Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Austin.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mandy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Absolutely! I have to credit my photography curiosity to my Mom’s frequency of the portrait studio for me or one of my four brothers regular sesh. And then it didn’t help that my Dad was a real estate photographer, which is where I grew up learning the camera, business and time management of photography. Combined with my love of chaos through family and children, I didn’t stand a chance.
I started shooting in the film days alongside my Dad with real estate photography. Clinging to my film cans and Maps-co. I quickly craved the human interaction that led me to a chain photography studio, where I was quickly promoted…I was hooked! I spent my 20s learning about where I want to see myself. Chasing the education train and the next promotion. Attending The Art Institute of Colorado for a while, but learning more on my own accord. I withdrew after a year. I called it my “Most Expensive Lesson”. All the while I tinkered with what kind of photographer I wanted to be. But my confidence wasn’t where I needed it to be after a failed marriage. My creative spark was dimmed. But the paychecks kept coming, so I went into auto-pilot. Continued to work for several photography companies in training and management roles.
Met an amazing single father that led me back and restored my faith in genuine connection. We had our own beautiful children, and I was blessed to be able to stay home with them and fall back in love with photography. I got to capture my favorite faces! My babies! And after years of being in auto-pilot behind a lens, I finally began to breathe again. My step-son’s camera loving personality gave me TONS of practice on. My son’s speed made my panning practicing days come back. My daughter’s blue eyes made me research new editing methods…I was back! But with zero time on my hands.
I love this age of technology where you can advertise your skills easily and build a business! And so, I started slowly growing my own clientele. Regular families that loved MY connection. 100% word of mouth. I knew I would have several years with my children in their preschool days, and while I knew I wanted those years to be 100% about them, I would be a fool if I didn’t take that time to fully educate myself on the photography community. It’s very different from the film days, but constantly inspiring! The ever-changing evolution of gear and technique is addicting!! I love being able to build my community of families that through spending genuine time with their family, I grow to know them as my own. And love getting to see how all my borrowed families have grown through the years I’m always on the hunt for the next adventure and the next connection! I’m always up for a new challenge but currently love bonding most with babies, children, seniors and families.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Gosh… challenges. My challenges have been mostly personal life getting in my way…a couple times. Being in the creative field, I find it hard to maintain a business mind when life comes raining down on you. I suppose you just have to do the best you can with what you’re given. The one that sticks out the most though is the one that totally pivoted my photography journey.
The birth of my son…my first baby. I was always supposed to go back to work, but my tiny guy had other plans. He was born two weeks early with the cord around his neck three times. My type-A personality was mentally prepared for the birth to not go 100% my way. But it never took me to the NICU. I was a healthy woman, fit pregnancy. I had done everything right.
He was born with Hypoglycemia that didn’t allow his blood sugar to go over 30 (normal 100-200) the first week of his life. His enlarged aorta and two holes in his heart required a heart MRI at six weeks old. And his lungs needed extra oxygen for the first four months of his life. Besides cell phone snaps, and lifestyle shots, I kept waiting for his newborn portraits until he was off his oxygen cannula. I wanted to see his whole face SO bad! It was when he was eight weeks old, and his pulmonologist said, that he could be six years old before that may happen…that’s when it clicked. As a new mother, I had gone into fight or flight, forgot entirely that my camera existed and didn’t move from my child’s bed because I was fearful. But I had still missed moments.
Shortly after he was discharged My husband and I was racking our brains in how we could give back to the hospital that had helped us so much. So we started our monthly therapy or date days as we called them. We volunteer at The Children’s Hospital, and went back to the same halls we trudged through sleeplessly. The conversations with the NICU parents were identical to ours. Fearful, fight or flight…and we could see the sleeplessness in their eyes. Those halls were where I learned genuine connection and purpose. Making sure not one family has to miss one milestone while facing medical adversity. Capturing moments when parents can’t possibly think that way.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Parachute Family Photography story. Tell us more about your work.
I truly love the work I get to do at the hospital! If anyone ever gets to volunteer in a field that touches your heart…do it! I have selfishly gotten so much more out of my experiences than I have given. I have a hard time falling in and out of photography. But I don’t think purpose, or feeling useful in a hopeless moment, can ever be combatted. I urge fellow artists to give where they feel connected. It brings out such a different side of our art.
This feeling has propelled me into loving spending time capturing memories for families and children! Add me to the list of therapists, hairdressers… I LOVE being able to connect with my families! Learn about what they’ve been up to and where everyone is at. Photography senior portraits, and later their family portraits. It truly is magical to be apart of. A family photo session is far from the awkwardness it used to be. And that I think, is the part that I connect to most…the experience.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think we are all dealt different hands in life, and how you take that and run with it matters most. I’ve definitely had bad luck that has set me back a couple notches. But good luck in the personality department that hasn’t really let me wallow too long.
Pricing:
- Photo sessions start at $150
- My in-hospital patient shoots are always free
Contact Info:
- Website: www.parachutefamilyphotography.com
- Phone: 303-525-8098
- Email: parachutefamilyphotography@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/parachutefamilyphotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/parachutefamilyphotography
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