We recently connected with Bailey Amato and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Bailey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

From as early as I can remember, I’ve always had a camera in my hands. I was around four or five years old when my love for photography started, though at the time I had no idea it would eventually become my career. Initially, I was drawn to abstract, fine art, and black-and-white photography. But in high school, after taking photography classes and becoming one of the yearbook editors, I started photographing people and that completely shifted things for me.

After graduation, friends and acquaintances began asking me to take their photos “just for fun.” I kept saying yes, and over time I realized it wasn’t just photography itself that I loved – it was the people behind it. I loved hearing their stories, documenting their milestones, and preserving moments they never wanted to forget. What started organically through word-of-mouth slowly evolved into my portrait business.

The destination aspect of my brand, however, was a much more intentional vision. I grew up traveling the country with my family, and I’ve always had a deep desire to explore the world. Eventually, I started scheduling sessions everywhere I traveled as a way to intentionally build that side of my business. Since then, I’ve photographed clients across 48 states and multiple regions throughout eight countries, helping couples, families, and individuals preserve meaningful memories in places that matter deeply to them.

What truly made me realize this was a worthwhile endeavor was the impact it was having on people. Over the years, many of my clients have continued coming back for every major season of life — engagements, weddings, pregnancies, anniversaries, growing families, and everything in between. I’ve had the privilege of documenting not just isolated moments, but entire stories unfolding over time. Many clients have become like extended family, and that has been one of the greatest blessings of this career.

I believe what makes my approach different is the experience I create during sessions. My work is far less about rigid posing and far more about emotion and connection. I use prompts tailored to the feeling I’m trying to evoke rather than forcing moments that don’t feel authentic. Sometimes that means creating space for laughter and playfulness; other times it means slowing things down to capture intimacy and depth. Every session is designed around who my clients are because these are their stories, not mine.

At the core of it all, this business combines the two things I love most: connecting with people and exploring the world. Being able to turn both into a career that allows me to preserve meaningful moments for others is something I never take for granted.

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.

I’m a destination portrait photographer with a deep love for storytelling, human connection, and the kind of imagery that makes people feel something long after the moment has passed. Photography has honestly been part of who I am for as long as I can remember. I was the kid constantly picking up cameras and experimenting with them and, after trying different types of photography, I eventually just fell in love with photographing people and the stories they carry. The longer I’ve done this, the more I’ve realized that photography is so much more than taking beautiful images. It’s preserving legacy, emotion, connection, and seasons of life that pass far too quickly.

What I think sets my work apart is the experience I create for my clients. My sessions are very emotion-driven and intentionally personal. I’m not focused on overly stiff posing or creating images that feel performative. Instead, I guide people through interactions that allow real emotion, chemistry, intimacy, laughter, and connection to naturally unfold. Every session is tailored to who my clients are because I never want people to look back at their photos and feel like they were trying to fit into someone else’s version of what the moment should have looked like.

I think one of the biggest problems I solve for clients is helping them feel comfortable being seen. Most people don’t step in front of a camera feeling fully confident or relaxed, and part of my job is creating an environment where they can let their guard down and simply exist with the people they love. That authenticity is what creates imagery that feels timeless and emotionally honest.

What I’m most proud of is the trust my clients continue to place in me year after year. Many of them have invited and continue to invite me back to document the many phases of their lives. There’s something incredibly meaningful about being trusted to preserve those memories over time and being there to memorialize such special moments carries a sense of connection which is truly the heart of my brand.

More than anything, I want people to know that my work is rooted in intention and feeling. Yes, beautiful imagery matters to me, but I care just as deeply about how people felt during the experience and what those photographs will mean to them years from now. At the end of the day, I want my clients to walk away with more than photos… I want them to walk away with memories they can feel themselves inside of.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think the biggest thing that helped build my reputation within my market was the experience I created for people, not just the final gallery they received. Honestly, marketing has never been my strongest skillset. My business really grew through word of mouth, especially while I was living in a small town in East Texas, where referrals and personal relationships meant everything.

From the very beginning, I’ve always approached photography as something deeply personal rather than transactional. I put a lot of care into understanding who my clients are, what matters to them, and how they want their memories to feel. Before every session, I create detailed questionnaires and collaborative vision boards so I can fully understand their personalities, aesthetic preferences, and overall vision. From there, I help guide everything from wardrobe styling and locations to props and overall session flow when needed. Every session is intentionally tailored to the individual client rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.

I think that level of intentionality is what really got people talking, returning, and referring others. Clients felt seen and cared for long before we ever stepped in front of the camera together, and I believe people remember that. They remember how an experience made them feel.

That same philosophy carried over as I expanded into destination photography. In many ways, destination sessions require even more trust, so I’ve always tried to make the process as seamless and stress-free as possible for my clients. Beyond the creative side, I assist with researching locations, permits, travel logistics, expected weather conditions, safety considerations for more adventurous sessions, and all the little details people may not think about on their own. I want my clients to feel supported from start to finish so they can fully enjoy the experience instead of feeling overwhelmed by the planning process.

At the end of the day, I think my reputation has been built on genuine connection, consistency, and care. People know that I’m invested not only in creating beautiful photographs, but also in creating an experience that feels thoughtful, personal, and meaningful from beginning to end.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Without a doubt, referrals have been the biggest source of new clients for me throughout my career. I’ve been incredibly fortunate that so much of my business has grown organically through people sharing their experiences with friends, family, and loved ones. To me, that’s one of the greatest compliments you can receive as a photographer because it means the experience itself stayed with them long after the session ended.

Outside of referrals, one of the most effective tools for bringing in new clients has been offering periodic mini-sessions. These are shorter, more affordable sessions centered around a single location or concept, but I still approach them with the same level of intention and care as my full sessions. They’re designed to feel fun, approachable, and low-pressure while still creating meaningful imagery.

A lot of my mini-sessions are geared toward families with children or couples, and over the years I’ve found they’re a great way for people to get comfortable in front of my camera. Before photography became my full-time career, I worked with children, so I’ve always had a lot of patience and energy when it comes to creating a positive experience for both kids and parents. There’s probably no better way to earn a parent’s trust than making their child feel safe, happy, and genuinely engaged during a session. Many of those quick mini-sessions eventually turn into long-term clients returning for full family sessions year after year.

The same goes for couples. Sometimes one person in the relationship loves photos while the other is just tagging along a little reluctantly. Mini-sessions are a great introduction because they feel easy and relaxed without the pressure of a long shoot. More often than not, by the end of it, even the initially hesitant boyfriend or husband realizes the experience can actually be fun, natural, and meaningful. Once that wall comes down, those clients often come back later for full sessions, engagements, elopements, or major life milestones together.

At the end of the day, I think the common thread is that people return when they feel comfortable, cared for, and genuinely enjoy the experience. That has always been far more valuable to me than traditional marketing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullphasephotos33

Image Credits

Full Phase Photography (Bailey Amato)