I’m just a girl with a camera in a very happy season of life.

I began exploring photography when I was 14 years old, learning on my mom’s Minolta and spending a small fortune on black and white film. I loved my high school photography classes and spent hundreds of hours in the dim red light of the darkroom, listening to the rush of the water in the rinse bin and watching my images appear before me. I decided to pursue photography and visual arts in college where I got to explore color developing and a little bit of the then-budding digital photography world. I was able to afford my first good digital camera while working in my first professional job and engaged to the love of my life. Naturally, a curiosity in wedding photography followed and I fell in love all over again.

I built my portfolio and jumped in head first in 2009, quitting my job to become a full-time wedding photographer. It quickly became my passion and I spent a decade capturing beautiful details, genuine portraits, and meaningful moments for brides and grooms.

Those years were truly a gift! I started my business as “Red Gecko Studio Photography,” and later became “Amanda Red.” As an avid shoe lover, I began wearing red shoes on all of my shoots- and the theme had stuck. My red shoes and I had many adventures toting my trusty camera around the midwest and the world! I was blessed to shoot and study in exciting places like Ireland, Paris, Amsterdam, Mexico, Colorado, Texas, California, and more.

And then I became a mom. We adopted our son when he was 11 years old. We all know how fast the years go by, and I knew we had a shortened time to enjoy adventures with our wonderful boy. So that was when I decided to go back to a professional 9-5 and take back my weekends. It was time to spend those precious summer Saturdays with my sweet little family, and that has been the best decision for me and my boys by far.

In 2022, we took a huge leap of faith and moved from our home in Madison, Wisconsin to upstate South Carolina. We love it here and spend our weekends enjoying the warm weather, hiking in the mountains with our pugs, exploring the Southern cities we’ve come to love, and visiting our many favorite restaurants.

I still love creating images. I still love the energy and excitement of a wedding day. I still thrive when I’m able to serve a couple in love by helping them create and live out a well-planned, low-stress event with the most important people in their worlds as they start out on their new journey as husband and wife.

I simply don’t do it very often. In the past few years I have taken on only a handful of photography opportunities when I’m able to use my camera for the benefit of those I love. Perhaps, someday, the season will change and I will once again fill my closet with comfy and cute red shoes!

Until then, thank you for stopping by my little corner of the internet.

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