Hi, I'm Amy.

In the movie Chariots of Fire, Olympic runner Eric Liddell says, “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.” Well, I’m not Eric Liddell, and I’m definitely not a runner, but I understand what he’s getting at! I feel most alive when capturing memories for families and couples . . .

Beach photography makes me feel God’s pleasure!

There's nothing I love more.

How it all began . . .

Right out of college, I faced a classroom of eighth graders as an English teacher. I loved the way my students embraced life and wanted to celebrate every little thing. I had a giant Christmas tree and twinkle lights in my classroom in December, organized a Year 2000 New Years photo shoot with balloons and floor-to-ceiling newspapers, and photographed our yearly trips to Washington, D.C., with my little point-and-shoot camera.`

Then, when it was time to start our family, My husband and I took over my mother-in-law’s resort childcare agency, and the entrepreneurial bug bit me hard. I was so happy I could build my business from home while being close to my little ones.

I had no idea what was on the horizon when I purchased a camera to take a few marketing photos for the Sitterwise website.

That quickly led to taking lots of photos of my own children and then taking a photography course with my sister, who was also interested in learning photography.

We were photographing our kids and posting the photos on facebook when a friend asked us to photograph her wedding

A wedding??

We were terrified, but we were also a little nuts, so we did it. We studied and practiced and bought a bunch of equipment we would never use again. And you know what? It turned out pretty well! We were hooked.

Then I ended up on the beach!

I’m honestly still a little surprised about that, because I never liked the beach, growing up. Sand, seaweed, sunscreen—I was against them. But once I got a camera in my hand and realized the challenge of beach photography, I couldn’t get enough of it.

THE BEACH IS DIFFERENT EVERY TIME.

Unlike field and park sessions, every beach session throws something new at you. The tide, the cloud-cover, the wind, the crowds. Every evening at the beach holds its own set of obstacles, and I was determined to figure them all out. Fourteen years in, and I have strategies!

I’ve encountered just about every conceivable situation on the beach (including a decomposing whale, not gonna lie), and I’m confident that I can produce a great set of images unless it’s pouring down rain. (Then we reschedule.)

My family

my family and
our crazy dog marley
read about him here >>

Audiobooks

CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

GILMORE GIRLS

FAVORITE SHOW

SHOWTUNES

FAVORITE PLAYLIST

EDUCATION

PASSIONATE ABOUT

THE ROYALS

CELEBRITY OBSESSION

all about

I’M ALL ABOUT

Family, faith,
my Full Focus Planner,
rollerblading & Pilates,
learning new things,
helping great things
be even better

I’M ALL ABOUT

Sci-fi & zombies,
olives (green or black),
stepping in water
while wearing socks,
superhero movies

not about it

WORDS TO LIVE BY:

You are what you
repeatedly do.
Excellence, then,
is not an act,
but a

habit

WHAT ELSE?

Podcast

I was interviewed for the PhotoSpark podcast a few years ago. Here’s what we chatted about!

The Best Sandbox in the World

Lori and her extended family take a trip to San Diego every summer, and she says the beach is the “best sandbox in the world.” That’s TRUE!

STILL HERE?

Now Let's Talk About You!

If you’ve read this far, you strike me as the kind of person who values family and memories and stories! You’re my kind of person. Let’s chat about how we can work together to create beautiful images for your family to enjoy for many years to come.

amy gray photography

Amy Gray is an award-winning professional photographer based in San Diego, California. Her specialty is beach portraits, capturing cherished memories for families, couples, and seniors on vacation at the Hotel del Coronado beach or at Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach.

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