Hey, hi, how are you? It's Amelia!! I talk with my hands a lot, overuse '!!!' and emojis. I dislike peanut butter, but I love romantasy fiction and true crime. And not to totally brag, you'll soon feel like you've known me forever. 

Some say it's a gift, but I think it's just the extra caffeine and Spotify playlist that gives me all my good freaking vibes!! But for real, my clients become friends, and it's literally the freakin' best thing to be invited back and back again to capture their life's biggest moments and milestones. The joy I find in capturing these moments is indescribable, and it's something I never take for granted. I am honored to be such a big part of capturing someone's milestones. 

Hey, I'm Amerlia!

I owe the start of Amelia Jo Photo to my husband and the amazing couples and clients who believed in me from the start. You guys are the real MVPs, and I'm forever grateful for your support.

Fully expecting to become bored with the camera once our trip ended, I was shocked to realize I actually LOVED the challenge and creative freedom. Fast forward to 2024, and I officially took my business full-time! If you had told me 5 years ago I would quit my non-profit 9-5 job and would run my own photography business full time while also raising my kids, I would have said, "No freaking way, dude!!!". 

How did I get here? Well, I kinda wasn't supposed to be a wedding photographer…

No, for real, I never planned on shooting wedding days or people, for that matter! Back in 2019, my husband and I were preparing for a big camping trip, and in classic Amelia fashion, I got this bright idea that I "needed" a camera because my iPhone just wasn't going to cut it. My husband agreed but under one condition: I could purchase the camera, but only if I wrote a business proposal outlining my mission, vision, and business plan. We both graduated from North Dakota State University College of Business (GO BISON!!!), which was very on-brand for my husband.

In less than 24 hours, I created my business proposal, outlined my business plan, and ordered a Nikon camera to pick up on our way out of town. I spent the entire 8-hour car ride learning what I could from YouTube and practicing throughout the trip.

People
Joyful
Joyful
Images
for
Current obsession:
My go-to drink order is as follows:
a. Americano
b. flat white
c. latte 
late-night popcorn
Early bird / night owl
I'm a Nikon girly 
My dream vacation would include
  a. zip-lining in Costa Rica
  b. all-inclusive resort on a beach
  c. Alaskan cruise
  
Something I can never leave my house without:
three different beverages, one being caffeine
If I weren't a photographer, I would:
probably open a baby boutique
Most likely to binge-watch:
  a. Grey's Anatomy
  b. The Office
  c. The Bachelor d. Survivor

camera i shoot with:
I am deathly afraid of:
  a. heights
  b. snakes
  d. deep bodies of water

No pressure, but we're great friends now, right? Let's see!! 

Ultimately, it doesn't matter if you like tea and I like coffee, if you don't like true crime, or if you don't use emojis (although I will secretly think you're mad at me). What matters is that nothing is more important to me than capturing timeless, joyful images for joyful people. 

Let's do this!