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Amanda Elkins Photography bio picture

From the perspective of a client

"A portrait should be more than a passport photo. It needs a backdrop, an expression, a movement, and, in my opinion at least a little bit of natural light. Maybe even a dewdrop or a splinter. When by happenstance I found Amanda, I stumbled onto a visual biographer, someone who could capture the character within us, place it in time and space, and make it a memory.

"Unlike most of us who can detect a Kodak moment but not capture it, Amanda has fine-tuned her professional skills to bring it all together in a single frame. Perhaps it was her knowledge of being the subject that gave her an intuitive sense of what to look for.

"Amanda came into photography honestly, first as a model in Brazil, then as a parent trying to capture her own son's poignant moments. As a model, Amanda discovered the art of environment. As a parent, she learned to tune in to the emotion within a subject. Unlike studio photography where poses seem forced and smiles unnatural, Amanda's pictures reflect the nature of her subjects whether they capture an intimate moment between newlyweds or the fleeting sense of excitement in a toddler.

"Without a doubt, her Brazilian heritage emerges in the colors she captures with her camera. One wonders why we fill our frames with black and whites and sepia tones when there is such vibrancy in the things we take for granted everyday: an old straw broom, a loved leather chair, even the fringe of a much abused rug. I used to be a fan of sepia-toned family shots until I saw Amanda's work. Now they fade into a sea of lost faces compared to the rich intensity of Amanda's prints. Besides bringing life and vibrancy into the expression of the subject, Amanda sense of light and color also captures the subtle nature of distressed wood or rusted steel in the background. I had no idea how much energy a picture could possess. I caught glimpses of my son possessively reaching for his favorite toy, of my husband smirking from the corner of his eye, and of me delighting in a single moment of being a novice mom.

"A picture has a hundred reasons for being taken; to share with friends, to remember for when we are older, to reveal to our children when they ask about themselves. Amanda's pictures capture the weight of a newborn's head on his mom's shoulder, the delighted smile of a toddler jumping in the air, even the tenderness of a couple's hands touching. She finds these moments, as unique as they are to the individuals she is photographing. Each time I revisit pictures Amanda has taken I see something new, something that brings me into that moment even if I wasn't there to begin with."

Ruth Barbie, Los Angeles, CA

Monthly Archives: September 2008

End of 2008

Well, at least for sessions! I only have one more available spot for family sessions in 2008. It has been a great and exciting year for my growing business! As I have mentioned here before, there will be some changes ocurring in the near future. So to prepare for it all, I will be closing shop a little earlier. Thank you to all my loyal clients who have been nothing short of amazing and inspiring! 

I will start booking for 2009 in a couple of months. More info coming up soon.

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beijos,

me:)

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Santa Monica,CA

My sweet friend, Sandy, and I have been planning on getting together for the longest time now. The “meet up” is constantly postponed due to both our crazy schedules. So we decided to pick a date, far in advance, so we could have it as an MUST in our calendars. I am so glad we were able to see each other and spend a fun afternoon with our families (minus Mr. Elkins who works in Pasadena and knowing how FUN traffic is in our area, told me well in advance… “I might never get there”).

Too bad the sun was ready to go night-night when we got down to the pier. Still we were able to do some fun shots of eachother’s kids before it got too dark!

Thank the super awesome Canon 50mm 1.2 for these shots. That’s the new MUST have on my wish list…

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Of course I took one of the whole family too!!! And since Sandy is a Black and White lover, I decided to edit this one in BW just for her!

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Thanks for the great evening friend!

beijos,

me:)

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Earnie Awards

“The Earnie Awards is Earnshaw’s annual event honoring design excellence in children’s wear. For more than 30 years,  the magazine has recognized manufacturers in more than 20 categories, including accessories, footwear, licensed apparel, sportswear, formalwear, outerwear, swimwear and infants and toddlers’ apparel. Nominees are selected by a nominating consisting of children’s wear experts; the winners are then selected by retailers. Earnshaw’s tabulates these results and announces the winners.”

Earnshaw’s is one of my favorite magazines for kids fashion. I was very happy to hear that No Slippy Hair Clippy won the Earnie Award for hair accessories! This is such an exciting time for everyone in the No Slippy Hair Clippy team! Congratulations everyone!! ;)

I asked Annie Salyer, Co-founder/CEO of No Slippy Hair Clippy, to say a few words about not only being nominated 2 years in a row, but winning the award. “When we started out, we always knew we had something. We have from the very beginning been focused on making the best quality hair clips that would stay in place, and serve that function, but also look fashionable too.  That combination has built this company to where we are today.  We know that by being innovative and adding new products also keeps us moving forward and forging ahead.  In this day and age, this is the only way to grow and keep ahead of competitors.  We see everyone trying to make no-slip hair clips, and actually comparing their products to ours.  We have to take it as a compliment being the first in this category!  But in the end, it’s about quality, service, and design.  If you don’t have these elements going for you as a company, success won’t be long term.  Earning this Earnie Award has validated us as a company and “no slip hair accessories” as a category, and we’re not just a gimmick.  It proves that if you listen to what customers need, you can create a product for them.”

Here is bela modeling one of NSHC’s latest clips.

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beijos,

me:)

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