, I can show them just how beautiful and worthy they really are. There is no right or wrong when it comes to photography. No matter what you are shooting – whether it’s a landscape, some form of architecture, a crowd, an individual, products or any other subject – good photography is about telling an inspiring story through imagery. I sincerely believe that photography today, is truly a digital art form. When your photographer is able to tell a story in a way that you would have never expected, by finding a unique angle and perspective – you know that you have struck gold. Little motivates me as much behind the camera, as being able to uncover those unique shots that make stories and memories even more special.

My role as your photographer is to tell your story, whatever it may be, and I look forward to the opportunity of doing so!

MY EXPERIENCE

3600
Photos taken per year
520
Places visited
920
Projects taken
1555
Coffee talk with customers