Check Out Amy Roseland’s Story

Hi!  I’m Amy Roseland, a 42 year old mom of 1 son, Kamden who is 22 years old.  I have lived in central Illinois my entire life.  I have one cat named Trooper who is the classic baby of the family.

Throughout the years, there were always nudges towards photography. I have always had a love for people and admired each person’s unique beauty.

When my son Kamden was getting his senior photos taken in 2018, I kept telling the photographer to try this angle or pose. In my head, I thought, “I should be doing this.” The timing just wasn’t right yet. In October 2020, I went with my best friend and her daughter to get her senior pictures taken, and as I was watching, the thought crossed my mind again, “You should be doing this.” December of 2020, my mom had asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I said that I wanted a nice camera. She was confused. She said, “But Kamden (my son) is already raised. What are you going to do with it now?” I said I am going to take pictures of people. We both kind of laughed, but she bought me the camera anyway.

BeLoved217 Photography was born. It started off just as fun. I always joke and say, “I didn’t know that I would be any good.” It’s true; I didn’t. I had never used a high-end camera nor had I ever used Photoshop/Lightroom, but I was determined to learn. So off I went with my camera, taking photos of my friends and their families for free. Learning the ins and outs of Photoshop and Lightroom. The bookings started and then just kept coming.

In January 2023, I met Nichole Kolb from Willow and Mohr Photography. At the time, I was needing to expand to a studio space. We instantly hit it off, and our backgrounds are oddly very similar. Both mothers at 19, both worked long-term jobs until starting photography at 40, both having similar visions for growth. We kept communicating for a couple months and decided that maybe we should join forces. That decision didn’t come lightly for us, but I have faith it was the right one. So, I rebranded to Amy Roseland at Willow and Mohr, and I’m in the process of relocating to Edwardsville. I am very much looking forward to meeting lots of new people and exploring all the cool places for creative shots.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As for photography, I have been really surprised at how smooth it has been and how fast I have learned. Which tells me I am on my path. There have been obstacles, but nothing I haven’t overcome. Joining forces with Willow & Mohr has been a slower process than any of us expected. There is so much to update (like the website) and integrate. Many things that I didn’t think of, if I’m being honest. The process is in the beginning stages and still ongoing.