Why Bellamanda?

I have been going back and forth for a long time…trying to decide if I should share the meaning behind our business name. It hasn’t been an easy decision for me. You see, in order to tell the whole story I have to revisit something painful. At last, I have finally decided to share the story and if it helps just one person find motivation, or inspiration I will be happy.

My business name isn’t what you might think at first glance. I have had several people ask me if it means Beautiful Amanda(Bella=beautiful and then my name therefore Bellamanda) That isn’t the case. The business name has a very special meaning and it is very close to my heart. When I was choosing a name for my business I wanted to include my name in some way but there was already an Amanda Maynard(my maiden name) photography and an Amanda Elkins(married name) photography, and there was even an Amanda Gail(middle name ) photography. I wanted something unique but special and meaningful to me.

This story really starts a few years ago on April 3rd when I had something happen that changed me, devastated me, and blessed me all in a few hours. On the evening of April 3rd 2009 I just thought it would be a normal night but then I started having extreme pain in my lower abdomen and had to be rushed to the ER. I was in such extreme pain that I was literally doubled over. I had never felt anything like it. After they ran some tests I found out that I was 4 weeks pregnant. I was excited and scared too. Why was I in such extreme pain? Was it suppose to be like this? After a few more tests and praying that the baby would be ok, a doctor came in to deliver awful news. The pregnancy was ectopic. An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that occurs outside of the womb (uterus).  It is a life-threatening condition to the mother and the baby cannot survive.

I had to undergo emergency surgery to remove my baby. I was devasted. I had to wait that evening and almost all night due to lack of a free surgical room but I spent that time thinking about what could have been,how my life would have changed, when my baby’s possible birthday would have been, if I would have had a girl or a boy, and silently talking to my baby. I didn’t want this to happen ..I wanted to see his/her face and know this special person that God had created.

So in memory of Isabella Kaylynn or Benjamin Alexander..I decided to make my business name special and incorporate the names somehow. I decided to use the girls name for the main business name and the boy’s name I have decided to incorporate in other ways. Therefore….. Bella(from the name Isabella) and my name Amanda =Bellamanda

I also wanted to memoralize my baby in another special way so I decided to name a star for my baby.

The bear sits on my office desk to remind me of the experience, for motivation, and the special blessing that God has given me. Anyone that has ever lost a baby they have never met, a baby they have met, or a child knows the pain that you are left with. It never fully goes away. However, I have peace knowing that the experience has blessed me with a baby that was delivered to heaven and that I will get to meet one day.

Bella or Ben

:)

Practice practice practice

Today is a day for more practice! Jasmine Star recently released her new tutorial videos so I will be watching those throughout the day too. Jasmine Star is an absolutely wonderful photographer and she does such a great job teaching and helping other photographers. She taught a few courses for creativelive! That’s where I initially heard about her!

Today is also a day of feeling intimidated. Those days are very frequent, especially since I am just starting out. Criticism is everywhere. Not just from others but sometimes it also comes from myself. However, I’m apart of a great community called Showit! I was browsing their group today and saw the story below.  Another showiteer and talented photographer Brianna Marie  (www.briannamariephotos.com) was the one who posted it! I really needed to see it.

“No matter who says what, you should accept it with
a smile and do your own work.”
~Mother Teresa

How to Deal with Criticism
By Fabienne Fredrickson

Whether you like it or not, one thing that happens once you start multiplying your business is that you become a target for criticism. I’m not talking about criticism from your family or friends, because you may get that too, but I’m referring to criticism in your industry.

Every time that I have stepped out of my comfort zone, taken a risk and have done something much bigger in my business, inevitably there are going to be some haters–people who will criticize just to take pot shots.

Today I want to talk to you about how to deal with this type of criticism. First and foremost, you have to realize that the bigger you play, the more you will invite criticism. I’ve experienced this just recently in my own business. You can give good value and you can give above and beyond and you can just be so loving and yummy, there will always be somebody who gets a greater sense of self-esteem by tearing other people down. Do you ever experience that?

