Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Ron.
Hi Amanda, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’d say my story began on an emotional roller coaster stage. I had left a dream job as a news anchor and then I dedicated 100% to motherhood. For me, at that time, there was nothing more important than dedicating quality time to my daughter and I continue to maintain it; however, emotionally the change was hard. At first, I started creating handmade jewelry because I needed to occupy my mind with something else while I was at home, and at the same time I wanted to have some sort of income. That project didn’t last long because it got to the point where what I enjoyed the most about crafting jewelry was taking photos, editing them, and uploading them to the social networks. I could do that all day and that’s when I said “Wow! If I am in love photography for as long as I can remember, why I don’t do something related to it? At the very beginning, I used an old camera to take a lot of photos of my daughter and anything that caught my attention. Little by little I was discovering how photography fascinated me more and more. I studied a lot. I spent long hours and days doing online courses and reviewing any material. I asked my friends and family to be my models and help me creating my portfolio. In many ways photography managed to get me out of my comfort zone like nothing ever had. This work has led me to take risks and make decisions that have made me feel fear and doubts. But in the long run it all has been worth it; it’s left me many lessons and satisfactions. This is something that I really enjoy a lot and it brings out the best in me. I feel as if photography has saved me from a stalemate in my life where there was a lot of frustration on the professional side. Nowadays, having this venture consolidated as fruit of my effort and work, translates into incalculable happiness for me.
In addition, being my own boss grants me the freedom of spending quality time doing what I love and with my daughter which IS GOLD’S WORTH. On the other hand, in Venezuela, I come from a background and society where it was normal for the man to work and the woman to stay at home caring for the family. Nevertheless, in the United States what I see is men and women working equally, but with a culture where it is normal to have three month old babies in daycares because the system forces you to that situation. Both extremes are something that I could not deal with, and that is why I am thrilled to see entrepreneurs’ mothers who break with those barriers. Seeing women, and especially mothers who decide to start a business and GROW their brand ONLY with their own effort and work, is truly BEAUTIFUL and inspiring. I think that nowadays are perfect to do what we dream of and that is why it motivates me a lot to be able to help with my photographs to all those women who wish to strive. Not only do I do this because I like it, but because I understand, from experience, what it is like to be in the situation that at times you don’t know how to show or tell what you do. It motivates me to be able to help and guide women to tell their story through photographs that not only serve to show the services or products they can offer, but also go further INSPIRING and generating valuable content along with visually attractive, professional and on-brand images.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When you start from zero you have a lot of uncertainty. In my case, I started working with the resources I had, which was a single, very old camera, and with a very basic lens. But I don’t feel that that stopped me. I would say that the biggest struggle has been to understand that to grow in this business it is not enough just to know about photography. Today we live in digital, dynamic era with highly saturated industries, in which you have to keep up-to-date and stand out in many aspects. Starting your own business is having to know a little bit of everything. Specially branding, marketing and SEO. For me it has been a path of constant learning and a lot of trial and error. In the same context, making the transition from family, engagement, and pregnant photographer to personal brand photographer has been challenging. Although I firmly believe that what I offer is a service that every personal brand NEEDS to grow their business, I must confess that I realize that not everyone understands its importance. That is why my commitment to what I do about supporting, educating and guiding women with their brand through photography is more current than ever.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a personal brand and lifestyle photographer. I help women entrepreneurs to tell their story through images that allow them to raise their brand and connect with their audience, all under a bright, light and airy style. Many times I meet women who have an extraordinary service or product to offer but do not know how to show it through their social networks or web pages. My job is to guide them and create images that are visually consistent and make their brand look more professional and attractive without losing its value and identity. My service is very personalized. I study my client’s brand well to achieve the style they want and I make sure that their photos can be used on different platforms, therefore I adapt to various formats and requirements. For example, if you need a photo for an ad banner or an image with blank space on the left to add text, etc. But the result itself is to seek to humanize the brand, since nowadays that is what allows people to connect with us. My service includes all the prior advice, planning and all the photos of the session plus an Instagram mockup for 30 days with content ideas to use the photos and get the most out of it. Depending on the package, the customer can have images for more than three or four months.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
As soon as the person contacts me and before we can start planning the session, the first thing we will do is get to know each other. We need to know in detail about the client and their brand. Through a questionnaire and a one on one conversation we will evaluate how you have been working or what you are doing to show your product or service. Then we will plan the photos, based on clear ideas with the purpose of helping the client connect with the right audience and show what makes their business unique beyond what it sells. We will then create a Mood Board in order to help us understand what catches your attention and what result you want. We will also set the colors to use in outfits, props, and other elements that can bring photos to life and help with brand recognition, as well as locations. On the day of the photoshoot I will capture everything from portraits to the workspace and creative process, and even moments that have to do with everyday life outside the brand. The main purpose is that they can use the photos for their social networks, and different platforms in order to tell your story, connect with their audience and grow their business. However, it is useless to have professional and attractive photographs if we do not know how to use them, that’s why I like to include a 30-day Instagram mockup with content ideas so that they can get the most out of it. During the process my goal will always be to guide and encourage women entrepreneurs through my services, so that it is easier for them to take action and achieve their own success.
Pricing:
- Personal Branding Session start at $600
Contact Info:
- Email: info@byamandaron.com
- Website: www.byamandaron.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byamandaron/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byamandaron
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/byamandaron
- Other: www.pinterest.com/byamandaron
Image Credits
Amanda Ron Photography @byamandaron
