Amanda Ulrich is a paralegal here at Thomas, Coon, Newton and Frost, but she was also recently showcased for her work as a photographer in and around Portland and Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory.
Amanda used her first paycheck at her first job to buy a camera. She’s always enjoyed taking photos—her father was a professional photographer—and the interest has followed her through her life, all the way from that first paycheck to her iPhone 4S to the DSLR her family gave her as her interest deepened. She always carries a camera with her, whether she’s running or hiking or walking to work or out with friends. The subjects of her pictures range from tiny petals to sweeping vistas, and she often focuses on nature, greenery, and light.
“I don’t go into it looking for a photo,” Amanda said, when asked about her process. “The more I try to compose a photo, the more forced it seems.” Instead, she takes pictures as she moves through the world and as the moment strikes her. While she’ll take pictures of the waterfalls she hikes to, she says her favorite photos are usually of the smaller unexpected things she found along the way, the little overlooked details of the world and the way the light strikes them. Amanda said that sometimes she’ll be inspired by a particular scene or the way a person is standing, but most of the time she’s looking for light. “Sometimes I’ll pass by a particular spot, and I’ll think, ‘That would make a cool photo,’ but I won’t actually take the picture until I happen by it on a day when the light looks a particular way.”
“I tend to frequent the same spaces over and over again,” Amanda added. “Whether it’s the way I walk to work or even just a place where I hike, places look different every time you go through them. I never feel like I’ve thoroughly explored any area. There’s always more to see.”
To see more of Amanda’s work, check out her Instagram.