It can be really shocking at first. Sometimes it could be a disgruntled client who just decides to rip into you. There are a couple of ways that you can deal with that. The first, if you feel like it, go ahead and have a good cry. That’s what I did recently. Just have a big ol’ cry and let it out.

Then realize that it’s usually not your issue; it’s usually theirs. Usually it’s the person who is criticizing who gets this greater sense of self-value when they tear other people down. So, know that is the case most of the time, and tell yourself, “That’s not my problem. That’s theirs. They’re projecting something false onto me.” You could say that they’re jealous or they resent you or they’re angry at you because you’ve made it, you’re playing a bigger game and they’re not.

After a few days of thinking about it, you can look at the criticism and say, “Which part of this can I own?” Even if their criticism is inflammatory, is there one percent of it that you can own and say, “If I’m going to be in integrity with how I do things, is a tiny bit of it true?” Usually there is a tiny bit of it that’s true.

So you can look at it after the dust has settled and say, “What can I learn from this experience? What can I change about how I do things?” It may be just a little bit of change in the energy of how you do something. Sometimes you can make very tiny changes that will have a big effect in reducing the criticism.

With that said, the thing that I want you to get is that I do not want you to dilute who you are. You must stay in integrity. Oftentimes these people who are criticizing are angels. They’re serving us a lesson–yes, in a bitter pill–but sometimes those lessons are the things that help you multiply your business even more. So, own up to what you can.

Now it’s ok to listen and learn from criticism, but you don’t have to immerse yourself in negative comments either. It’s ok to shield yourself. Many years ago I was watching the ‘unsubscribes’ to my email. Every time somebody would unsubscribe to my ezine on a Friday, I allow it to get to me. Then one day I decided I’m not going to read those emails anymore and instead I redirected them into a folder and after a while they went to my assistant. I found that every time I saw one of those ‘unsubscribes’ or some of the nasty grams that people sometimes feel entitled to write, it would affect my self-esteem and my mojo would take a hit. I would allow it to stop me from playing big. So it’s ok to shield yourself.

A good example is an actress who gives interviews to magazines all the time but doesn’t actually read the articles. So you could just decide, “I’m no longer going to read that. I’m no longer going to make myself available. They can do what they want to do. If I’m here doing my work with authenticity, integrity and love, and giving the most value I can give, then I can be comfortable with who I am and I don’t need to hear what they have to say.”

Finally, understand that you are being prepared. You are being prepared for the next big level. You’re being roughened up and toughened up a bit so your skin gets a little thicker. If you want to look at this as a spiritual journey, because I believe that entrepreneurship is a spiritual journey, you are simply being prepared for the next level because the higher you get, the more criticism there will be by people who really don’t know you and don’t know the good that you are doing in this world.

Entrepreneurship is a full contact sport. It’s the best place for personal growth and development. Understand that there is a reason for all of this and do what you can to fix the things that are out of integrity and then stay in the knowledge that if you’re doing a good thing and you’re changing people’s lives, then you don’t need to listen to the naysayers.

Take this advice the next time you encounter criticism. Realize it’s likely their issue, not yours. Learn what you can from the comments. Shield yourself when necessary. Remember you’re being prepared for bigger and better things. And above all, stay in integrity.

__________________________________________________________________________

There is good criticism and bad. Always be open to constructive criticism. As for the bad, I know it’s hard to ignore it simply because I’m having a hard time doing it right now. The article helped to open my eyes. If you are struggling or if you are feeling intimidated I’m right there with you. I’m hoping to take all the negative things from others and from myself and turn it into something positive. I may not have the best equipment, the most equipment, clients pouring in, may not be featured on websites or in magazines, and sometimes I am such a chicken but I’m trying. That doesn’t mean I won’t fail along the way and there will ALWAYS be room for improvement. I just need to keep reminding myself that failures can be turned into successes.

God bless!

