What started as a passion has become a full-time occupation for Beal City resident Amanda Steffke.
After running Amanda Steffke Photography as a part-time business since 2011, mainly shooting wedding and engagement photos, Steffke has taken the next step and moved into her own studio space in downtown Clare.
The move allows Steffke to broaden the services offered, which now include family portraits, newborn and young children portraits, and high school senior photos, in addition to the wedding and engagement photo mainstays.
"This studio is a gamechanger. Six months out of the year it’s cold outside. There’s only so much you can do with the winter weather," Steffke says.
"It changes my business. I have a place to shoot but also to meet clients."
Steffke will celebrate the grand opening of her new photography studio on Saturday, Dec. 14, with an open house complete with photography session giveaways and a marketplace with products from local vendors.
The grand opening celebration coincides with the annual Christmas in Clare Festival.
Earlier this year, Steffke briefly opened a studio in downtown Mt. Pleasant before shuttering its doors due to issues with the building. Living in Beal City with her young family, Steffke was open to either Clare or Mt. Pleasant for a new location, eventually selecting the Clare studio after receiving a tip on the vacancy from a friend.
"Clare has an amazing downtown. The atmosphere is something that people really love because of its historic, old-timey feel," Steffke says.
"We’re two doors down from Cops & Doughnuts, which everyone loves. And two doors down the other way is a wedding venue."
Amanda Steffke Photography is located at 509 N. McEwan St. in downtown Clare.
Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.