Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Vargo.
Hi Amanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a self-taught photographer. I have had a camera since I was a little girl. My ‘PaPa’ took me to photograph wildlife and landscapes in the parks. In 2015, I was a commercial truck driver who was injured in the 1000-year flood in downtown Charleston, SC. I crushed my leg and required physical therapy, as well as surgery. This also led to giving up my CDL in 2016. While searching for my next calling, I was on Folly Beach shooting sunrise one day when I took an excellent reflection photo of a couple on the beach. I ran to them, and the gentleman recognized my talent and eagerness to work. He offered me a job selling his photography at the City Market. This is where I learned to peddle artwork in about 7 seconds as customers walked by. Something about being that hook, line, and sinker gives me a thrill to this day! I observed how to manage and maintain a small business in the festival and market scene around the city. After a year or so, my mom mentioned selling my photos instead of his. That is when it all began.
I got my license and started AV Photography. Within 2 years of business, 3 of my photos were exhibited in Grand Central Station, NYC, in October of 2019. I went to see my artwork at the Fujifilm Global Exposition. I found my niche photographing coastal landscapes and wildlife on Folly Beach. My love for capturing when the sky changes color is my true passion. I have published up to 4 photos in the Folly Beach Civic Club calendar in a single year for the last 6 years. Through trial and error, I owned a brick-and-mortar for about 16 months. The place for me is outside, at festivals and events, selling my artwork all over South Carolina. I am a member of the Folly Art Village and have been set up weekly for 6 years now. We are set up every Thursday from 5 to 9 pm at The Washout restaurant at 41 Center Street, Folly Beach, SC. See me!
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I started my business, I set a goal to own a brick and mortar within 10 years. Well, I did it within 5. I joined forces with another artist and opened a storefront on Folly Beach in 2022. It was a challenge that was meant for someone else. Sitting in a store, waiting for a customer to walk in, was a drag. I would much rather set up outside, at a market or festival, and sell to hundreds within hours.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in local, coastal landscape, and wildlife photography. When I do family or pet portraits, I capture them within those landscapes at sunrise or sunset. I am known for my unique eye for different perspectives. Also, I have donated my time and photography to Surfer’s Healing Folly Beach every year since 2018. Surfer’s Healing is an organization made up of a group of surfers who tour the United States, giving children with autism a chance at one perfect day of surfing. My stepbrother has autism and was even chosen to surf one year! Once I heard that the Folly Pier would be rebuilt in 2020, I anxiously awaited getting some pierwood. I purchased the fishing benches and ripped them apart to frame my artwork in reclaimed wood from the Folly Pier.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I need to catch up on the natural beauty and history of Charleston. It’s incredible how you can turn a corner and be in a new environment or even a decade. Opportunities to create art are abundant. What I like the least is the infrastructure and traffic!
Pricing:
- Pelican Lighthouse on canvas Tryptic, framed in Folly Pier Wood $3195
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @avphotographysc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AVPhotographySC?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Image Credits
Photo of me taken by Jamie Occhionero
