Amy-Lee Julies took a chance on herself in April 2021 when she created a Facebook page for the business she wanted to start, Passion21 Photography. This decision followed a roller-coaster ride punctuated by a highlights reel most of us can relate to or have experienced exactly.
Alcoholic parents, lack of mentors and guidance, dysfunctional upbringing, unplanned pregnancy, trapped in a toxic relationship, handcuffed into a menial, low-paying job and finally completing the cycle by staring into the bottle yourself to escape the pain.
On that day in April though, the Facebook page represented a defiant personal statement, ENOUGH! Four weeks before that she, per chance, saw an advert on social media advertising a free photography course hosted in Bishop Lavis. Even though she was unemployed at the time and living back in her home town of Belhar, she immediately enrolled.
“What surprised me the most was that the Facebook page almost immediately resulted in a job. An engaged couple called me up and booked me for their wedding and even paid the deposit up front. I get chills even now, thinking back. I was totally inexperienced, I did not even have a camera, and the menial government internship job I managed to land in the interim, barely paid enough for me to live.”
I am glad Amy did not go with the first idea she came up with for a name for her company, which was Cheesy Smiles, because Passion21 Photography (the 21 refers to 2021) totally describes how she feels about photography.
Chatting to her in the parking lot at Eerste River Library ‘cos we got kicked out for talking too passionately, you quickly get swept up in her love for the art of photography.
“When I look through the lens, the view changes. I look at what’s in front of me, then I focus through the lens and then the magic happens. I see the X-factor, that element that makes a photograph tell a story, trigger an emotion, transport you somewhere else, unlock a secret or just make you smile for no reason,” she says.
Amy’s journey in photography has included work in all genres, from nature, fashion, product shots, portraits, social and media events, and of-course, weddings.
“I still bump into the couple who gave me my first job. They’re still married and still boost my ego by reminding me of how pleased they were with the photos.”
“I was consumed by crippling anxiety and fear when the opportunity came and I just closed my eyes and spent every last cent of my ridiculously embarrassing salary to buy a starter camera kit to do the job. I was so timid during the shoot that a member of the wedding party had to give me a pep-talk to hold my nerve,” she recalls.
Now Amy offers a course in photography from an institution based in Eerste River, where students can experience her proven knowledge of photography, but also absorb her passion and never-say-die attitude first hand.
“I feel like it’s time to up the ante and take my passion to the next level. I’ve started the application process for funding to establish an accredited academy which will allow me to share my vision and inspire more people in our communities.”
Her personal life is a far-cry from the roller-coaster that began in Belhar and bobbled through Lavis and has now stabilised in Eerste River. “My loving and supportive boyfriend of three years, Antonio Plaaitjies, has shifted his own career focus to assist me with the back-end work like editing and design,” she says as the passionate smile surfaces again.
As with all the heroes I’ve profiled on this platform I ask her what makes her different, how did she break the cycle and escape the trappings our communities struggle with daily.
“I was 28-years-old when I started this business, and before that my resume consisted of jobs as a cashier at two retail outlets, before the internship at a local government department. Some of us are lucky to have a moment where you just realise that you cannot blame the system or your past anymore and that you just have to put it all on the line and back yourself for the win.”
Amy tells me she knew she had made the right choice when the couple of the wedding were so pleased with her work. “However, what really drove the realization home, was when a few days later, a friend gave me the money, without me having to ask, to cover the cost of the camera as a gift, knowing that I had emptied my bank account with no idea how I was even going to feed myself.”
Passion21 Photography’s motto is Lens to Legacy and you can make Amy-Lee and her team part of your legacy by checking out their product offering which includes training in photography and related services, web-coding, branding, business growth, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and full mentorship.
Give her a call now on 067 292 6833 and back yourself for the win as well.
All images featured have been taken and supplied by Passion21 Photography
