Meet Amy Gray

Today we’re excited to be connecting with Amy Gray again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.

Amy, always such a pleasure connecting with you and thank you for sharing your stories, insights and inspiring messages with our community. We’re looking forward to getting the download and what you have been up to since our last interview, but first can you briefly introduce yourself to folks who might have missed the prior conversation.
I’m a photographer in San Diego, where I love to make enduring memories through capturing families, graduates, proposals, and elopements on the beach! Although I happily shoot sessions other locations like Balboa Park and in an East County field that I love, the beach is my specialty. My favorite images feature big sky and water reflections of my subjects . . . walking, running, twirling, or just taking in the beautiful sunset.

Alright, so our main goal today is to give our audience an update on what you have been up to since our last conversation. We’d love to hear how things are going and what you are most looking forward to or excited about these days.
Lately, I’ve been doing more headshots! As my sister and I have grown our school portrait business, we have become more accustomed to using studio light, and we’ve found that our school portraits (especially staff portraits) are great training for really good professional headshots. As a former teacher, I understand the trepidation with which many school staff members approach photo day, and I am very careful to shoot adult headshots from flattering angles and with the best possible lighting and then spend a little extra time in post-processing to make sure everyone looks their best. As the winter months roll around and there are fewer families desiring beach photos, I’ve found more opportunities to do natural light and studio light headshots for corporate clients . . . usually companies doing offsite meetings in the. San Diego area. This has become a favorite type of session for me! Whether on the streets of Downtown, exploring a Little Italy piazza, posing at one of the North County resort hotels, or finding the best-lit nooks and crannies at an AirBnb, it’s fun to meet people from all over the country and create professional images that represent the hard work they do while also offering a glimpse of their unique personalities.

We have now arrived at one of our favorite parts of the interview – the lightning round. We’ll ask you a few quick questions to give us all some fun insights about you.

Favorite Movie: The Sound of Music

Favorite Book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Favorite TV Show: Gilmore Girls

Sweet or Savory: Sweet

Mountains or Beach: Beach!

Favorite Sport (to watch): Gymnastics

Favorite Sport (to play): Ummm….

Did you play sports growing up (if so which ones): Gymnastics

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: TV Journalist

French Fries or Onion Rings: Onion Rings

Chuck Rhodes or Bobby Axelrod: Who are these people?

Favorite Cartoon growing up: Strawberry Shortcake

Favorite Childhood movie: Wizard of Oz

Favorite Breakfast Food: French Toast

What do you want people to remember about you and your brand? What are some of things that you feel are most important, unique, special, etc?
As stuffy and bookish as I was as a kid, I love that beach photography has brought out the zany, crazy part of me. I love that I get to order people around, including grandpas who aren’t really into the beach. Once the sun starts going down, time is of the essence, and there can be no push-back. We march right into the waves, and that’s when the magic happens. The dress clothes, meticulously ironed, are now drenched to the knees . . . but the grandkids are ALIVE with the fun of it, and some of my favorite images are the oldest generations, knowing how fleeting childhood is . . . throwing the kids in the air, spinning them around, letting them climb on their shoulders . . . or just standing there with a tired babe on a shoulder, enjoying being together and knowing they’ll never forget this moment.

Image Credits
Melanie Monroe Photography