Anyone who has talked with me in-depth about the beginnings of my photography career knows the name Jasmine Star. Flashback to April 2009 — I’m at a huge library work conference and in my hotel room late at night. A co-worker friend had recently seen my personal photography (still absolutely just a hobby at this time, with zero intentions of taking it further) and asked me to shoot her wedding. I disliked like weddings in general at this point … I mean my own wedding was 4 hours total and only about us and what we wanted (small morning garden ceremony officiated by a friend, then brunch at our favorite music venue). I never thought of shooting weddings, at all. But I said yes, knowing Emily would let me shoot it my way in my style.

I ran to a bookstore and bought every book on wedding photography possible, including one that mentioned Jasmine Star’s name. That night, in my hotel room, I opened her blog and I read every single post … venturing all the way back and through her old blog as well … until 4am. I knew then, that this … shooting weddings professionally, traveling the world to do so, meeting the most amazing and passionate people, was the life I wanted. More importantly, because of Jasmine and her words, I knew that it was a reality and I could do it … that I didn’t have to come from a background of privilege to have my dream career. Before this very night I’d always brushed aside my desire for a photography/art career due to my need for security.

From that night through today, Jasmine has been a force in my life. I’m indebted to her eternally for all the knowledge she has shared with me through her blog, emails, her workshop etc. Oh yeah … in November 2009, I attended her workshop. It was there I met her and we talked at dinner. It was one of those right-place-at-the-right-time things … I’m grateful she sat down next to me toward the very end. And we connected. I never would have approached her myself to initiate a conversation … I am (or was) too scared to do those things. And I hate feeling like a fan girl … like really a lot I hate that. Jasmine was and is one of the sincerest and nicest people I’ve met. There is more to say about this encounter and what it meant to cynical little me … but I will say that I felt like our encounter set something in motion … a real friendship based on more than just photography. My oftentimes dubious self had no doubts that we’d stay in touch … and I’m really lucky to have her — with all her realness, talent, ambition, care, and heart — in my life. At the risk of using an over-used sentiment, I’m truly honored to call Jasmine a friend and I am so dang full of pride and love for her today because she WROTE A MAGAZINE.

This isn’t just any magazine. It’s legit. Promise Tangeman did the design and wow, yeah. Although it’s full of beautiful images, it’s not your light and fluffy fashion mag … there is a lot of text. Really, this is a book, bound in a magazine’s format. Jasmine shares untold stories from her life and goes in-depth about the first years of her business … from how she booked her first weddings to how she dealt with industry gossip and competition. Every story had me captivated, especially The Copycat. That story sticks with me … and when I’m getting a little upset that a local photographer is designing a new logo/site that looks alarmingly similar to mine, I remember that story and I have an attitude check.

I could write so much more … but really, you should be over at her site checking this thing out. I’m beyond proud of Jasmine … such an achievement … it was a labor of love. Anyone who is a professional wedding photographer or has aspirations of becoming one (or, if you just like to read about that stuff), do yourself a favor and read this magazine. Jasmine wrote all about it HERE. Go go go. xo.

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I see myself in Portland. In its overcast skies* and its hoodie-wearing, coffee-drinking bicyclists. In its laid-back local dining and in its sustainable values.

Seeing the sights is okay but when I visit a city I prefer to just immerse myself in its lifestyle. What I love most about Portland is how tightly it holds its local/sustainable values. So many restaurants are using seasonal ingredients that it’s actually become cliche. Every shop is lined with local artists’ creations. It’s just what you do there.

And, NoPo is where it’s at.

*It was sunny the whole time we were there.

I’m still here.  Been working hard.  I’ve always been a really hard worker; it’s certainly one of my better character traits.  People sometimes say my life is ideal … but they often have no idea how much determination, long hours, and preparation have gone into creating that illusion. Any success I’ve had is the result of getting my hands dirty every day, taking risks, failing, trying again, surrounding myself with people who push and inspire me, and staying 100% true to myself no matter what’s “expected” of wedding photographers or what anyone else is doing.  I wasn’t born into privilege; luck and money are not what got me here.  It was all hard work and over-the-top determination to never work another job that didn’t inspire or challenge me.

Launching my new branding was such a weight off my shoulders … almost a year of working 24/7 that has already proven to be the hugest return-on-time-investment.  Thank you so much for all the kind words here, on Facebook, on Twitter.  My heart was so overwhelmed and so full.  I couldn’t be happier or more at peace about it.

