Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Smith.
Hi Amanda, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Photography is something that has fascinated me as long as I can remember. I mean, how is it even possible?! You click a button and suddenly the view in front of you is outside of your brain and inside your hands? Pure magic. Truthfully it still blows my mind if I think about it for long enough.
Thanks to my parents, my love for taking photos has always been a part of my memories. Kids cameras from the 90’s that printed tiny stickers, disposable cameras to take on field trips, digital cameras to take to sleepovers and a nice camera to take on my first trip abroad allowed my cameras and creativity to grow with me.
Never in a million years would I dream my company would be where it is today. In two short years since starting my LLC, photography has brought me to places and people that are beyond my wildest dreams. I am most comfortable squinting through my lens. When I take photos my camera feels like an extension of me.
While I love art in all mediums, photography for me is unique because my subject is the human person. The only thing made in Gods image and likeness. I am honored to participate in the act of creating, imitating my creator in a small way.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My biggest struggle as a photographer is dealing with self-doubt and comparison. Even with positive feedback, it’s easy for perfectionism to sneak in and plant seeds of uncertainty. Why is it so hard to truly believe in our own creativity and worth? I often have to remind myself that growth is a lifelong process, and there’s no rush to have it all figured out. Truly, every mistake I have made along the way has been a blessing, teaching me resilience and how to improve.
We’ve been impressed with June co. Photography, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m a Catholic Creative based out of Southern Minnesota. I love to travel and have a passion for getting to know my clients and their unique stories. My hope is that each photo I take is never flat, but displays an emotion unique to their personhood.
The namesake of my business is a reference to my devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. June is a month dedicated to the Sacred Heart. In Minnesota, it is also the time of year where we get the first few sweet tastes of spring! There is so much restoration and LIFE that comes during June, and from the heart of our Lord- my hope is that this is reflected in my art.
My work is unique because I am not afraid of realism and color. I want each photo I take to be timeless, and unchanging, not based on trends. I love to capture the beauty of the ordinary, and document it just as it is, accentuating its natural coloring and playing with lighting. You won’t find heavy filters in my photos, but carefully curated, detail oriented edits. I live for the unposed, the candid and the hidden.
As a Catholic, I consecrated my art and business to Our Lady of Guadalupe while in Mexico City. She is unexplainable heavenly art itself! I also consecrated my art and business to Saint Carlo Acutis at his Tomb in Assisi, Italy, and Saint Pope John Paul II at his tomb in Rome, Italy. They are both dreamers that inspire and uphold me in my creativity, and I feel blessed to have them as my heavenly friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.junecophotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juneco.photo?igsh=MWJiamw5cGV0ZDJ1eQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095344273174
