Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda and Jamie Conkin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Amanda and Jamie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
We are driven to connect with each person we encounter and are able to offer a photograph. Our unique camera creates an experience that allows validation, insight and fun for those who receive an aura portrait. Allowing people to tangibly see their energetic state is magical. This is important to us and we are grateful to be able to offer such a service to our community and beyond. We cherish our interactions and hope each guest walks away feeling more deeply connected to themself and the world around.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
We are a husband and wife team and have been providing aura portraits for 4+ years. We began after Amanda noticed there was a small community of aura photographers across the United States, but no one close to our home of Louisville, KY. Amanda grew up going to Sedona, AZ on vacation with her family every summer and receiving an aura portrait with her father. The aura camera dates back to 1973 and has been long used in spiritual communities. It provides a film headshot of an individual or pair of people with colors shown around them that are unique to their energetic state in that moment. It uses metal and circuitry to allow the person to close a small portion of the electrical circuit the camera uses to function and that interaction coincides with the colors that are present in the photo. We then offer insight for them to connect with what those colors can indicate about their energy. In the past decade, more aura photographers have begun using their cameras to compliment many types of events as well as taking one on one appointments. We have set up our camera at weddings, corporate events, brand activations, private gatherings big and small and we also have a studio in our hometown where we take appointments for individuals and small groups. Additionally, Amanda is a Reiki master and teacher; she uses the aura camera in conjunction with energy work to show clients the energetic shifts that are present.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
We started Rays right before Covid. Our initial plan was to travel and do pop up events around town without a studio. Our plans quickly changed as we had to shift with the world, and we started offering portraits and readings in our studio first. This helped us greatly in the long run to build confidence with clients, perfect our reading styles and slow our pace to figure out the needs of the business first. We are grateful for the pivot because it helped us carve out our brand and style before the busy pace of pop ups and events took place.
How’d you meet your business partner?
We are a husband and wife team. I met Jamie at a White Reaper concert where I literally tripped and fell into Jamie’s arms, We fell in love, and are married with twins. His help with the creation of this business has been a perfect balance of grounded logical applications to my creative and whimsical mindset. Together Rays brings empathy and intuition to our readings and can connect with many walks of life because of our down to Earth insights.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.raysauraportraits.com
- Instagram: raysauraportraits
- Facebook: Rays Aura Portraits
Image Credits
sshphotographyllc