We had the good fortune of connecting with Amber Knauss and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amber, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Oh boy. I wish I could say I put more thought behind starting my own business than I actually did. I heard all the advice of how much money to set aside, how many clients you should have booked, all the equipment I should have, etc – and yet, I just went for it. I had planned and planned and tried and tried for a few years and just nothing was coming together. I finally decided that if I really wanted to do this, then I needed to just do it. Perhaps not the best way to go about things, and definitely NOT what I would recommend for others but it’s what I did.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a wedding and portrait photographer based out of the Wylie area. My main focus is weddings and senior photography with a side of sports photography thrown in. I’ve been in business about 10 years, but left my full time job 8 years ago to go head-first into photography. Throughout the past decade, I’ve truly seen how important photography is. I’ve lost people important to me and realized that the only thing I can keep is those memories that I documented. That’s what I want to do for others. I want to document this moment in time that you can never have back, but thru the magic of photography you can keep it forever.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a patio loving girl and if I only had a week with a friend here in Dallas we would check out ALLLLL the best patios and outdoor spots. I love the Truck Yard because it is so unique and really anyone can find something they like there. I love downtown Grapevine with all their fun little boutiques. If I wanted to stay closer to my side of town, I’d hit up the square in McKinney and finish with dinner at a super cool new place in Murphy, The Backyard.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve learned from many photographers in the DFW area. We have a great community that really believes in the theory of “a rising tide lifts all boats”. When I was starting out, Teresa Gardner was so generous with her knowledge. Also, some that initially come to mind are Tracy Autem of Lightly Photo, Chelsea and Mack of McGowan Images and Cynthia Holsclaw-Francis of Your Candid Memories. And so many more that I would simply run out of room. Just an overall huge shoutout to the DFW wedding photography community.

Website: www.golightlyimages.com and www.12bygolightly.com
Instagram: golightlyimages and 12bygolightly
Facebook: www.facebook.com/golightlyimages and www.facebook.com/12bygolightly

Image Credits
Brandi Evans McComb

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