We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Wilson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.
Amanda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers
I often find myself in remote places with no cell service. It’s the nature of working in and around a national park. I am careful, I plan accordingly, and I encourage my clients to be prepared as well.
On one particularly misty day, I had a session booked in Cades Cove. This is a remote area of the Great Smoky Mountains, with zero cell service and only one stop with services along the 11 mile, one way loop road. I have driven this road hundreds of times and am fairly familiar with every landscape and season there. There is a large boulder at the end of one of the roads that leads to a popular trailhead. I don’t know if it was the weather that had me distracted, worrying about the stops we could make that would keep my clients out of the rain, my mind wandering on other life events, or just bad luck, but I took the turn back onto the main loop a little too tightly and drove directly up and onto the boulder. There I was with two wheels in the air, suspended on top of a big rock. I tried backing up, I tried going forward, but I was stuck, and my clients were in the car directly behind me, clearly concerned. The mist was getting heavier, we were only halfway thru the loop, and no amount of preparedness could get me off this rock. I was absolutely mortified. My clients were very sweet, but also had no way to get me off this rock. The nearest ranger station was a couple miles up the road, and while I was prepared to hike there, I did not want my clients to feel they needed to do so as well. We stood in the mist that was quickly becoming a drizzle, trying to decide what was the best way forward(literally!). Thankfully, an SUV appeared from the side road we had just exited, and stopped to check on us. They had tow ropes! After a quick assessment, they connected the ropes to my car, and pulled me off the rock. To all of our surprise, my car had sustained no major injuries and we were able to proceed with the session. I can laugh about it now, but that was definitely one of the worst things that has happened at a session. I am a much more careful driver now!
Amanda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Growing up in Indiana I always loved taking photos. I would use my birthday and vacation money to buy disposable cameras and take pictures of my family, our dogs, the sunsets, and of course, our vacations to the Great Smoky Mountains. My mammaw gave me my first film camera, a 10mm that I took everywhere. When I got a little older, I started 4H and started learning more about the art of photography. My dad had a Minolta film camera that I used to capture photos of bridges and barns, and I entered those into the local county fair. I won blue ribbons every year, and my love for photography only grew stronger. In high school I took photography classes and started taking portraits and learning how to develop film. I still have that camera, although the shutter sticks now. It is over 40 years old!
After high school, I went to college in Kentucky and photography became more recreational. It fell by the wayside for several years, until one day I was searching for a part time job. I had 3 babies and needed to go back to work. I saw a listing for a photography studio, and I thought theres no way they would hire me. I didn’t even have a camera at the time, and other than taking some point and shoot photos of my kiddos, I had zero experience with portraits. I applied anyway, and to my surprise they hired me! The job was difficult, with long stressful hours, but I learned so much. My love for photography was still there, and was reignited. The job wasn’t a great fit, so I started asking around and looking for advice on where to go next. A friend suggested I look into working for a wedding chapel in Gatlinburg. Again I thought theres no way. I’ve never shot a wedding, and I don’t know the first thing about wedding photography! I applied anyway, and again to my surprise, I was hired! I absolutely loved my time with Chapel at the Park. I completely fell in love with shooting weddings, and with being outdoors for photos. I was the head of photography there for about 5 years. Towards the end of my time there, I knew I wanted to do more than weddings. I started doing family and couples photos for my family and friends, and loved it. I loved finding the perfect location and being able to slow down and make their vision come to life. The chapel had started taking me to different locations for elopements as well, and I loved being able to switch things up to keep my creativity flowing.
In 2017 I left the chapel and went full time with Amanda C. Wilson Photography. I now offer photography for couples, families, elopements and weddings. I specialize in elopements and adventure sessions, and also travel for weddings. Most of my clients come from out of state, and it can be difficult to know where the best locations are for their sessions. Whether the session is local to me or not, its my job to find the best possible locations to take them and help them find other vendors if needed. I love connecting with not only my couples, but other small businesses and vendors as well.
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
The great thing about photography is that there is very little capital needed to get started. I purchased my first professional camera from a coworker for $400, and also borrowed equipment from a friend for bigger projects until I had earned enough from sessions I was booking to upgrade and purchase more gear. As my business grew, I purchased CRM, editing, and bookkeeping software. I invested in education thru local small meetups and in person courses, and continue to invest in education to stay on top of my game.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Reputation is more important now more than ever. There are so many scammers in this industry, and having a reputation as someone who not only shows up 100% of the time, but is also a good communicator and well connected with other industry members says a lot about who you are as a business owner. I take my reputation very seriously, and I think the thing that most helped me build it was always showing up and giving my clients the best possible experience no matter what, never speaking badly about my clients on social media, and clearly communicating with my clients, so that if I am no going to be available for a period of time, they know ahead of time and know I will reach out as soon as I’m able. I also try to be very transparent, and manage expectations for my clients. I think honesty has always been the best policy, and reputations are built on that and on hard work and consistency. I have many friends within the industry, and firmly believe in community over competition. My only competition is who I was yesterday, last month, and last year.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amandacwilsonphotography.com
- Instagram: @amandacwilsonphotography
- Facebook: @amandacwilsonphotography
- Other: Tiktok: @acw_photo
Pinterest: @acwphoto865
