Most students interested in photography pursue it as a hobby, something to do with spare time and an iPhone camera. Amarie Raymond (12), on the other hand, has built a business out of taking professional photos. 

Raymond has been taking photographs for friends and family since ninth grade, but the photos she posted on her Instagram account (@amariephotographyy) drew attention from paying clients. Now she runs a small photography business taking photos for occasions such as birthday parties, proms and sporting events. Her talent even earned her a spot in Vogue Italia, a famous fashion magazine. Originally though, her focus was cinematography, not photography. 

“I wanted to learn more about cinematography,” Raymond said. “And I found out that a lot of the stuff comes from stills (photographs taken on or off movie sets during or after production). And then I started to do more portraits with my sister, and then I posted it online and people were trying to book me, so I started building clientele from there.”

For many, photography is an important creative outlet, and it is that creative freedom that drew Raymond in.

“You have so much creative leeway with everything,” Raymond said. “And no picture’s going to look the same. No matter who’s taking the picture, everything’s going to look different.”

Many of her ideas come from observing other photographers, the styles and techniques they use. When photographing clients, she also takes into account the client’s clothing, appearance and location. 

“I get a lot of my inspiration from other photographers,” Raymond said. “Seeing what they did with the location, or seeing other photographers using similar locations with a similar look.”

For many small businesses, quarantine has made it much more difficult to operate, but for Raymond, it has been the opposite. In fact, COVID has given her opportunities to grow as a photographer. 

“I feel like COVID has definitely improved the way I’ve taken my pictures,” Raymond said. “Since I’ve had a lot of time to myself, I’ve had a lot of time to practice and figure out new ways to take pictures and figure out new techniques.”

Photography may be a fun pastime for many students, but for Raymond, it is much more than that; it is a career. 

“It’s more than a hobby to me; it’s what I really want to do,” Raymond said. “And it’s what I’m pursuing for my career, and it’s also taking into account my bigger picture of life.”