Just so we’re clear on a few things…
I stand with and for Black, Trans, Disabled and Queer lives. I believe in listening, supporting and lifting up marginalized voices. I have benefitted from white supremacy and privilege, amongst other privileges and continue to do so, and I choose to do the antiracism work in order to understand this. I support sex workers and their rights and happily welcome them as clients. I believe and support accusers. I acknowledge that the land I live and work on belongs to the Canarsie and Munsee Lenape Nations. I acknowledge that I have caused harm to those that I wish to support in the past, and that as I continue to learn and work to better myself, I will potentially cause harm again. I will continue to do the work to be better, listen, understand, and support others.
At Ann Marie Amick Photography, there is no racism, sexism, homophobia, fatphobia, transphobia, negative self-talk, or diet talk. This is a space meant to encourage exploration and connection.
I used to tell my clients that I provided a “safe space” for them. Over time and with learning from people better than myself, I have come to understand that safety is not something I can ensure to my clients. Safety feels different to each individual, and each person may have different triggers for different things, thus I cannot promise that what I provide to you in our shoot is “safety.” What I do provide you with is a judgement-free space to exist and explore, and hopefully, have some fun. I will be present with you, I will listen to you and I will support you. I will be your teammate, your cheerleader, and possibly a shoulder to cry in. I can promise you that I will be 100% in this experience with you.
Now onto a bit about me…
Oh hello there! I’m Ann Marie (never Ann), and thank you so much for stopping by. If you’re new around here, let me share a few things about myself: I am a Brooklyn based intimate portrait photographer by trade, as well as the occasional lifestyle photographer. My background is in psychology and I used to work as a substance abuse therapist before moving to New York. I have been behind the camera for over 14 years, and it continues to be the passion of my life. My previous career as a therapist fueled my desire within photography long before I even realized that it was happening but one day I realized that photography could be used as a tool to help people connect to themselves. Moving forward, this became my goal in my work with my clients: helping them to connect to themselves, whether it be with their bodies, their minds, or an emotional connection to themselves.
In working with me there are a few things to be aware of. I am anti-diet, which means that I actively work against the diet industry and what it stands for and what it does to our society as a whole. With that, I am NOT anti-dieter. I believe in body autonomy and that every individual has their own journey with their body. With that, if you are dieting and are curious about working together, please do reach out and let’s have a discussion. There is simply no diet talk or body shaming within the studio space. You are allowed and encouraged to share your story and experiences, but if it moves forward in a way that discusses dieting currently, I will remind you that there is no diet talk allowed. If this sounds a bit confusing, I get it! It can be a lot to take in - but I’d love to discuss it with you.
I do what I do for a myriad of reasons, but the most important reason is that I love helping people on their journey to feeling at home in their body. Feeling at home does not necessarily mean that you love your body - in fact feeling at home feels different for everyone. But feeling at home is the acknowledgment that your body is your own, and it carries you throughout this life. It’s acknowledging not only the power of your body, but the fact that how you look is the least interesting thing about you.
A few fun facts about me: I read an obscene amount of books. No, really. I enjoy everything from the classics to current YA and I love nothing more than an exuberant book recommendation. I really like water - drinking it, being in it, watching it. The Pilot G-2 .38mm is the best pen in existence - try to change my mind. I love to collect coffee mugs but I don’t drink coffee.