Amanda

Out with the old…in with the new

It’s been a crazy couple of months. My health hasn’t been all that great but I’ve been hanging on! :)

Our computer crashed TWICE! So we figured it was time to get a new one. We got a new apple macbook pro and I absolutely love it! It makes things so much easier for me when I edit! I have been busy designing my new website too! So it all started one day with a big pile of magazines and an inspiration board because I honestly had no idea where to start! I want to give a shout out to Scribble Different for the awesome style group!! Helped me out so much! http://www.scribbledifferent.com

To check out the end result visit our website:

http://www.bellamandaphoto.com

We also decided we were ready to upgrade our equipment.  I had a Nikon but we rented a camera from Nikon and Canon just to see if we wanted to stay with Nikon or switch. Well..we switched from Nikon to Canon because we ended up liking it better. Seriously, if you are thinking of upgrading and you don’t mind a possible switch I would suggest to rent both. It’s not necessarily that Nikon is better than Canon or Canon is better than Nikon. It really depends on the preference of the photographer. What look are you going for? Which one are you more comfortable with? Anyway, our new Canon cameras and lenses are my babies! I love them!

We have our first formal wedding next month with an amazing bride & groom!. September 15th! :) We are very anxious and excited and hope we can capture memories the way they need to be captured! We are hoping to shoot more weddings in the near future!

In the meantime, I have been trying to take it easy due to my health issues here recently and we have been trying to go out and practice with the new equipment. Here are some shots we got at Guest River Gorge in Coeburn, VA. We actually have an engagement session scheduled to be here in September. We can’t wait because they are a sweet couple and there are so many wonderful photo opportunities here!

Here are some photos we took there:

Chad practicing with his new camera!

Kind of scary but still a cool shot nonetheless. We were really far away so no worries!

I absolutely LOVE the golden hour!! This is the most perfect time to take photos! This is what I always suggest to my clients! You want to try to have your photos taken two hours before sunset! It’s amazing!!

Me taking photos during the golden hour! :)

I was taking these photos!

This was a really quick shot but I still love the SUNFLARE!! Sunflare…one of my favorite things!

It was a beautiful day and we had a blast practicing!

That’s it for now!! :) Hope everyone is doing good!!

Amanda

Just because…

I had to share what my wonderful husband did for me. I love simple things..just because things. I haven’t been feeling very well and it’s been a hard few months. Chad surprised me with a just because gift…

 

 

One of the most beautiful roses I have ever seen!! :)

 

 

 

The First Look

I have been MIA for a while now but things are starting to calm down so you will see me on here more often. Chad and I were married on June 2nd so I am now officially Mrs. Chad Elkins. :)

This blog post has been in the making for a very long time. I never really knew how to approach it and I certainly didn’t want to overwhelm my clients. I wanted to be able to explain things clearly because it deals with such an important moment on a wedding day!  The moment I am talking about is when your groom sees you for the first time. Such a priceless moment! May I introduce a nontraditional approach…a First Look.  Before I got engaged and before I became a photographer I had no idea what a first look was. Let me explain…

A First Look…

a chance for the bride and groom to see each other after getting ready but BEFORE the ceremony

I must admit when I first heard the idea of a first look I thought it was neat but I never thought I would do it at my own wedding. I come from a pretty traditional family. I wanted that moment to be saved for when I walked down the aisle. Simply because I wanted a reaction from him. I wanted him to be surprised. What girl doesn’t want that? Don’t we all dream of that on our wedding day?

Chad and I finally decided to do a first look. Why? As the wedding got closer we realized what it would be like without one. We realized it was going to be a very stressful day for the both of us and the last thing we wanted was to be anxiously waiting to go to the ceremony and to find 75 people looking straight at us. We wanted a more private, intimate moment.  Our first look was absolutely amazing! It allowed us to calm our nerves before standing in front of everyone and to share a special moment together. Walking down the aisle towards him was also very special! It didn’t take anything away from it at all! There’s just something about walking down the aisle to the man you are going to marry that you will never forget…no matter what. Thanks to the first look we were able to ENJOY our day.

There are many benefits to having a first look:

1. You are investing a lot into your wedding photography. A first look allows you to have more portraits of the two of you.

