Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Cil.
Amanda, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I would say that since I was a little girl, I was very artistic. I was into dancing, painting, writing, singing even though that last one isn’t my strongest. I’m 22 years old and proudly Cuban. I came to the United States in 2013 with my family. It was a challenge moving to a country that has a different culture and a different language. Between tears, I was able to finish High School as an ESOL student. By fall 2015, I was enrolled in Miami Dade College and started working on my Associate in Arts in journalism and mass communications.
My first year of college was hard, transitioning to a new level of education with language barriers was definitely an issue for me and for my family. Yet I always liked to take pictures on my iPhone 5S and play around with them. I was never serious about photography until one day, out of nowhere, I told my parents I was going to buy a DSLR camera to start taking pictures. I remember their faces up to this day and we still laugh about it. They looked at me like I was senseless. I even told a few of my friends at the time and got called crazy about it.
I bought my first camera with my savings and installed a portable “studio” in my house. I brought a friend over to take some portraits and test the studio. I started going out to parks with another friend of mine and her boyfriend, and even my brother helped me by modeling. I started working at a fast-food restaurant and going out to take pictures was a hassle, but I made the time anyways because it was like therapy to me.
I started doing much better at school. I graduated with my AA and got into Florida International University by 2017. During that time, I kept on taking pictures of my friends and opened and Instagram page separate from my personal one to post my images.
My friends started telling their friends about my photos and they contacted me to do photo sessions. I went ahead and officially opened my photography business. I got business cards, t-shirts, backdrops, lights, stickers because you either go big or go home. Fast forward a little, by 2019, I had graduated from FIU with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Amanda Cil Photos had turned one year old. I taught myself everything I know today and most of it comes from trial and error.
My parents are my biggest cheerleaders and supporters. My mom helps me with the creative part (we can Pinterest our lives away), inspiration and DIYs. My dad, on the other hand, is the technician, he has learned to handle all the equipment to perfection. They are my team. I’m happy of seeing how people accept my work and there is nothing more rewarding than my client’s faces when they receive their printed images. I always say that dreams are meant to be true but starting to do so today is important. I’m living my dream every time I pick up my camera.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It all depends on each individual but for me, personally the road had its little bumps. I also think that all the obstacles were always on my mind. I was always terrified about my images not being good enough, even though I had several people referring me to others. Getting several weird looks and people telling me I was crazy had also an impact on me, mentally. I believe that because I was a beginner, just the thought of becoming a photographer was intimidating.
I wanted to be a photographer but wasn’t expecting all the struggles. I thought it was going to be easy and let me tell you that nothing is easy, but definitely not impossible. With time I got confident in my craft and now I enjoy it to the full extent. It just took a little sacrifice and lots of discipline.
What that process taught me as a business owner is that we need to be prepared for bad criticism at all times and that listening to what other people have to say is not bad at all. It is imperative to understand and work with the vision that nobody is the same and when we talk about art, there are going to be discrepancies and that’s completely OK. Also, we need to know that beginnings are scary but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pursue a specific path.
Alright – so let’s talk business. What else should we know about you and your career so far?
Amanda Cil Photos has an open range of photography services. We offer portraits for families, couples, businesses and individuals. We also offer maternity, graduation and milestone sessions along with event photography (birthdays, baby showers, weddings, quinceañeras). Our images are always colorful and full of life. But Amanda Cil Photos is not about me at all. It’s about my clients being the best version of themselves in front of the camera. I always tell them, “Ustedes son la estrella del show” (you’re the star of the show).
I’m proud that my company is able to connect with people on a deep and personal level. I like to call my clients my family. I like to chat with them, to create with them, (you’ll see us texting back and forth to make sure we got every little detail of the session covered) and have a little cafecito when we do in-studio sessions. I currently have over 40 clients and have developed a special connection with each one of them. I like for them to feel comfortable and relaxed at the time of the photo session. My client’s babies are my babies and I take care of them and enjoy them as if they were really mine. At the end of the day, I’m not providing a service. I’m providing an experience, an experience that will last forever every time they look at their photographs.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t think luck is much of a tangible thing and that hard work is the one quality that can help you get closer to what you want. Overall, I will say I am very lucky. I am lucky that I have a very supporting family and that my clients are such incredible humans. But it is really the discipline and the constant work that has helped me develop my career in the photographic field.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amandacilphotos.com
- Phone: (786)312-2283
- Email: amandaceo@amandacilphotos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandacil.photos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandacilphotos/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cil_llc
Image Credit:
Images by: Amanda Cil Photos
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