Brittany + Josh Married! | Grand Ledge Michigan Wedding Photographer

Josh and Brittany were Married today!!! More peeks to come soon!

Brittany is a Photographer...This was of course fitting for her.

Home + Growing | Charlotte Michigan Photographer

With all my effort into my business my home and personal world suffered greatly the last two years. I decided that it would be a goal of mine to change this in 2011.

I feel change is upon our house. I feel the air changing and i am loving it. I can tell my family is too. Most things are in their beginning stages. We try to play more and work less when the kids are home. My yard has suffered the most i think. That will be my big home project for the summer. I decided to share some sad but true images with you of the sad sad yard i am dealing with. But i promise to soon share some beautiful garden and grass in yard shots.

Here is what i am dealing with....

We hat to cut down some dying, ugly and grass killing trees

We seriously have NO grass

This is where the Garden will reside. I can see it now (insert dreamy music here)... An abundance of veggies just flourishing!

While cleaning out the above sad garden spot i came across all these spare fence and chicken wire pieces. I will be recycling these into my compost holder.

This is my very sad attempt at a bird spot. I really need to make it a little more attractive for sure!

This is the piece offering i have been giving to the birds whom's homes we may have destroyed when cutting down the trees. I hope they make some beautiful and colorful homes with these yarn scraps

Here is Garden spot #2 i am think Corn and maybe some Sun Flowers. I may be a bit over ambitious on this spot but we will see.

So now you have seen it, you can hold me accountable.

More Growth......

I spoke in another post about the upcoming HUGE change in my Photography Business. The keys are now ours and we are just itching to get in there. We are ready to begin creating a space that is unique and funky and artistically pleasing. I cannot wait. This is a big moment. It Amanda Marie's version of the first footprints on my own little hot pink moon. Ahhh so excited!!!

We have Keys!!!!!

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Big Changes!!

So for those of you who are on my facebook you may have seen that i posted some HUGE news was coming....Well here it is!!


Please say "Hello" to the future home of Amanda Marie Photography in Charlotte.

Don't mind the mess. I know you creatives can see past that. I am NO studio photographer but i really needed a place outside my home to work and be creative. With me being so spacey sometimes i just get too caught up in work and neglect my family or home life. Yup thats right i am big enough to admit it. i am human, its cool.

I will keep everyone posted on when we think it will be up and running. We plan to open the space up to other photographers who are in need a place by the day or hour as well so keep that in mind.

YAY i am so beyond excited and as soon as i know more i will let you know. And of course will be posting After shots as well. Consider these the before shots.

The other BIG news is about the other blog i will be contributing to SHOOTBABY! is a blog all about All thing Newborn Photography related. I am getting ready to submit my first blog so be sure to follow there too. Especially if you are a photographer.

And the last and final big news is i am getting a new Website!! I am hoping to launch it when we open the new studio space. I will keep you posted on that as well!!

I am just SO excited for the future i can barely sit still.

Referral Program = Free Session YAY! | Michigan Family Photographer, Michigan Child Photographer, Michigan baby Photographer, Michigan Newborn Photographer

Do you Love Free? 

Do you Love Amanda Marie Photography?

Do you Love Fun?

Do you have Friends and Family?

WooooHoooo Kick up your heels!!!

Introducing the Amanda Marie Referral Program!

I have the best clients who are always sending new faces my way. I am ever so thankful for that. If not for the fabulous folks i get to spend my creative time with i would not be able to do what i love. 

I have decided to share my thanks with you by offering the Referral Program. Its Easy!

Refer 4 friends or family members to Amanda Marie Photography of Charlotte Michigan and you get a FREE session!! Yup its that easy! Be sure to tell your friends and family to tell me who sent them!!!

The fine print: All 4 sessions must be completed before credit will be given. Not applicable towards weddings or births. No Cash Value. All parties must have fun. Now go rant and rave, share the love! Post about it, tweet about it and just general gush about it!

Cruz | 15 Days | Charlotte Michigan Newborn Photographer

We had been waiting for this little guy through his Mama's whole pregnancy almost. From the day she told me she wanted us to photograph him my wheels were turning. I think when its a good friend you tend to feel more comfortable thinking outside of the box. I began planning fun little props and ideas for him. We usually say that between 6-10 days old is when we like to photograph newborns. He was a little older than that and shockingly he was such an easy going dude. Never really put up much of a fuss. He was a super star! And we could not be happier with the images we got.

