Check out Amanda Coker’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Coker.

Amanda, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
People ask me all the time about my start in photography, and how I came up with the name Dash. The story is very connected to me and my journey as a human, so I always enjoy sharing. I graduated from college with a degree irrelevant to photography. I was interested in the hobby of photography, but never imagined it could be a career. It’s crazy to me that we have to figure out what we want do with our whole life at the age of 18 (I still thought a box of Kraft mac n cheese was a sufficient dinner).
I moved to Colorado the day after graduating college and two weeks after a significant and tragic death in my family. I spent the next several months working through grief, and as God began healing different areas of my heart, I also began to have some clarity. I started shooting more (I had a cute little Canon Rebel), and fell in love with the art of photography while in Colorado. Let’s be honest, it’s easy to find inspiration in the Rockies.
On a visit home to Atlanta, I stopped by the cemetery for the first time since the funeral. I was thinking about everything that little dash on the stone between his birthdate and death date represented: the laughter, the quiet moments, the conversations, the inside jokes, the memories, the impact. In that moment, I knew whatever path I was headed down, I would remember the significance of the Dash. As I continued to work through the direction I wanted to go, I knew I wanted to be a part of capturing the Dash—the in-between, our given time. I wanted to be able to freeze memories so when people looked back at their lives or their children’s lives, they could relive the joy and celebration and happiness of monumental moments in time. I also wanted to give people tangible evidence of their legacy.
I never want to lose the foundation of why I do what I do. Photography will always be more than just taking pictures. My camera is simply my tool to do good and love people.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My team is known for our wedding and senior portrait experiences. I personally focus on intimate weddings, adventure sessions, and our seniors. I love telling the stories of people who appreciate the unpredictability of life and the beauty in the imperfection. People whose idea of a good time is a bomb margarita, laughing until your face hurts, and life with your best friend. Love is a beautiful thing, but it comes with its fair share of struggles and hard work. I shoot for those moments as well. I want emotions leaping from each image bringing reassurance, confidence, joy, hope, and an overwhelming sense of commitment to this beautiful human they’ve committed to.
Senior year is an incredibly vulnerable time of transition. There are so many emotions, thoughts, and questions that are often super overwhelming. I remember the people who stepped into my life during that season (many moons ago) and spoke life and encouragement to me; the people who didn’t settle for anything less than my best, but cheered me on the whole way. It still resonates with me. I want to be the same voice for the students I get to hang out with.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can find us hanging out on Instagram (@dashphotographyatl). I share BTS, my watermelon growing adventures, real life as a business owner dealing with anxiety, tips+tricks, and everything in between. You can also head over to our blog for even more of those things: dashphotography.co/blog-index/

Contact Info:

• Address: Alpharetta, GA
• Website: www.dashphotography.co
• Email: hello@dashphotography.co
• Instagram: instagram.com/dashphotographyatl
• Facebook: facebook.com/dashphotographyatlanta

Image Credit:
Check email for more pics and credits.

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