Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Clemons.
Amy, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was 5 years old the first time I sat in my Grandmother’s art studio she had in her garage in Rowland Heights, CA. She was an incredible oil painter, traveling everywhere for inspiration on her painting trips and showing her work at art shows. She handed me a paintbrush and some old blank signage from a drugstore someone had given her to practice technique on so she didn’t waste canvas. I remember running my hand through the bin filled with tubes of oil paints, entranced by so many different incredible shades of color that I had ever seen in one spot. She showed me how to place different shades of paints on my brush, so that the brighter shades would almost dance off of the darks, creating flickers of light throughout my painting. It was in those days, there in her garage, that I fell in love with light and the theory of color. 30 years later, if I close my eyes and concentrate hard enough, I can still smell the paint.
I always knew I wanted to do something in the art field. In college, I majored in just about everything you could image… Fine Arts, Art History, I thought about Theater, and I even had a quick stint as a business major, which obviously wasn’t for me… but just couldn’t find my exact calling. I loved my art courses and painting classes, but I wasn’t sure if painting for a living was my destiny. I ended up attending Cosmetology school, got my Cosmetology license and worked in a salon for 7 years. I started photography as a hobby during that time, I met my husband during that time and we got married. I retired from the salon when I had my first child.
When I had my son, I knew I wanted to learn more about photography. I wanted to be able to capture the very best photos of him as he grew. I completely dove into learning my camera more and perfecting my craft. I read and practiced, and tried and failed many times, but I always had the desire to learn from my mistakes and try again.
I would take photos and post them online and friends started asking me if I would take photos for them. Friends started referring their friends and suddenly, a business was born. The thirst for learning never faded and I became obsessed with sunlight and color in my photographs, and it sparked those same feelings of love, creativity and magic that I had experienced so many years ago in my Grandmother’s garage. This was what I was waiting for in my life. This was my calling.
Fast forward to now. I have a booming business, but it is much more than that to me. I don’t just take pictures and I don’t just push a button. I build relationships with everyone I photograph. I am a storyteller, and I create art from life. I capture light that dances around moments so dear to my clients that they will cherish for the rest of their lives, and to me that is a huge privilege and honor.
Sometimes, late at night, when I am still up and editing my photos, I need a little boost of inspiration. In those moments, I will sit in the quiet and drift back to those days as a kid in my Grandmother’s garage. I will close my eyes and remember the magic of those days. I will envision my hand running over dozens of tubes filled with bright colors, I will see my Grandmother lovingly watching over my shoulder…and if I concentrate hard enough, I will smell the paint.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a natural light photographer, specializing in fine art portraiture and wedding photography. My work is known for my use of lighting, especially my backlighting techniques. My goal is to create a brand of photography that pulls at your heartstrings and conjures up all of those warm fuzzy good feelings that come with special sacred memories.
My hope is that the photos I create today, become so special to my clients, that 100 years from now, they have been passed down through their family lines as priceless keepsakes and sweet family heirlooms.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
My advice to other photographers and artists is find who you are as an artist and own the person that you are. Don’t try and become a carbon copy of someone else. Find what drives you and what inspires you and hold on to it. Do what you are passionate about and forget the rest. Try, fail and try again, and above all else, keep dreaming and never quit learning.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can see more of my work on my Website, Instagram and Facebook page.
www.amyclemons.com
www.instagram.com/amyclemonsphotog
www.facebook.com/AmyClemonsPhotography
Contact Info:
- Address: Amy Clemons Photography
- Website: www.amyclemons.com
- Phone: 5626863788
- Email: amy@amyclemons.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/amyclemonsphotog
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmyClemonsPhotography
Image Credit:
Amy Clemons Photography
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
