Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Steffke.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My photography journey has been filled with trial and error, bumpy roads, hard work, and wonderful clients. I started out 12 years ago with a Canon Rebel camera, taking photos of my daughter and practicing with friends. Eventually, a few people started asking me to take their photos and things started to grow from there. I took a full-time job with CMU while I worked on my photography skills on the side and soon found myself shooting weddings. For eight years, I worked at CMU and ran my business on the side, growing and learning along the way. After shooting weddings for many years, I was looking to make a change. I was missing time with my family and having a hard time juggling it all. It was then that I decided to make the leap to leave my CMU job and take my photography business full-time. I soon opened my studio in January 2020, only to have to shut it down in March when COVID hit. It was a scary and uncertain time, not knowing if I made the right choice or not. Once I was able to reopen, it was clear that I was living out my career dreams. I’m still located at that studio in beautiful historic downtown Clare and have been overjoyed to focus on other areas of photography and meet so many amazing people along the way.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The biggest struggle I find in being a business owner is trying to find the proper work/life balance. As a wife and mom of 3, my life is often filled with sports events, PTA meetings, and taking care of our littlest who is almost a year old. Being a one-woman show in my business can make it difficult sometimes to stay on top of everything, all while keeping my creativity going. However, I have a wonderful support team in my family and friends, along with wonderful clients that make it all worth it.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the type of photographer that enjoys many different types of photography. Currently, my business offers maternity, newborn, cake smash, family, high school seniors, and headshot/branding sessions. I shoot many of those things right from my studio along with outdoor sessions here in the Central Michigan area. I’m best known for my warm-toned and natural look to my images and always try my best to include both traditional poses as well as fun/candid ones, resulting in a well-rounded final gallery. I love putting together all the little coordinating baby sets for newborns, creating a fun, themed cake smash shoot, working with high school seniors to showcase their personality and talents in their senior photos, and capturing the realness of a family while the sun’s golden light shines behind them. I am truly lucky to have such an amazing a fulfilling career.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I grew up spending copious amounts of time with my grandma who managed a local pizzeria for over 25 years. My cousin and I would hang out there during the summer days, folding pizza boxes for a little bit of ice cream, spending money, and soaking in all the funny things our grandma would say. Once we were old enough, we worked alongside her for years until I went off to college. They were some of my best and most memorable days, and I’m so lucky that she, along with my parents, instilled a great work ethic in me and I attribute that to my success today.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amandasteffkephotography.com
- Instagram: @amandasteffkephoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/amandasteffkephotography
Image Credits
Amanda Steffke Photography
