Amy Mulder (above) has a degree in social work, is the owner of Amy Mulder Photography, based out of Charleston, South Carolina, and she now works primarily in Italy. Amy photographs weddings, elopements, and engagements; she also sells her landscape and travel photography, works on editorials, and is an educator for other photographers and business owners. Here we discuss how Amy attracts her clients and how she cultivates the empathic approach that she has to her work…
I’ve wanted to be a photographer since I was seven years old and was gifted my first camera; Ansel Adams was my inspiration, and my dream job was to work for National Geographic, travel the world, be immersed in different cultures, and show the rawness and grit of life. I think that is why I love destination weddings so much…”
Amy Mulder, Photographer
C&B: “Amy, you have a really diverse background – what was it that initially brought you from your studies to travel photography then into the world of destination weddings?”
AM: “Oddly enough, my degree is actually in social work, and about eight years into my career, I met and married my husband. He’s the one who said, ‘You’ve always wanted to be a photographer; let’s try it, and if it doesn’t work, you can always go back to social work.’ And here we are, 15 years later, with a thriving business! I love having the opportunity to see so much of the world and capture the beautiful stories of people and their relationships. I also enjoy having the opportunity to spend some days travelling the area to get a feel for it and photograph the character of the place I’m visiting…”
The only classes I’ve ever had for photography were in high school – other than that, I’m self-taught. I’ve been shooting on film since I was seven years old! I did attend one photography workshop years ago, and the educator told me, ‘You should be leading these, not attending them.’ So since then, I have been educating others, and I love it!”
Amy Mulder, Photographer
C&B: “In that case, you’re definitely in the right career; do you have other members on your team and how do they support your work?”
AM: “There are three of us: Me, my husband, and my amazing friend Kelsey. My son, who’s just 10, said he wants to join at some point too! It’s a lot of fun working with the people I love!”
C&B: “When it comes to your work, there are many good photographers out there; what would you say sets your team apart from the others? Why do your clients choose Amy Mulder Photography?”
AM: “I think it’s the time and commitment we dedicate to our projects and the relationships we build with our clients. It’s so important to get to know the unique aspects of our clients and who they truly are in order to capture what makes them special. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve been told we have been hired because we were the ones who treated them with the most respect and kindness, and also because we’ve taken the time to talk with the clients and get to know who they are. I do feel like that should be a given in our line of business, but apparently it’s not!”
C&B: “Italy is the romantic place for a destination wedding – which are your favourite locations and/or venues. And where else do you take on projects?”
AM: “Lake Como and Tuscany are the main areas where we work, but we have also worked in France, the UK, Turkey, Kenya, and throughout the US…”
Our main challenge during an event is making sure we have the time and space needed to truly allow my creativity to flow…”
Amy Mulder, Photographer
C&B: What impresses us is the number of extremely high quality and creative vendors to the events industry in general; are there brands that you’ve got on your hit list to work with?”
AM: “I definitely have a list of vendors I would love to work with; however, as far as creative projects are concerned, I’d like to work on more branding campaigns – I do love telling the story of one particular subject. I’ve done a few of these, and it’s been so much fun!”
“Last year I started a new project of my own, which is travelling to different places where missionaries are serving, photographing them, the community in which they serve, and the people affected by them, and then creating a website to help tell that story, raise awareness, and raise funds for them to keep going. The first one we did was for a family that is rescuing girls from child marriages and children from human trafficking (above). I could go on and on about them and what they are doing; they are absolutely amazing…”
C&B: “Wow, that’s incredible – it’s so important to spend time on projects that are diverse and have a worthy mission behind them. Also, having time limits and the pressure of documenting a wedding, the most important day of a couple’s life, could be considered quite stressful – do you need to take time off afterwards to relax?”
AM: “Not at all! I love it! For me, I love connecting with our clients. By the time we arrive on the wedding day, it is like we are joining our friends. However, I’m very intentional about building that relationship in advance because it’s so important. To relax, I take photos on my Canon AE-1, I go camping – or do any outdoor activities – and I spend time with my son, husband, and friends. I also love to make artisanal soap with my son; we have a blast creating together!”
C&B: “In addition to various lifestyle projects, do you ever feel inspired to collaborate with other compatible brands?”
AM: “Just this past year, I started a collaboration with Lauren Waldorf Interiors (detail, above right); Lauren is a brilliant designer in Charleston, SC. She’s started to sell my travel-related pieces, which has been exciting! We’re also merging together to start a new creative retreat for female business owners that we’ll be starting out by hosting in the UK. It’ll be a time when women creatives can come together, relax, enjoy life, get revitalised, and exchange fast-paced/stress-distracted for slow-paced/calm/focused…”
C&B: “You’ve certainly have built a fascinating life through your photography work; finally, Amy, what would you say is your biggest and most significant accomplishment to date?”
AM: “My biggest accomplishment so far is having the opportunity to take my 10-year-old son to seven different countries, exposing him to different cultures and lifestyles, and allowing him the gift of knowing the world is so much bigger than us…”
AMY MULDER PHOTOGRAPHY
http://www.amymulderphotography.com
