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

Hi Ami, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had worked for a small photography studio for 9 years, and while that was an amazing experience and I had the opportunity to purchase it, I decided it wasn’t the right timing for me. At the time I was a mom of a toddler, and I knew taking on a large clientele and the overhead of an existing business would consume my time and energy, and I just didn’t have a peace about having that kind of pressure on me. So, starting my own business felt like the right thing to do. It was risky and I didn’t know if it would work, but looking back it was 100% the right decision.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe we are surrounded by art every day, all day. It’s either a work of God’s creation that if we slow down long enough to appreciate, can help us see how artistic our world really is. Then there’s the gifts that He’s given us as what I like to think “His apprentices” in creativity. He’s the ultimate creator, but we are a reflection of Him, so therefore we are able to create as well. I think what sets me apart is my ability to tell a story through an image or video. I love to see what’s behind the obvious and find either the deeper story or perhaps the beauty that just needs to be illuminated.

My journey to where I am today was definitely not easy. As a result of taking on the lead photographer role for Janie Ivey, I didn’t finish college. At times this has likely hindered me from making more money or being able to be hired for certain positions. But I am a hard worker and have gotten to where I am from working extremely hard and by the grace that God has given me in just leading me to the right places and people.

I currently use my creativity for my job at Waxahachie Independent School District. We are growing fast, and I am the Communications Coordinator for the district. I create video stories of all the amazing things that teachers and students are accomplishing every day. I attend events of all kinds to photograph students living out their passions. I love being able to capture these moments for them and their families.

I have learned novels-full of lessons in my life – professionally and personally. I think the greatest lesson that applies no matter where you may find yourself is to make sure that you are honoring God and honoring people. We really can’t be truly successful if we aren’t doing those things. For me, honoring God with my life means to follow His lead and be completely and fully myself – the way He made me and what He made me for. I cannot accomplish this if I’m not honoring others. I value each individual human as just that – a human being, deserving of respect and love. I think as a society we’d get a lot further and have a lot more peace if we could just live by those standards. I think all of this is what I would want the world to know about me, and I would want any brand that I work under to reflect that as well.

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 have grown up in the (once small) town of Waxahachie, Texas. It is just a delightful place to live and work and for people to visit. We have a beautiful historic downtown square with shops, restaurants, antique stores, museums, art galleries, etc. We are located just 30 miles south of the DFW metroplex, so there are many things to do and see just a short drive north. I would say for someone coming for a week:

Day 1: Check into your cozy Bed and Breakfast on our historic Main Street – full of homes that are over 100 years old and many have the “Gingerbread” architecture.

Day 2: Wake up and enjoy a delicious brunch at White Rhino (also on Main). Explore the downtown shops and mosey the antique stores and find some treasures. End your day at Prime 115 for a delicious dinner with cocktails!

Day 3: Head to Dallas to visit The Perot Museum and Dallas Aquarium. They are located very close to eachother. For lunch and dinner you could get something from the food trucks at Klyde Warren Park or on the lawn of the Dallas Museum of Art.

Day 4: Time to head south to Waco – home of the Silos (Chip and Joanna Gaines’ famous destination). Walk along the downtown area to find yummy food and drinks and take a walk across the suspension bridge.

Day 5: The Ft. Worth Stockyards is calling! Explore that entire area all day – be sure to wait for the daily cattle drive… it is one of the coolest things you’ll see! Head downtown to Sundance Square for dinner and be sure to have a cocktail and enjoy some jazz at Scat!

Day 6: You’re tired from all that – so find a cozy corner to read and relax at Paper Leaves – behind White Rhino Coffee. You could also take a stroll in Getzendaner Park and take the trail all the way to Fresh Market Coffee and see the old caboose and check out Railyard Park.

Day 7: You’re super sad to be leaving this super fun area of Texas, so the last thing you need to do is head to a Ranger or Cowboys game – the stadiums are right next door to each other. Y’all come back!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As a photographer, I have three people who believed in me and taught me what it would take to be successful. First, Ray and Janie Ivey hired me when they really didn’t have to. I practically begged them to let me come work for them and learn the craft. Ray was so sweet and patient with me as I was utterly clueless with the intimidating medium format and film cameras that were still used back then.

Ray became ill a few months after I started working for them and suddenly passed away. This was devastating to the entire community, but especially to his kids and his wife Janie, who did all of the office work for him as he was the photographer and artistic force behind their work. She didn’t know what to do, other than to keep going and trust that God was going to take care of her. She and I decided together to give it a “go” and see if we could keep the business running.

The third person came into my life at this point. One of Ray’s dear friends and fellow professional photographer, Roy Madearis (and his sweet wife, Debbie) came to my aid and would give me crash courses in photography. Things like working the cameras, loading and unloading the film, shared their software programs with me, etc. Roy was also a rep for Kodak at the time and he would share all sorts of leading-edge technology with us. It was just a gift that kept on giving and I will never be able to repay him for how he mentored me and helped me in those early years.

Website: amitrullphotography.com

Instagram: @amitrull

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amitrullphotography

Image Credits
Ami Trull Photography

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