2. You get intimate, alone time on your wedding day. You get a special moment to speak to one another, he can tell you how amazing you look, hug you, and kiss you. Without a first look, you would have to wait until the ceremony is over to do those things. Our first look was the ONLY time we had together alone on our day. It put us in the perfect mood for the rest of our photos.

3. You will be able to extend the wedding day. Instead of being rushed around for your bridal party photos you can enjoy them and have fun hanging out with your best friends. I was able to get some beautiful bridal photos and photos of my family and bestfriends before the ceremony! I am so glad we had the extra time!

4. You can get rid of those nerves! Let me tell you, wedding days can be so stressful! You don’t realize exactly how stressful until that day comes. It really allowed me to relax! I’m so thankful for this time we had together! If we had decided not to do it..I would have been hanging by a thread.

5. Your guests will not have to wait FOREVER for you to arrive to your reception! This was really important to us! We didn’t want to miss our reception! Afterall, we paid for it to be special and for people to enjoy it. We wanted to enjoy it too! When a bride and groom wait to do all of their photos after the ceremony (that includes family portraits, bridal party, bride and groom portraits, plus traveling to the reception if it’s at a different location) that usually takes up quite some time. On average an hour and sometimes even longer than that. It often leads to portraits that are rushed which can cause even more stress,  not to mention make you even later for the reception. So we never had to have our guests wait for a long period of time and we never felt rushed. Plus, we got to boogy down, enjoy our reception and even got to go to each table to speak to everyone who came!

6. A First Look makes the wedding day timeline go so much smoother! It provides enough time for portraits and allows the bride and groom to celebrate!

7. If you are planning a late fall, winter, or early spring wedding you run the risk of running out of light for portraits after your ceremony if you have decided to have an evening ceremony. A First Look solves this problem!

Just so you would have an idea of what a timeline might look like with a First Look: (This timeline is also customizable!! Being that we can also do the family formals beforehand allowing even more time for not only bride and groom portraits but also showing up to your reception earlier!)

Timeline with a FIRST LOOK

11:30- Photographer arrives

12:00-Photographer begins with the details and bride getting ready

1:00- All dressed up! Time for some fun bridal photos!

1:45-First Look and then B&G portraits

2:45-Bridal party portraits

3:30-Early guests are ushered in and bride is tucked away from early arriving guests! Time to touch up makeup if needed!

4:00-Ceremony Begins

4:30-Family Formals

5:15-A few more portraits of the bride and groom!

5:30-6:00- Time to relax and celebrate! The Bride and groom are introduced and they make their grand entrance!

Timeline without the First Look:

1:30-Photographer arrives

2:00-Photographer begins with details and getting ready photos

3:00-All dressed up!

3:15-Bride with her bridesmaids for a few quick portraits

3:30-Groomsmen usher in the early arriving guests and the bride is tucked away from early arriving guests

4:00-Ceremony Begins

4:30-Family Formals

5:15-Bridal Party Portraits

5:45-Portraits of the bride and groom..as many as we can

6:15-Getting ready for grand entrance/introductions

6:30-GRAND entrance

Straight from MY Groom(AKA the best husband ever) :

“We wanted to enjoy our wedding and didn’t want there to be the stress of having to see each other the first time in front of 75 people. We wanted to share the moment together and it was awesome! It allows for the moment when you first see each other to be more intimate because it’s just you and her and there’s no rush. I was glad to be able to enjoy how beautiful she was in her dress while not standing up in front of everyone shaking :) One of the greatest things is it doesn’t take away from the ceremony! When I first saw her I wasn’t overwhelmed with nerves, instead I was overwhelmed with joy.”-Chad Elkins

 

Our First Look Photos (THANKS to our WONDERFUL photographers Renee and Jonathan from Capturing Cloud Nine Photography):

 

 

 

I seriously could talk forever about how amazing a First Look is! I am so thankful we decided to do it! It really is PRICELESS! I was so much more calm and I loved being able to be “in the moment.”  To the brides who are just unsure. Trust me! I understand that you want that moment where he is in awe of you when you walk down the aisle. He is going to be in awe of you no matter what! Nothing is lost when you see each other before the ceremony! True it isn’t the traditional way…but you can create your own tradition this way! First looks are FABULOUS!

