Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Neeley.
Hi Amanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After having my first child, I was teaching ballet at a studio where I would go on to spend the next 30 years. While I loved teaching, I also had a strong desire to build something of my own. With a passion for both dance and photography, I saw an opportunity to merge the two.
The studio owner gave me my start by allowing me to photograph the students’ recital portraits — and that one opportunity launched a business that allowed me to stay creative, grow professionally, and maintain the flexibility I needed as a new mother.
Over time, I gradually expanded, adding more studios to my spring schedule each year. My work also evolved to include audition photos, private dancer sessions, and more recently, promotional and social media shoots for studios looking to elevate their branding.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the biggest challenges in this kind of business is building your client base — specifically, getting studios on the calendar. It takes patience. I set a goal early on to add one studio per year, and I stayed consistent with that. Some years I even added two or three. Today, I photograph for 25 dance studios during recital season, which keeps me working nearly every day from early March through the end of June.
It’s definitely a demanding stretch — I’m either photographing or editing most of my waking hours — but the tradeoff is worth it. The rest of the year, I have the freedom to pursue other creative interests. I’m still teaching dance, and I also work as a florist. Creativity drives me, so having variety in my work is something I really value. Now that my children are older, they’ve even become part of my journey — they help with my businesses and take my dance classes, which is incredibly rewarding.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Combining my love of dance, teaching, and photography, I’ve made dance portraits the heart of my work. From recital portraits and senior dance sessions to audition photos, professional portfolios, studio promotional shoots, and social media content — I truly enjoy every aspect of capturing dancers.
With decades of teaching experience, I bring a unique perspective and skill to each session. I understand proper technique and how to highlight a dancer’s strengths, which allows me to guide them in creating images that are both artistically beautiful and technically strong.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
My goal is for every dancer I work with to leave a session feeling more confident and proud of themselves than when they arrived. Dancers are often their own toughest critics – always hearing corrections and striving for improvement – which can make it hard to recognize their own progress. Through my lens, I hope they can see the talent, strength, and artistry they might not always notice in themselves.
I strive to be an encourager throughout the process, helping them truly see themselves – perhaps in a way they hadn’t realized was there before.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amandaneeley.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amnphotographyatl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaNeeleyAMNPhotography/
