#FrayLife Follows: Amanda Bowen Photography

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This month’s #FrayLife Follows features Amanda Bowen – a local photographer who taught herself and has shot for all of DC’s major sports teams, including the Nationals, Capitals, Redskins, and DC Fray.

Read Amanda’s story below and give her a follow to add some up-close-and-personal coverage of DC’s best sports to your feed!

Give our readers some background on you and your experience. How did you get into photography? What are some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on?

I’ve always had a camera in hand to capture trips and fun moments with friends and family, but it wasn’t until I took my camera to a Washington Capitals game in 2013 that I saw the potential of capturing the beauty and grit of a sport. I started going to practices every weekend between my classes at GMU and as the players strengthened their game on ice, I built my skills behind the camera. I got my first break when I was picked up by Russian Machine Never Breaks (RMNB). From there I excelled in my craft, earning an photography internship with the Washington Redskins, photo opportunities around the NHL, and now capturing America’s pastime at Nationals Park. Some of my favorite projects I’ve worked on are my seasons with the Redskins with my football photo family, 2017 NLDS with the Nationals and Cubs, the NHL Winter Classic in 2015 and Stadium Series in 2018, and of course the time I took a puck to the face photographing for the Detroit Red Wings social media. It was a crazy time.

What kinds of photography do you regularly shoot and feature on your site and social accounts?

I shoot all kinds of photography, but most people know me primarily for my sports work. I’ve been working in portraiture, wedding, concert, and event photography outside of the grind on the field. My instagram reflects my photo life fairly well–the stages when sports were keeping me busy, and the times where travel, film and photoshoots are priority.

Can you offer any advice to other aspiring photographers also building a business around their passion?

Keep practicing, keep capturing moments, brainstorm new ways to see and compose images–these are probably things everyone says, but my biggest piece of advice is to use social media and create a presence on there. Nearly all of my opportunities could be traced back to my work on social media and the audience that I share with. It’s not going to happen overnight, but the more you do and the more you share, the right person is going to find it.

When you’re not behind the camera, what are you doing for fun?

I love to travel, hike, assist on filmsets, and attend sporting events (of course)–but I almost always have a camera with me with just about everything that I do. Spending time with friends and family in any rare time off that I can find is some of my favorite times away from the camera and it’s so important to me to try to make that time when I can.

What is something completely random or unusual that most people don’t know about you?

Random: I always have gum with me–I chew it after every meal. It’s just nice to have a refreshing taste in your mouth, especially on the go. Friends always ask me for it because they know I’ll always have some haha.

What are 3 things that belong on the bucket list of any 20-something living in the DMV?

  1. Washington Capitals playoff game/Washington Nationals playoff game – the atmosphere is electric, like nothing else!
  2. Shenandoah National Park – Skyline Drive during the fall
  3. Renwick Gallery – Have to go back every few months and see the changes!

 

Who is your favorite local Instagram account to follow? Let us know in the comments and you may see them featured in a future #FrayLife Follows.

Need more cool people to follow? Check out Devin Maier on IG for all things fitness and DC.

 

View More Articles By Amanda Bowen

 

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