As a photographer, the best part of a couple seeing each other before is that it lends to a much smoother plan for family photos and beautiful sunset photos. I prefer the bride and groom to see each other before but honestly I would be happy either way. I want my clients to have a perfect, happy day! So rule number ONE: be happy! :) That’s all I want for my clients and I want you to chose the perfect thing for YOU and YOUR future husband. It’s YOUR wedding day and it will be special either way.  I would never make someone do something or pressure my couples. I just really wanted to share all of the wonderful reasons why we loved it!

Here are just a FEW of our bride and groom portraits from our wedding day :) Enjoy!

Have an amazing day!! :)

Amanda

 

At a glance: What to wear to an Engagement Session

One question I get asked often is “What should I wear?” It’s a great question! So I thought it would be fun to write a blog post with some suggestions. Below are a few things to keep in mind when you and your fiance are preparing for an engagement session. These are by no means hard fast rules but examples to help guide you when you pick out your outfits. All of this post will be text so if you are more of a visual person please visit my style board on my pinterest. I am constantly adding photos/ideas to it!
—–>

First and foremost..Don’t worry too much. It’s all about coordinating without being too matchy. So for instance, you don’t want to mix stripes, polka dots, and plaid together at the same time! :) IF you still have questions after you read this post please feel free to message me. I would love to help you with your outfits!

What to Wear..(things that photograph well and will make you look great)
-Bold Colors

-complementary colors

-Same color tones. Sticking within the same tone is always good (jewel tones, pastels) without being too matchy. It doesn’t have to be the same color. I encourage for you not to wear the same exact color but keep it within the same color family.

-Hues..if you would like to wear the same color, different shades are great! Navy, aqua, sky, baby blue..GREAT combinations.

-Soft patterns (ex. soft floral patterns)

-touches of pattern here and there (ex. solid top with striped scarf or shoes)

-pops of color (ex. colored shoes with outfit)

-ACCESSORIZE! Scarves, necklaces, belts, headbands, flowers in hair! Go all out and have fun !

-Layers are always great! (vests/jackets/sweaters)

-Hats are ok, just make sure you do not hide your eyes

-slightly heavier makeup. You don’t want to not look like you but if you wear makeup, just put a little bit more on than you normally would every day

-have your hair professionally done (for some ideas go here: http://pinterest.com/search/?q=hairstyle)

-If possible, get a manicure ladies. I will be taking photos of your rings on your hand so you want your hands to look fabulous!

-Give your shoes as much attention as your outfit. I love to photograph details! So they might just be highlighted in a few of your photos! Just make sure that if you decide to bring heels that you also bring something that will be comfortable to walk around in.

-texture can be a good thing in photographs (ex. lace)

What NOT to wear..(things that do not photograph well)
-very bold pattern or logos/graphics on shirts. The human eye is automatically drawn to words/logos/patterns and overall we want YOU to be the focal point of the images.

-brand new hair cut (especially on guys) If you keep your hair short, your scalp might show through in photos if you just got it cut. If you want to get a hair cut I would suggest getting it cut 1-2 weeks before your session.

-anything you do not feel awesome in

EXTRA TIPS:

-Bring a small mirror, makeup and a brush for any touch ups.

-Props can be a fun way to express your personality! Bring what you love and we’ll incorporate it into the session.

-Themes are another great way to personalize your session.

-You are welcome to bring a change of clothes (to have a casual and a formal look)

FEMALES: How to flatter your figure

http://www.shopyourshape.com/body-shapes.html

The best time for us to schedule your engagement session is a couple of hours before sunset. This is when the light is the best! Always remember..choose something that makes you feel absolutely beautiful or handsome. When you look good you feel good and your session will go so much smoother. Remember to just relax! :) These photos are to celebrate your love for one another! My goals are to have fun, to document your love, and for you two to have a fabulous time together!

Greg & Sherry’s Wedding- SNEAK PEEK!

