Hello — and welcome
…..I’m Amanda, a photographic artist, researcher, and former allied health professional working at the intersection of creativity, physiology and emotion. My work wasn’t born in a studio or classroom — it emerged, quite unexpectedly, during a time of profound change.
A few years ago, I was forced to step away from my career due to illness. I was living with Lupus, a complex autoimmune condition, and found myself with very limited use of my hands. It was a frustrating, frightening time — and like many of us, I turned to creativity as a lifeline. That’s when I picked up a camera.
What followed was not traditional photography. I began exploring intentional camera movement (ICM), but because I couldn’t hold or move the camera with my hands alone, I had to involve my whole body. Twisting, rocking, pivoting — the movements became instinctive, and the images began to take on their own language. Over time, something unexpected happened: the movement wasn’t just creative, it was healing.
As a researcher, I couldn’t help but dig deeper — and discovered I’d inadvertently tapped into a neurophysiological process called pandiculation, which helps the brain release deep-seated muscular tension caused by stress, pain or trauma. My camera had become not just a tool for expression, but a gateway to reconnection — to myself, my body, the world….
This practice has since become Embodied Camera Movement — an evolving exploration of image-making as a somatic, expressive, and even therapeutic process.
By coincidence, my Masters degree from some years earlier studied the human connection to other animals and the environment – now I realised, when I moved with the camera I am making a connection – my movement becomes a part of that image. They’re not just about what you saw, but how you were in that moment — how you moved, how you felt. That’s what makes this work so alive for me.
Now that I’m well (well-ish — chronic illness doesn’t vanish, but we learn to live differently), I’ve committed fully to this work. I now teach, write, and share this practice with others — photographic art made with us – not by us. How to create and edit with body mind and emotion.
If you’re here out of curiosity — welcome. If you’re here looking for new ways to work with your camera — or your body — I hope you find something of value. There’s more to come.
With warmth,
Amanda
(I’m often asked what gear I use – so – Fuji XT4 usually with the 55-200mm lens, ND filter that rotates so I can change it’s strength and sometimes the iPhone with slow shutter cam app) 🙂
