Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Van Meter Burch.
Hi Amanda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve been involved in the arts since I was a young child. Dance has been my primary creative outlet all my life. I started getting into photography when I was pregnant with my son and received my first DSLR camera. Once my son was born, he became my favorite model. After I graduated from college with my dance degree, I was dealing with an injury that kept me less mobile. However, photography still gave me a creative outlet. Having a dance background gave me a bit of an edge in terms of composition. We had a trained eye for lines, shapes, and creativity certainly helps when putting together a photograph.
In 2018, I started my photography business, Avy Photography. I’ve enjoyed working with so many wonderful clients photographing portraits, families, weddings, fashion, and more. I love working on creative photoshoots that require more of a team effort. Models, designers, & hair/makeup artists. Every collaboration that I’ve worked on has been a dream, and I’ve made some wonderful friendships. In 2019, I started a company called Central Florida Choreographers Collaboration. Thankfully, this opened the door for me to combine my two loves of dance and photography together. I’m able to create as a choreographer, teach classes, as well as photograph the dancers & put together all of our marketing materials. Within this year, we even branched out into the film world by creating a dance film.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t believe anything worthwhile is a completely smooth road. Even art is all about mistakes. You make tons of mistakes and decide on which ones you want to keep. I went back to college pretty late, especially for a dance major. I was on average, 10-12 years older than the rest of my classmates.
On top of that, I had just had a baby at the end of a pretty rough delivery that resulted in a C-section. Three months later, I was back in school full-time. I was breastfeeding, adjusting to being a mom, commuting to school, struggling with weight, and pumping (breast milk) in between my classes. Experience aside, I was probably one of the least ideal candidates for a dance major, but knowing this didn’t stop me. I knew what I wanted. In my second to last semester, I completely ruptured the ACL in my left knee while teaching a warm-up. I thought at that point, I could be done. I was on crutches for a few months & added physical therapy to my course load. Taking it one day at a time, I was able to finish my degree with honors. The time I had to recover was utilized to work on photography shooting anything and everything.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I really love photographing people. I actually call it playtime because that has been my approach to my photoshoots. Let’s play. Let’s try different things. I love candid shots that have an editorial feel. A lot of times, I include the bloopers for my clients because I love those silly “whoops” moments that make them (and me) laugh. The perfectly posed shots are great, and there is a time and place for them. However, the action moments are when art happens. When the five-year-old vocabulary catches mom off guard. When the husband is un-interested until you start talking about sports. When the bride gives a dirty look to the congregation after the officiant asks if anyone objects. Those crazy action shots when the dancer holds a pose right before she falls off her leg. I will always have a special place in my heart for photographing milestones in people’s lives. The “I do “s, the “how far along are you “s, the “congratulations, it’s a boy “s.
However, I will have to say that I love the commercial market for photography. I love creating work for marketing purposes like advertisements, banners, book covers, publications, etc. Particularly the fashion market is my personal favorite. I’m most proud of the work that I’ve done with the designer, Miriam Grunhaus of Mikah Fashion, specifically with her Kintsugi line. This uplifting brand tells the story of so many powerful women who have overcome their personal struggles and have come out of them stronger. What sets me apart is my willingness to achieve what the clients want, no matter what. I have a high work ethic, integrity, and faith. My faith is a big part of everything that I do. It’s my driving force.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My first mission trip to Honduras was when I was thirteen. I saw so many beautiful places and people. It was humbling to visit a third world country and learn about their culture. The first stop that we made on the trip was at a church in San Pedro Sula. When we walked inside, there was a little girl who ran up to me and gave me the biggest hug. She was around six or seven years old, and her name was Esperanza. She took my bag & held it for the entire service. The whole time we were there, we were attached at the hip. When it was time for us to leave, we spent a good while just crying in each other’s arms. I never wanted to leave her. We had such a special connection. We didn’t even speak the same language, but I loved her and she loved me.
Contact Info:
- Email: amanda@avyphoto.com
- Website: https://avyphoto.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/itsmedancing
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/avyphoto
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsmedancing
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/centralfloridachoreographerscollaboration
- Other: https://choreocollab.com
Image Credits:
Sierra-Loren Chapman, Roselana Hermoso, Sera Milavetz, Thandiwe Ogbonna, Olivia Schmiedeke, Solina Som, Trent D. Williams Jr.
