Amanda Mortimer is a realist photographer and world traveler who is continuing her lifelong quest for the perfect shot. Often she finds it—in the middle of the desert, in the deepest woods, even in those scenic, well-trod places that attract “shutterbugs” of all calibers. Even there, she has demonstrated a knack for locating the fresh, new angle. That’s just what she does, fulfilling the artist’s role: to show us the world in a different light, to create truth and beauty more pleasing to the eye than nature or the built world can muster on their own.

Amanda’s photos, produced as digital c-prints, draw primarily from nature, European cities, and obscure corners of America for their subject matter. Her titles are usually straightforward descriptions of what’s in the picture, like “Art Deco Building – Montmartre” and “Barn Wall.” Providing only basic information in this way underscores the documentary aspect of her work. Its presentation and fundamental style is designed to allow the audience the full benefits and pleasures of supplying its own interpretations/associations.

Amanda’s work naturally expresses different aspects of her self, and photography has served as a bridge between the opposing sides of her contradictory nature.

“I’m very logical, a trait usually not associated with the creative artist. But I love the technical side of photography, which fulfills the logical me, while composition and selecting which subjects to shoot satisfies the creative me.”

When sizing up a shot, Amanda assesses all the converging elements. “It’s like an expanded version of instinct; because you’re doing the work in your mind. Really, it’s the ability to think the same way as the camera . . . I can usually see the finished photo in my mind before I even look through the viewfinder.”

Among her favorite subjects are doorways and walls, because of their textures and repetitive patterns. For Amanda, such common objects—along with the more artful, grandiose European varieties—exemplify the power of photography to highlight rich associations and intricacies, and reveal the underlying beauty of supposedly mundane things.

Amanda has a strong background in drawing and painting, but her love of photography began with a borrowed camera and a fifth grade field trip to Washington, D.C.

“Light, contrasts, shadows and reflections have always been the focus for me, even when I was painting and drawing,” says Amanda. “I think that underlying interest ultimately steered me towards becoming a photographer.”