Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Louhela.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My uncle was a missionary, and when he would come home from his travels, he would gather us around and show us slide photographs from the places he had been. I can still remember sitting there, completely captivated as the images clicked onto the screen one after another. Villages. Children. Streets filled with life I had never seen before. Colors, faces, cultures, landscapes, moments so different from my small world in Northern Minnesota.
Something inside me shifted during those evenings.
Until then, my world had felt small and familiar, but through those photographs, I realized there was so much more to life. So much beauty. So many stories. So many people living completely different lives than mine. Those slides opened a door in my imagination that never fully closed again.
I think that was one of the first times I understood the power of photography.
A photograph could transport someone across the world. It could create compassion, curiosity, wonder, and connection without speaking a single word. Those images made me want to see more deeply, feel more deeply, and understand the world beyond my own experience.
That little spark eventually led me to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where I earned my Master of Fine Arts degree in Photography. My education deepened not only my technical understanding of photography, but also my emotional connection to it. Photography has never simply been a career to me. I am deeply moved by it. I believe photographs hold memory, emotion, healing, and humanity in ways words sometimes cannot.
For the last 17 years, I have operated professionally in the Northern Minnesota area, building Amy Louhela Photography with my whole heart. Through portraits, wildlife photography, storytelling, and community connection, I have devoted my life to capturing moments that matter. Whether I am photographing a family, a child’s laughter, the stillness of an owl in the woods, or the powerful beauty of pelicans along the shore, I approach photography with deep gratitude and reverence.
Photography changed the course of my life.
What began as a little girl sitting in the dark watching missionary slides became a lifelong journey of seeing the world through light, emotion, and connection. And after all these years, I still feel the same wonder every time I lift a camera to my eye.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a beautiful road.. I love photographing people… My biggest struggle is I really struggle with taking money from others! lol it’s my biggest weakness in business.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I have a photography studio in MIller HIll Mall, I photograph in the studio and outdoors. I don’t like comparing myself to others. We all have our unique set of gifts and talents. I love seeing other peoples work. I am proud of the images I create. I think a lot of my work is beautiful. That everyone can stop by the Mall and see my work and come visit me! I love people!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My college professors were absolutely amazing! They were very hard on us. Technical skills were important. Understanding and reading light. They taught us how to run a business, how to network. I love collaborating with others. Iron sharpens Iron.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amylouhelaphotography.mypixieset.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aimforthewoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmyLouhelaPhotography/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amylouhela/