5 Hard Lessons for a Photographer | Charlotte Michigan Photographer

The journey to become a photographer for me was not a smooth process. I didn't wake up all knowing about the mechanics of a camera. I spent countless nights sick to my stomach and in tears over bad photos. Frustrations over just not "getting it". It was a long  LONG journey and still is. I would never trade any of those lessons, but some were so beyond painful. With each i learned something to do or not do. I wanted to share a couple with you and maybe just maybe you may learn from a few of my lessons.


1. White balance. Oh you little devil you. Master white balance, you will fall in love with your photos. Once i figured this out my life and photos took a turn for awesome.


2. SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT! I get emails all the time about how i achieve my photos. I am not sure if i could even teach it. I learned from shooting A LOT. In the past u would read a million tutorials but never shoot. I would buy a ton of actions, yet never shoot. You HAVE to shoot to learn.

3. ALWAYS ALWAYS know where your equipment is at all times. SLOW down. Pay attention. Here is a great reason why. See below.

Yep this is a 50mm 1.4...Well it was

This is the result of being way overly excited and not paying attention to where my equipment was. I was so excited about doing some night shooting. While loading my tripod in the car i set my camera bag down. We were on the side of the road. I shut the door and jumped in the car speeding off to our other destination. I realized down the road that i did not have my camera bag. When we went back this is what i found. It was scattered across the road. I cried. A LOT. Thanks to such a great friend who started a facebook group, him and a ton more friends helped me replace it. I am so thankful for all of them to this day. LESSON LEARNED: Take care of your stuff. Respect your stuff. KNOW WHERE YOUR STUFF IS. Slow down.

4. Take time for your family. They are your support system. I was once told that no amount of success at work can make up for failure at home. It is so true. I missed the first year of my daughters life. I have horrible regret over that. I lived at my computer and on my phone.

                     This i my ever so awesome family whom i adore and would do anything for. Thanks to Michelle at Mariposa Photography for this great image she took just this past weekend. She rocks!

 5. BAAAAACK UP BACK UP!!!!! i am screaming this at you right now!!! Can you hear me? Well do it, do it now!!!

This here is an External Hard drive. Get two! Heck why not.

We all start somewhere. We all learn so much. Its our story. But making less mistakes from learning from other can make for a better story. I promise.

No really, It doesn't matter! | Michigan Photographer | Michigan Child Photographer | Michigan Family Photographer

I get asked a lot about where to do photos in the winter. When i respond that i can do them in your home i get quite the look or long pause on the phone. I see something in your home that you can't. I see beautiful light or even a perfect backdrop. I also get told quite a bit "My house is too small" or "My house is a disaster". I am here to tell you that no one cares. Because no one will know. I have my way of photographing so that only what we want seen or to be believed is shown.

And for the record my own house is a disaster 24/7 ask any one of my family members. I am a terrible house keeper some times and we have 3 kids. If i spent the entire day making sure my home was perfect, my children will have been neglected the entire day.

Today was a perfect example of this. I bet you cannot tell in the pictures below that my husband was in this room painting and remodeling while we are in there shooting at the same time. True Story!!!

Beds make great photo spots. Go ahead throw all the laundry in the closet or on the floor. No one will know but you and me and the floor boards. Bedrooms usually have the best light any ways, because that is where all the windows are.

Living rooms with big windows are great too. Especially Bay Windows!

Even dining rooms. We move the table out of the way (sweep up the dust bunnies) and TADA a beautiful back drop. Dining rooms sometimes have wainscoding around them as well which is also beautiful in pictures. Or trim which looks great too!

Old claw foot bathtubs can be be really fun too!!!

The family home is just that HOME. The true moments of your family happen there. The most intimate moments of you life happen there. Its the place your child took their first steps, Where you rock them every night, Where you spend countless hours cooking, cleaning, caring, reading, loving and just being. Why NOT photograph yourselves there. Your home is your safe place, you protection, the place you go to be with the ones you adore. The place where full bellies and warm beds wait.

Your couch has held your entire family for a movie, rested your feverish child, cushioned you after a hard day, gave you a place to sort laundry, the place where cars and dry cereal hides, the magical place of coins and the fort blanket holder-upper. Why not photograph you being where you are comfortable and with what you know?

Your bed is the morning crawl in spot, where snuggles of bed head inner twine with giggles from tiny faces. Little toes peeking from beneath the blankets. Its where you curl up each night with the one you love and where you land after a long day of living life.

Are you now seeing the beauty of your home that i see?

It doesn't matter that last weeks dishes are there because last nights homework is done.

It doesn't matter that laundry has piled up because those clothes show days of grass stains and sandy hand wipes from moments of play. Moments that actually happened because you were NOT doing laundry.

It doesn't matter. I promise.