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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 2009

Pretty in pink – Amanda Elkins – teen editorial/high school senior photography

Quick peek from yesterday’s shoot. More to come soon.

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Gotta LOVE Kaiya eve’s pettiskirts! It’s such a stylish way to dress up and look playful and fun! There will be a post on a recent photoshoot for Kaiya eve soon, so stay tunned. And… Do you see that awesome jacket from Frenzy, one of the coolest boutiques around? It’s now hanging in my closet! ;) oh yah… I am a happy girl!

~A

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Friday Fashion tips – Laura Paley – AE fashion stylist

Hello blog friends. This is Laura. Amanda has graciously asked me to take over her blog for the day. If you are a regular visitor you have probably
heard Amanda mention me. I do the fashion styling for many of Amanda’s shoots. We often get questions about what I do and how we work together. In
a nutshell, I dress our models and create their “look” for the shoot.

One of my favorite boutiques that I work with is Frenzy in Westlake Village. Spokesmodels Caroline and Ali looked amazing in their Frenzy wardrobes! Actually, I think that between Amanda, Ali and I, most of the items from Ali’s shoot are now hanging in our closets! I popped into Frenzy
today and was impressed with all the yummy stuff they have for fall. Of course, I wanted to blog about everything but I will settle for just a few
of my favorite things…

The gold cuff- You may recognize this from Ali’s shoot. It has been a hot seller so Frenzy restocked it. I’m told that it has been spotted on many arms at Westlake High. I’ve got to say that I love mine (see, we really did keep almost everything from Ali’s shoot!) and wear it all the time.

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The military inspired vest – Can you believe the timing of the military inspired jackets and vests? They pay sweet homage to Michael Jackson in his “Thriller” days. You just can’t “Beat It” (sorry, couldn’t resist.)

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The pretty little clutch – What girl doesn’t love sparkly? It is like a disco ball in clutch form. It also comes with two chains. One short and one long. You can slip in on your arm or your shoulder and it won’t interfere with your ability to handle a cocktail. Perfect for the holiday season and a steal for only $34.

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And here is a little tidbit of gossip before I go…Sandy, the owner of Frenzy, told me that a whole shipment of fabulous shoes and boots (including slouchy suede Steve Maddens) will arrive on Monday. It was love at first sight when Sandy showed me a picture of the peep toe booties that are coming in. I intend to make the royal blue ones mine…my heart is aflutter just thinking about them. These items are very hot this season and the prices are incredible. They won’t last long.

Until next time…

Laura

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bye bye 2009 – Amanda Elkins – Family lifestyle photography

This is pretty much it for me for this year. I only have one more available session for 2009! How crazy is that? It’s almost making me really sad to say byebye to such wonderful year, but I do have great plans for the new year and so much is in the works already! 2010 will bring changes, additions and lots of fun and exciting things!

If you would like to book this last date available, please let me know asap. I would love to work with a family who will let me fully explore my wild imagination and create something they will treasure for the rest of their lives. (wink,wink!) Afterall this will be my last family session…sigh…

This is from a recent family shoot and ohhh I so love this! I KNOW mama will need this BIG on her wall… just like the ones she already has from our past sessions!

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~A

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