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Art & Life with Amethyst Jonovich

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Amethyst Jonovich.

Amethyst, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
To start off, my real name is actually Amethyst which I get asked about all the time. I was adopted when I was a little over three years old and couldn’t have asked for a better family to love and raise me. My interest in photography was always there, it may have started when I was way young always posing for pictures and thinking I would be a model, I may not be model material, but that’s okay. From there, I always had one of those wind up disposable cameras that I went through like candy until I got a pink digital camera. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I was gifted with my first “professional” camera. I say “professional” because it was a Canon Rebel T2i. I know, not the best camera, but we all start somewhere. I would shoot all the time; I started shooting mainly families, seniors, and models.

When it was time for me to go to college, I ended up going to NAU at first. I slowed down drastically with my dream of being a photographer. Mainly because my parents don’t and still don’t consider photography a career and I convinced myself I wouldn’t be able to make a living or steady income doing it.

My fiancé and I started dating, in the middle of my freshman year, he lived in the valley so after that first year I transferred to Arizona State University. I was working a full-time nanny job, also doing photographer here and there. We were living in a house next to campus with seven roommates and two puppies. It was a madhouse, to say the least.

My third year of college is when my fiancé and I bought our first home together. This was also when he convinced me to quit my nanny job and follow my dream of being a full-time photographer. I have never felt more supported then the way he makes me feel. He tells me to follow my dreams, and not to worry what I make. Even though most months we still live paycheck to paycheck.

I graduated in three years with my degree in Communications from ASU, and once I graduated is when I started to take on weddings. I wanted to make sure I had the equipment and experience (of second shooting) before I took on my own weddings. 10/10 recommend doing it that way instead of just jumping in.

My fiancé and I have lived in our house in Phoenix for almost three years now and are currently engaged and getting married next month. I am a full-time photographer, and my main passion is with couples and weddings. I love everything about weddings. All I want to do is capture all the in-between moments, adventure, and make memories for life.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My style of photography is hard to explain. It’s not bright and airy nor is it dark and moody. It is more of this in-between space that I like to describe as illustrative and photojournalistic with a vintage tone. I can capture the classic smiling at the camera shots of course, but my passion is within the authentic and unplanned moments that make a wedding unique and special. I love capturing these once in a lifetime moments for people, it is a big responsibility and something I don’t think I could ever get tired of. Every couple is different, and I love creating relationships and memories with my clients. I’ll happily drive two-four hours for the perfect adventure.

In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
The biggest challenge I believe artist face today is seeing through social media. Too many people base how good their work is on how many likes/comments it gets and how many followers you have. This is the lamest way to gauge your work because of half the artist out their pay for their followers and likes!! Gauge your work on what your clients say, your bookings, and the connections you make. I know it is tempting just to pay for followers, but that doesn’t change your work! Your work stays the same whether it has 100 likes or 1,000 paid likes.

I try to stay as authentic as I can. I have never paid for likes, followers, engagement or anything along those lines. I am not going to lie, there are plenty of times I have wanted to, but I try and tell myself it will pay off one day, and people appreciate authenticity more than anything.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My biggest platform for photography is Instagram @amethystimage.
Also my website – amethystimage.com

All inquiries are welcome! Let’s create something magical.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
@amethystimage

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