Just wanted to share a few photos from today’s wedding! :) This was my first wedding and it was beautiful! I love this couple! They are so down to earth and wonderful! More photos to come soon!

enough.

 

I am enough.

Remember these words..and read them often. Whatever the world thinks, you are perfectly imperfect, whatever anyone says, you know your true intentions; whatever challenges you face, you are strong enough; however hard it seems, you have courage enough; however cruel the situation, you can be kind to others; however much pain you are in, you are loved. Even if you are physically alone… if you have God..you are not alone. You are enough.

trust me.

 

dreams you never knew you had..

Source: pretty-zoo.com via Amanda on Pinterest

 

 

Source: www.prettyzoo.com

 

Madness

This post=MADNESS (random, disorganized madness)

My wedding is approaching very fast lol June 2nd Chad and I will be getting married at a beautiful rustic location. (the location is a surprise so I really can’t announce where until the invitations go out) There are so many details! I’m overdue with getting so many of them finished. It’s crazy but fun! Color scheme.. OH MY! It took me FOREVER to decide on what colors and so what did I do? I decided on six different ones. It’s a rustic theme so it fits. Thank God! I hope I survive wedding planning MADNESS and my goal is to not become a bridezilla.

It’s March MADNESS! So as you already know I’m a huge basketball fan…(KENTUCKY WILDCATS). We just lost the SEC championship but we are the overall number one seed in the NCAA tournament. I am terrified of EVERY team lol I don’t care if they are number 1 or number 16! This entire month I will be on the verge of a stroke I do believe. I am thinking about calling the hospital and having them on stand by. jk SERIOUSLY though.. it’s a fun month..basketball wise and I can’t wait for the games to start!! In a way I wish I could actually be at the games to experience what it’s like! When Chad and I got to go to some KY games I LOVED IT! IT was just great! Here are a few shots from the last time.

and by the way when you go to Lexington, KY you have to check out the Parkette drive in! Their chicken boxes..are AMAZINGLY EPIC!  They were even on Diners, Drive-ins , and Dives!  We eat there before the games. 
http://theparkette.com/

Wedding photography class MADNESS! I have been taking a lot of wedding photography classes and practicing as much as I possibly can for my first wedding I have to photograph. Let me just say that Jasmine Star is AMAZING! Zach & Jody Gray are AMAZING TOO! Most of my classes have been with them being the instructors and I have learned so much in such a short time. Not just about weddings but about marketing and portrait sessions as well. I have said it before and I will say it again if you have not checked www.creativelive.com out you are really MISSING OUT big time! They offer so many wonderful courses!

Photography business MADNESS…. first off I want to mention that my new site is LIVE! I will be tweaking it within the next few weeks and adding more things so when I do I will mention it again but if you would like to check it out you can go to

www.bellamandaphoto.com

Have any of you ever thought or said …”WOW I am so extremely overwhelmed by all of this information!” …when you study or practice photography? I know I have ! Available Light: Photographic Techniques for using exisiting light sources(Don Marr) is the book I am reading at the moment! I love it!! It’s so helpful! I suggest this book to anyone just starting out! Learn about light as much as you can! Ever since I picked up a camera I have been thinking about sharing my struggles with it, my successes, tips, etc which is one reason why I started this blog. I dont’ mind sharing every bit of it and I am just going to come out and say it. I don’t feel like I’m doing wrong if I share some knowledge with another photographer. Some people may see another photographer as competition…I don’t. I never have and I never will.   I think we all need to come together on this!  I see other photographers as someone who shares the same passion as me..and because of that we can find something to relate to and be friends. So look for photography tips in future posts and if anyone has questions feel free to contact me. I will try my best to help or point in the right direction if I don’t know the answer. Afterall, I am just starting in this business myself and it’s hard..it really is. I completely know what you are going through! Let’s be overwhelmed together lol

“The only photographer you should compare yourself to is the one you use to be.”

(source:
http://purephotoshopactions.com/?p=1395
)

..and I will end on that note for now. Smile..you know you want to! :) Hope everyone has been doing good! Feel free to say hi! I love communicating with my followers!

Amanda