Some people know their calling early on, others must dig deeper to realize their “thing.” I’ve questioned my writing for years; is it just a hobby or should I pursue it as a career? Should I mix my interest in cars with creative writing? Is that even a thing? Am I qualified or am I just kidding myself.
I looked for inspiration in other women who were being creative in automotive and who were happy doing it. That’s when I found Amy Shore on Instagram @amyshorephotography. With a clear dedication to her art of photography and consistent posts of her latest travels and projects, I quickly became a fan and follower myself.
Amy definitely has an eye for details, but I found myself drawn to her pictures because she has her own style and I enjoy her take on any project that she is working on. The cars look sharp, the people she captures tell a story, and the sceneries ground the experience.
As I continuously struggle to figure out if I can write and be creative in my career, it’s almost imperative that I follow and witness others who are actually doing it in “real life.”
They say you should surround yourself with like-minded people so that you can feed off one another, and push each other. But what if that’s not happening right away? What if I haven’t found my tribe yet?
The internet and social media have in a way made our world slightly smaller. Whether it’s someone with 500 followers on Instagram or 5 million subscribers on Youtube, they are putting themselves out there and transforming their passion into a real-life “thing.”
I’ve politely and respectfully reached out to several people I look up to. Hannah Elliott is another person whose writing career I admire and follow @hannahelliottxo . I reached out to her, and she kindly responded. In my head, I’m best friends with these cool ladies, and we go for drinks regularly and shoot the shit about the projects we’re working on. Yes, that’s all in my head, but they are part of the imaginary council I turn to for inspiration. They are also the people I turn to when I need the courage to share a post on Instagram, but I’m terrified because that dude I had a crush on three years ago just added me and he might see it and judge me. Ugh!
Sharing your art can be a daunting task. Putting yourself out there can be scary.
Every time Amy posts a picture of a trip she is on and sharing photos of another shoot she’s working on, she shows me that I can do my art too. One step at a time, one project at a time.
Amy proved herself during a Goodwood Revival shoot, and with the help of the internet (gotta love Instagram) she caught the attention of a lot of people. Soon she was doing shoots for Petrolicious and Classic Driver. Since then she’s done some amazing shoots for Jaguar Land Rover, Octane magazine, and Evo magazine to name a few. She’s also Nikon’s youngest UK ambassador as well as an influencer for names that she believes in and that compliment her overall vibe.
You can imagine how excited I was when she responded to my email to interview her for Autostrada Magazine. Having followed her for so long, I had hoped that she would be as approachable and friendly as she appeared in her pictures. To my delight, she was that and so much more. She really took the time to answer my questions with depth and value, providing the insight that I was longing for.
I was hesitant to take this piece to Autostrada for publication, but again to my surprise, Lucas Scarfone who is one of the magazines’ publishers and a professional photographer himself @scarfonephoto, was fully open to featuring a successful woman photographer in the magazine. It really goes to show, that asking for the business and showing the interest in the job, can change the meaning of a wish to a goal.
In addition to the list of questions I asked Amy for the magazine, I also asked her a few questions for my blog.
When did you know you wanted to pursue photography as a career?
I never purposely went into the world intending on photography becoming my career. I thought it was way too competitive and I didn’t see how on earth I’d get started. I just took opportunities that presented themselves to me and ran with them, trying my very best at the time. It wasn’t until I graduated from university (as a silversmith!) that I began taking pictures professionally. First of weddings, then cars very soon afterwards. Things slowly just built and I did other design jobs on the side until one day, I stopped doing any other job other than photography.
Where you scared when you decided to commit to this full time? Did you have to give up something else? Did your friends or family “judge you” for wanting to be a photographer?
Not really, no! I was very lucky to have gone from a poor student to a poor freelance photographer. I was still living at home with my parents at the time so had no real financial responsibilities, and they were hugely supportive which I was also very lucky with! My friends and family didn’t judge me at all as they could see how hard I was working to try and make this work. People sometimes judge me now when I tell them I’m a photographer though which is quite funny as I don’t think they always realize how fun my job is and how it’s quite well paid! It beats an office job any day!
When you attend the car shows and generally male-dominated events, how does it feel for you? Do you stand out amongst the other photographers?
I used to feel quite self-conscious about it as I definitely stood out more than the other photographers, however, as time has passed, there have been more female automotive photographers at events, and people have also got to know me! Sometimes standing out would work in my favor as people would remember me more, which worked out great for future clients. However, sometimes event marshals wouldn’t realize that I was an official photographer for the event and tell me to leave the restricted area without even giving me a chance to show them my pass! Thankfully, those moments are now few and far between.
When you come across other female professionals in your field, is there competitive vibes? How do you deal with that?
Not in the slightest! We all bounce off one another and laugh about how our Revival outfits are causing us some wardrobe issues when taking photographs! We are all great at what we do, but all very different. There are still very few females in the automotive industry, so we all seem to know each other. It’s nice to actually be able to hang out with girls on jobs!
When you’re traveling, what are your must-have girl products/tools that you carry with the rest of your gear?
Dry shampoo. My word, that stuff is wonderful. Sometimes you’re sleeping in places that don’t have any showers (like mountain sides), or you only have 4 hours of sleep and need to look at least a little human in the morning! I also have a bunch of mini Rituals hand creams, and lip balms as the environments can be really tough on skin, especially my hands.
What are you currently reading or just finished reading that made an impression on you?
I’ve been trying to read Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything for about 3 months now, but I’m simply so busy that I’m struggling to get through it! I also have been reading Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck as I think a lot of creative people struggle with how others perceive them, their work and their thoughts. Or at least, I know I do! I’m constantly at battle with myself of trusting me and my work to second-guessing everything I do. It gets easier the longer I do this job but never truly goes away! But I think that’s healthy, it keeps me on edge to try and consistently do my job as best as I can without getting lazy. It keeps me humble.
God, I love her! Check out the rest of the interview when it comes out later in Autostrada Magazine. Follow Amy and leave us a note sharing your art and how you wish/hope to make it your “thing” one day.