Rising Stars: Meet Amanda Wagnon

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

Hi Amanda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It doesn’t feel like that long ago that I had no clue what being a wedding photographer really was. As a guest at weddings I had come across one or two but never gave it any thought. Photography was not something I ever really imagined myself doing. But in 2018, after becoming pregnant with my first child, I knew I wanted to document every moment of my son’s childhood in a beautiful way. I wanted to capture every moment but in a way that accurately portrayed the beauty, emotions, and rawness of each moment and I knew my iPhone just wouldn’t cut it. So with that desire I picked up an old DSLR my dad had laying around and I began to learn. I photographed anyone willing to jump in front of my camera. I’m so grateful to everyone who gave me the opportunity to sharpen my skills and understand the craft more although I do cringe a little looking back on those old photos. Starting out I thought I wanted to photograph families. I mean the whole reason I picked up a camera was to document mine so it seemed fitting. But, it wasn’t long into my journey that I realized as much as I loved families my true passion was in the wedding industry. So, I found a wonderful photographer I was able to intern under and learn more about the wedding industry and wedding photography, and the rest is really history. I fell in love. I fell in love with the way I can use my camera to tell the story of a wedding day. The way I can capture a moment of beauty and tell the story of my couples is through nervous smiles, stolen glances, silent tears, and celebratory cheers. I fell in love with the fact that with my camera I am able to solidify in time all the small intimate moments that happen so quickly. Without the treasure of a photograph, they would be lost forever.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
After interning my first official year on my own and going full time was 2020. That year brought challenges that were unique to everyone in the wedding industry but it felt especially overwhelming because I was already trying to navigate the waters of going full time. I like to joke with my husband, if I can survive going full time during a pandemic I’m convinced I can make it through anything.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a North Carolina-based wedding photographer. I serve couples who are in love with their best friend, dream of genuine and true-to-life moments on their wedding day so that their images will always feel timeless and treasured for a lifetime. Building relationships with my clients is something I think is so important. By getting to really know my couples, build relationships with them, and understanding their relationship I am able to really tap into the emotions of the day, anticipate the big moments, and ensure I capture it all.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Trips to our local library with my mom. We used to bring a big laundry basket and fill it up with stories. She would read to us each night and by the end of the week, we would have gone through the entire basket full.

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@amandanicolephoto.com
• Website: https://amandanicolephoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda.nicole.photo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandanicolewagnon.photography