I’m notoriously bad about getting regular family portraits done. I don’t display a lot of photos around my house, and I guess since my kids get school pictures every year, the realization that our family is changing before my eyes often escapes me. But every now and then something stops me in my tracks and I think - with alarm and urgency - that my kids are growing up SO FAST and I need to savor this precious time while they’re little. And then I think, “I’ve got to capture these moments!”
Enter Amy Brendel, a local photographer who applies her talents to family portraits, weddings, senior pictures, maternity, newborn, and engagement sessions. I met Amy through other circles, and was quickly enamored with her down-to-earth charm. It was only after I’d learned that she was a farmer’s wife, mother of three, and hometown girl that I discovered she is also an extraordinarily talented professional photographer.
Amy got into photography as a hobby and a creative outlet, but she fine-tuned her talent through classes and training. Her professional expertise with the camera sets her apart from hobbyists who wear the title of “photographer.” Adding to her skill, it seems that the magic behind Amy’s ability to take such beautiful photos is that she knows the best hidden-away places to use as natural settings, she works with natural light and the ideal times of day to capture it, and she has this easy-going and sunny personality that makes her comfortable to be around. And as a mother of young children, she’s especially good at relating to kids, so the whole family feels relaxed and Amy can capture natural smiles rather than stuffy or forced studio poses.
So when I was ready to set up a family portrait session, Amy was my first pick. I contacted her and we set up an appointment, then she advised me to look through the albums on her Amy Brendel Photography Facebook page and pick which settings I liked the best. Amy has relationships with several local farm and property owners whereby she has exclusive rights to use their locations in her photography sessions. I thought that was unique, and a selling point.
We arrived at the location we’d agreed upon, and I made quick introductions of my husband and children. They were immediately put at ease by Amy’s casual style and low-key approach. She wanted to get pictures of us that showed what we’re really like – active, playful, casual – so, while she certainly had some suggestions and guidance, she let us be ourselves and worked with it. She even laid out flat on the ground to capture good shots of us!
After an hour or so of shooting at various scenic places on the property, we wrapped things up. Amy explained that we’d get digital copies of every picture in both color and black-and-white, and that we’d be free to print them and use them however we like. I think that’s a much more valuable and useful setup than the sessions we’ve had in the past where you just order prints of the particular poses you like most. I have so much more flexibility to share and use the photos this way!
A couple of days after the session, Amy posted a “sneak peak” of our photos to her Facebook page. I was beyond thrilled with the results! Then a day or two later I got the USB in the mail containing all the images, as promised. I kid you not, they were ALL good. And that’s hard to do with a camera-shy husband, two wild and crazy kids, and me (who never knows if I should smile with teeth or without)!
I will be printing and displaying these photos for a long time! And, unlike our previous studio photo sessions that involved cajoling, tears, and artificial poses, I can look at the pictures and remember the fun we had taking them. If you’d like to contact Amy and set up a session for your family, you can find her at:
