Amy Wenzel Photography » A website featuring creative photography of kids, families and senior girls.

I have a message burning in my heart.  It’s a mindset I’ve learned to live and breathe.  It’s a word of encouragement that we all need during various seasons of our life.  So whoever you are, wherever you are, this is what I want to say to you today….

When the winds of adversity blow, press into the wind.  When you feel like throwing in the towel, pray for the strength to pick back up again.  When you can’t seem to find your way, follow what’s in your heart beneath all the layers of fear and discouragement.  You have a voice to be heard, a special purpose, a beautiful gifting.  Stop listening to the voices that want to shut you up and shut you down.  You can overcome!  My life is living proof that no matter where you are at, no matter what you are going through you can still shine bright if you are willing to fight for the light.  Don’t ever give up on who you are or what you were meant to do in this world.  There are miracles waiting for the believing heart.  Press into the wind.

I woke up this morning and could somehow smell it in the air…fall is creeping up on us.  It’s always sad to me how fast the summer flies by, but I comfort myself with the thought of the scent of burning leaves, apple orchards, hay rides, hot cider and flaming orange and red trees dotting the skyline.  It’s the magic of my childhood memories.

This fall I’d love for you to join me in beautiful Michigan for a cup of hot cider, and two days of instruction shooting kids and senior girls with the autumn colors.  Over the past four years I have successfully taught fourteen workshops in both the U.S. and Australia.  It’s such a pleasure to pour my eight years of photography experience into the attendees and hear how it’s changing their careers for the better.  One of my awesome students recently commented on my facebook page:

“Best workshop ever!  I can’t believe it has been three years already but after your workshop my photography business took off.  I highly recommend it!”

Another attendee chimed in with “I completely agree.  Amy’s workshop was amazing and I am still using what I learned!”

Thanks you so much, ladies for the encouragement!  I’m looking forward to another fun and learning-intense event.  For more information about my workshops or to sign up to attend, please click HERE.

I hope to see you there!  xoxo

• Date: October 25-26, 2012

• Location:  Grand Rapids, Michigan

• Cost: $1500 ($750 deposit due at booking)

Before I was Amy Wenzel Photography I was Amy Wenzel working at Glamour Shots in the mall. Yes, I just publicly admitted that. Let me tell you, it was a fantastical experience filled with paint splattered back drops, step ladders, fake red roses, hideous lingerie, selective coloring and live bunnies in top hats that bit me.  I prefer to think of it as “starting in the mail room and working my way up.”  Although it wasn’t ultimately where I saw myself in the long run, it helped me pay the bills and was a way to keep my hands on a camera. Working there taught me some great techniques for posing, and it satisfied my addiction to the before and after transformation.

Beauty photography has always been in my heart and I absolutely crave taking glamorous photos of girls and women alike!  Therefore, I was over the moon when I recently had the opportunity to photograph Alyssa. She needed head shots for her competitions in the Miss America Scholarship Pageants, and she also needed her senior pictures taken. Over the course of two days we created a lot of different looks for her, shooting both indoors and outdoors. Can I just say that she was such a gem to work with!!

There are so many shots I would love to share so I’ll start with some of my favorite images from the indoor portion (all images shot in natural light).  For any Napoleon Dynamite fans out there, it’s like I now have my own version of Glamour Shots by Deb.  I just need to start selling friendship bracelets door to door.

Have you ever hit a wall creatively? Have you ever felt like setting aside your passion for a while because you were just so burned out? That’s how I was feeling. Tired and dried up. Like I’d lost my desire, my creativity, my mojo, if you will. Maybe I’d never get it back?  Maybe I’d lost it forever…

It was March, and I desperately needed a respite from the relentless winter cold, so I bought a plane ticket to Florida and stayed with my sister for awhile. Over many cups of coffee she did what big sisters do best. She listened while I spilled my guts about where I’ve been, where I’m at, and that illusive somewhere I want to be headed in my life and my career. I said maybe I was done with photography. Maybe I didn’t have it in me to take another picture. (I appreciate it when people humor me and bite their tongues while I talk nonsense.)

But after I’d rambled until their were no more adjectives or synonyms left to describe burn-out, I actually felt something stirring inside of me. It was weak and faint, but it was the desire to try again, even if I failed.

So we went to Zara and I selected some clothes for the kids while they climbed under clothes racks, under dressing room doors and terrorized the general public. Then we sewed a yellow gingham blanket and pulled together a few props. Early one morning while it was still dark we rose, packed up the car and drove to one of the places that inspires me most in life. The beach.

We arrived just as the sun was peeking its face above the horizon. The smell of salt and sand invaded my nostrils. Usually my camera feels like an appendage, but I remember that day it felt awkward in my hands like a fawn on wobbly, new legs.  I made my way down to the water. Uncertain. Searching.

Then a beautiful scene unfolded before me as my niece raised the gold pashmina over her head, like a warrior princess about to set sail across the sea.  As I watched it whipping in the wind, I felt that tiny, miniscule ember of desire begin to flicker into a flame again.  Lifting my camera to my face, I snapped. I snapped again. A smile crept across my lips as I felt a surge of creative energy flow into my veins.

That morning at sunrise it felt like healing. Like a second chance.  And in my heart I heard a familiar voice whisper… 

This is not the end.  This is only the beginning.