It all began with a desire to change the world.

Hi, I’m Amanda Freeman, the owner and photographer behind the lens at Philantography. I never set out to be a photographer. I was not the one who dreamed of taking photos all over the world. I did, however, want to make a difference in my little corner of it.

My “day job” is as the owner and designer at Mixie Design Co. My past careers had me doing everything from wedding planning to preschool teaching, with a few years of bartending in the mix. My formal education is in Psychology and then later in Web Design. So, how does that all mix up to make who you see now? Simple. Humans. I love people of all kinds. All backgrounds. All mixes. I am a chronic optimist and lead with a “love first, ask questions later” approach to humanity.

As a part of my other business, I have been building brands and websites for some amazing business owners for a decade. Nothing helps you establish a brand quite like solid photos. So, with camera in hand, I began documenting my clients in a real and relatable way in 2015. A year in, a beautiful friend asked me if I would take photos of her family for the holidays, and I reluctantly said yes. I was incredibly nervous to take photos of people for a variety of reasons, but it soon passed once that first session was behind me. I never wanted this gig to become a full time job, because I absolutely LOVE my job, so I only did photo sessions for donations to my favorite charities. That tradition is still in place today.

Yes, you read that right. I don’t make a dime doing this. I do it because I love interacting with people. I enjoy melting into families. Being a fly on the wall gives me front row seats to all kinds of love. As an added bonus, many local charities benefit financially. All proceeds from my sessions go back into the community. It is a win-win-win, if you ask me. I get to do something I love, deserving organizations get much needed funds, and YOU get to help change the world. Pretty neat, right?