I have another huge project underway.  It has me tossing and turning at night and wishing sleep was never necessary.  I’ll be around … but a little more silent here for a week or so yet.

Until later…

Ummmm, you have no idea how nervous I am right now.  My hands are totally shaking.  In fact, I’m writing this post at night and not planning to publish it until morning.  I just got off the phone with my friend, Gladys.  I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing.  I think I’m so nervous because I’m already anticipating some of your responses.   I get it.  This is different.  Way different than my old “brand.”  Way different than my generic grayscale brand that couldn’t offend anybody.  You may think this doesn’t seem like me.

But, really, that wasn’t me.  I kept wanting it to be me because it was so dang safe and nobody had a real opinion about it.  I’ve very slowly been grasping the difference between a *brand* with fancy graphical elements … and a *brand experience* — about which I thought long & hard this time.  Before I even touched the design part.  What do I love about life, about being a consumer, about not being a consumer, about the subcultures I choose to be part of?  How can I take those elements and pour them into my own business and brand experience?

I’ve worked on this brand for months & months … keeping in-mind both who I am and who my ideal client is.  I already know that my ideal client gets me and will get this new look.  They are looking at this blog right now and nodding along with me.  They will see my new website and understand the format and why it’s no longer flash-driven or wedding-esque and *pretty.*  It’s scary to alienate the others, but I know that is exactly what I need to do as I move forward.

So if you like what you see, my guess is that we already get each other.  And I like you :)

New print collateral is so fun.  Here are my new DVD inserts (front and back).  If you open them up, my print release is inside.  Clients get these with their image DVDs.  New sleeves for the DVDs are on the way in a couple weeks.

New business cards:

I’m packing my business cards in little clear bags … filled with heart confetti and 1-inch buttons (all unique, based on my mood/interests at the time :)).

And … new postcards!  Excited that I finally have branded correspondence.  Until now I was using generic notecards from completely random stores and desk drawers. Go ahead, give me your address.  I promise to write.

Along with a new look comes a new portfolio website.  It was important to me that my new site not be flash-driven.  I wanted it to look just as good on a 27 inch iMac as it does on the iPad and iPhone.  And nothing drove me more crazy than waiting for my old flash site to load each individual image.

**Updated to add**  It looks like there are still a few kinks with my new site’s servers and sometimes the portfolio link will bring you to my old flash site (you will recognize the old branding, obviously) and other times to my new portfolio site.  Sorry about the confusion … should all be good in less than 72 hours.  Until then, feel free to keep trying.  Lots of people have gotten it to work.  All works here on my iMac, Macbook and iPad :)

Ahhhhhhh…I did it!  A huge thank you to my talented in-house designer and husband, Troy.  I think he did a brilliant job of really listening to what I wanted and executing it so well.

Thank you for being here.  I hope you stay around. xoxo, AM.

Once upon a time I earned a Masters degree in Library & Information Sciences.  During those grueling (ahem, boring) two years I made a friend (whom I had met previously as an undergrad, working at the same library) named Kathy.  A couple years later Kathy saw my photography work on Facebook and left a comment predicting that I’d soon be shooting weddings all the time and simply moonlighting as a librarian.  Fast forward another few months and I’m a fulltime photographer not even working as an academic librarian at all anymore.  Kathy’s friend, Liz, gets engaged and Kathy tells Liz about me.  Less than a year after that I am in Austin, TX shooting Liz’s wedding.  Kathy is a bridesmaid and so is Meagan.  Meagan is the assistant editor at BRAVA magazine.  We all have a great time on the wedding day.

Months later, I get an email from Meagan asking if I’d like to submit some weddings for consideration in BRAVA’s wedding guide.  I submitted Ryann and Tim’s rustic country-vintage wedding and it was chosen to be featured as one of three weddings in the guide!  I was extra-extra excited when my image of Ryann and her vintage bike was chosen for the cover!!  Yay!  Ryann and Tim had an amazing wedding — simply beautiful, creative and so reflective of who they were.  I felt so honored to be chosen to capture it; it will forever be one of my favorites.

To top it all off, BRAVA’s art director, Kristin, has asked me to start shooting fashion and cover stories for them — which is awesome!

And it all goes back to Library School…there is a reason I got that degree after all :)