The Photograph Collective: Namesake

  “Namesake” by Amanda Liew We each have our own struggles, and mine is with love. For years, the lies I told myself have consumed me: You don’t deserve it You won’t ever have it You aren’t worth it You aren’t worth it You aren’t worth it You’ll never be worth it. There was a cry to God, One from the depths of my heart. And suddenly He made me remember: “Amanda. Worthy of love.” A literal translation. A declaration. A title. A namesake chosen before my birth to battle my greatest fear. A promise I can never run from. Amanda, You are worth it You are worth it You are worth it You’ll always be worth it. Love.

It's been such an amazing experience seeing The Photograph Collective take off. Our second project was on Self Portraits, and I chose to focus on my namesake. There was a time in my life when I was particularly struggling with being able to accept that I was worthy of love. From broken relationships to promises that were not kept, I allowed myself to interpret others' actions as a reflection of my own worth. When I was at Martha's Vineyard for FOCUS camp a few years ago, I was praying and sobbing with God - just wrestling over this emptiness and pain that I couldn't seem to get rid of. And then all of a sudden I heard "Amanda. Worthy of love." I realized then and there that yes, my name was a direct counter to my greatest struggle. It was a moment that left me in awe - to suddenly realize that before I was even born, God gave me a name so significant. A constant reminder that I was worthy of love, and more than anything worthy of His love.

To view the full post along with other projects, go to The Photograph Collective: http://thephotographcollective.com/2014/07/21/namesake-by-amanda-liew/

Behind-the-Scenes of Merry & Kelly's Engagement Shoot

  When my roommate's boyfriend, Kelly, told me he was going to propose, I died trying to keep it a secret. When Merry & Kelly did get engaged, I celebrated and told the world. When Merry hilariously asked me to take her engagement photos, I panicked and laughed...and then pointed them in the direction of someone with more experience: my good friend Rob Cleary. Nevertheless, the four of us went together to the Central Park Conservatory Garden on a beautiful Saturday evening when the weather was the perfect mix between spring and summer. As Rob dutifully snapped away, I took on the role of hair-fixer, bag-holder, sign-maker as well as behind-the-scenes-capturer. I love these candids because of how they capture Merry & Kelly's relationship - from the ridiculous sarcastic jokes constantly bouncing back and forth to the secret glances and smiles that they don't think I see. It brings me so much joy to see Merry & Kelly build their life together, and I can't be happier to be a part of their journey! To see Rob's engagement session photos click here.

"Parallels in the Differences" - The Photograph Collective

Though things have been relatively quiet here at amandaliew.com, I've been pulling in overtime at thephotographcollective.com. I'm truly amazed and humbled at how a simple idea has led to something with 11 (and hopefully soon to be 12!) other photographers across the country. For our first project we tackled "Life in Our Moment," and it has been such an honor to witness the amazing and brilliant ideas the other photographers have come up with. If you are a photographer (or just someone with a good eye!), I encourage you to leave comments with suggestions, critiques, encouragements on the posts. View my post at The Photograph Collective here.

A Different View