We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Cirotto. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.

Hi Amanda, thanks for joining us today. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

Oh, the life of a nature photographer! I believe very few are in it for high profitability so much as for pure passion of the world around us and the desire to share its beauty.

Competition in the market is high. With so many social media platforms available, it makes standing out as a nature photographer incredibly difficult. To date, I have never sold a print or profited in any way through posting my work on social media.

I decided to become more involved in my community in the Brentwood/Franklin area outside of Nashville, TN. I am a member of the Arts Council for Williamson County and this keeps me informed of local art crawls and events to showcase and sell my work. Profitability is still a challenge however, as the investment it takes in yourself is high compared to what you actually “may” earn. The highest amount of money I have earned in 1 night from an art show was $800. Once you factor in the cost to me for printing the images, framing them, having easels to display them on, business cards and the upkeep of my website, $800 didn’t come close to covering those costs.

Nature photography for me is my passion. I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it for how it fulfills my mind, body and spirit. Anything else is a bonus!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Art in all forms – music, painting, poetry, photography, dance, etc – has always been a passion.

Many moons ago back in 1997 I was a senior in High School. I had the most amazing art teacher, Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Smith was art. From her smooth, dark skin and shaved head, to the flowy clothes she wore, always tribal printed and brightly colored, her trademark style, to the chunky beaded jewelry around her wrists and neck. She was art. And I loved her. I was frustrated over a painting I was working on. She sensed my frustration and asked me to stay after class. She explained to me that art isn’t about perfection, it’s about feeling. She helped me learn I needed to let my emotions guide the way.

Mrs. Smith nominated me for an alternative arts spring break program. Only 10 students from Nashville would be chosen. After lengthy interviews, I was miraculously one of the chosen students. Every week for several months leading up to spring break week our group would meet in the evenings at TPAC (Tennessee Performing Arts Center). It was a totally immersive experience. We worked with professional artists who helped us create plaster moldings of our face to use as a mask prop for our future performance. We hand painted and decorated them according to our personalities – all the masks were so beautiful and unique. We each were tasked with creating an abstract painting with a musical theme that would be used as our poster to promote our show. And, coolest of all, we got to work with Paul Vasterling (Creative Director for the Nashville Ballet). Our performance would be on stage as back up to the Nashville Ballet dance company. Each week Paul would play a piece of music and we would create shapes with our body based on how the music made us feel.

When spring break week arrived, all 10 of us students, along with two adult counselors from the Oasis Center, lived together in a donated home in Nashville. We had the best week, reading to seniors at nursing homes, painting murals around downtown Nashville and rehearsing for our big program at the end of the week. The final performance included everything we had been working on for months. Our abstract paintings were featured around the performance hall, and on stage we wore the masks we had created and moved our bodies into the shapes we had rehearsed which served as the backdrop to the Nashville Ballet dancers.

This experience changed me. It gave me an even deeper appreciation for the arts than I already had, and no doubt paved the way for the creative route my life would take.

Photography didn’t find me right away. In college I began as a theater major but after 2 semesters realized acting was not my path. After meeting with my counselor I learned about MTSU’s Recording Industry program and quickly switched majors. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Recording Industry Music Business and double minor in Marketing and Film Studies.

I worked in the country music business in publishing for over a decade. I loved working with songwriters and being a part of the creative process of the music industry.

After my daughter was born in 2011, I found myself constantly taking photos of her, as all new parents do. My parents saw that I had an eye for photography and gifted me a camera for my Birthday. I spent a lot of time watching YouTube tutorials on how-to’s, as well as learning editing software like Photoshop and Lightroom. A passion was born. I had loved taking photos as a kid with my Polaroid camera, but this was some new level shit, haha.

I have been a lover of the outdoors since about birth. An avid hiker, camper, adventurer, being in nature is life-giving, for me. As I became more confident with my camera I found that my primary interest was photographing nature – anything in nature from landscapes to wild animals to flowers – it was all so compelling and still remains my favorite subject almost 15 years later.

I love sharing my photography, and I utilize Instagram and Facebook, my website, and local community to share my work.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the work itself. When I am lost in nature with my camera it’s the only time life slows way down and I am alone, deep in my own thoughts with no interruptions. That feeling is magic. No matter what I am photographing – dew drops coalescing on a flower petal, a Heron fishing for his breakfast, a dead leaf that has become coiled and crispy and full of texture, it is all poetry to me. I love losing myself in those moments.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think the dynamic between creatives and non-creatives is fascinating. I can only speak from personal experience, but I have found my fellow creatives to be deep feeling, sensitive, empathetic and philosophical beings. Our art is how we take all of these deep rooted feelings and emotions we hold inside ourselves and express them out into the world.

I think non-creatives struggle to understand the level of vulnerability that goes into creating art. We are telling a story either through images, dance, painting or writing and then throwing that out into the world for judgement, be it good or bad. We do it because we have a story inside of us that needs to be told.

I think non-creatives are easily labeled as logical, black and white thinkers with less emotion. I don’t believe this to be true, and perhaps if they tried a painting or pottery class, a dance class or photography class, or maybe pick up an instrument they’ve always wanted to learn to play, they may find it to be a hobby that helps them release stress from their daily lives. The arts don’t have to be a full time job or all consuming passion for everyone. It can serve as a personal hobby that is equally as rewarding and fulfilling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amandacirottophotography.org/
• Instagram: @amandacirotto

Image Credits

Amanda Cirotto