Meet Amanda Steinmetz | Radar System Engineer & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Steinmetz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I started Friendly Cactus Photos, I had two goals. One, I wanted to be an affordable way for people to document their life moments, be it big or small; and two, I wanted a place to show the creative photos I take in the world. I started initially as a favor to a friend to capture their son’s first birthday. Then I thought that I could do this for other people who want the same thing – I could capture proposals or Christmas cards or graduating seniors or even just finally getting those family or pet pictures that people always talk about. And I want to do that as afforable as I can because I strongly believe that everyone should have the moments that they want to remember as photographs – because photos last a lifetime and hold so many memories. I also wanted to make sure that people were getting all the photos that were taken because my favorite may not be their favorite and I believe people shouldn’t be limited to only seeing 10 photos from their sessions.
I am an engineer by trade – but sometimes I need to let my creative juices flow to balance out my brain. I love taking these photos where you just go around town and capture what you see, but I wanted to be able to put these on display and social media or even sell prints when I feel comfortable doing that. I didn’t want people to “like” my photos out of obligation because they “follow” or “friend” me; I wanted to show these to people who want to see and support my work. I don’t take these creative photos for anyone other than myself and to help keep my creative side balanced with my engineer brain.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
For my career, I am a radar system engineer. I got my degree in aerospace engineering. For my entire life I always wanted to be an astronaut and as I looked to college I decided to get a degree in aerospace engineering. It was not easy. I struggle with tests which is unfortuante when all you are is tested on what you learned and what you should know. It took me 6 years to graduate because I failed tests. But I did it – I finally graduated. To me, tests are scary because they test you on knowing things on your own. But that’s not how it is in the real world – in the real world you have team who can know the things that you don’t know. You don’t have to know everything (and you really aren’t expected to) because you can ask your team for help. Once I graduated I got very lucky in talking to a company that saw the skills I could bring to the table aside from the book-knowledge. They saw that I could be a leader, I could be strong and confident but willing to learn, and that I was more than just what a resume said. Now I am a lead in my group, I have done more than I thought I was capable of, and I have big supporters in my corner who have my back and will help me keep doing more than I thought I could.
My road to getting where I am today was not easy or smooth – but there are two things I have learned. The absolute biggest thing I have learned is that you are not your failures and any failure does not define you. It sure might not feel that way in the moment – you may feel like the biggest let down and disappointment, but you are your own worst critic and the hardest on yourself. Your family still loves you and you will still get that degree and the job, you have not failed until you give up on your goal completely.
The second thing I learned is that someone is going to take a chance on you. Someone will see you and everything you are and everything you can and will be. It may not be what you initally think you want, but there is time before you get to the finish line so even if you don’t get the job you want or company you dreamed of working with initally – wait. Just wait and trust that while you are still pushing towards your goal – the people who take a chance on you and see you will be the biggest supporters in your corner when the opportunity to move on is there.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Huntsville, Alabama is originally known for being Rocket and Space city. Now we’re expanding as we grow. So if you’re coming to visit I recommend to pack to move and groove. During your visit we are going to go explore our local trails on Monte Sano and we’re going to try to catch a concert at some of our new music venues – the Orion Ampitheater, Mars Music hall, or Stovehouse. We’ll have some rooftop drinks downtown at Baker and Able while viewing the skyline. We’ll enjoy some local tea from Piper and Leaf or coffee (if that’s your choice) from some of our local shops. We’ll wander over to the Space and Rocket center because a week-long trip is never complete if you don’t go see what Huntsville is known for. Let’s not forget about our botanical garden to see some of the local flora around. For food I obviously have to suggest barbecue with Alabama White Sauce at least once. Otherwise we have a wide selection from Thai to Indian to Hawaiian to Vietnamese to classic American. We’ll have to try as many of our coffee shops and breweries as we can to try to get you to get all the stamps on the trail. We can take our beverages to-go while we stroll through Big Spring park and watch the fish and ducks while we try the Lucky Duck Scavenger Hunt. If you’re feeling tired then we can rest while we try to catch a sporting event – baseball (Trash Pandas), hockey (Havoc), or soccer (Huntsville City) depending on when you come to visit. If sports aren’t your thing then we can try to catch an off-broadway show depending on when you visit.
Before you leave, we’ll have to try to send you home with a few local goodies – my personal suggestions are: your favorite coffee or tea selection which obviously you’ll need a mug or a jar to go with, a shirt sporting your favorite local team, and lastly something spacey to remember your time in the Rocket City by.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s three people to whom I owe my passion for photography and afforable photography.

I get my passion for photography from my dad and my faternal grandmother. I get my love of nature photography and creative photography from my dad. When he comes to visit we always go to the botanical garden and then compare our pictures after (this shows that there’s more than one perspective to take a photo!)! I get my passion for documenting life’s moments from my grandmother. I don’t think we ever had a family gathering without a photo because she always made sure we got at least one. And if we had an event – everything was documented. She always gave us all the photos too – and for that I am now grateful.

I want to shoutout to the photographer who did my high school graduation photos (I still look back on them to this day!) – Rhiannon with Lollipop Photography. Back when I graduated she was one of the more affordable photographers in town. When we did my session she made me feel comfortable and confident. She was so supportive of my desire to take my photos in a library, playground, and then in my neighborhood. There was no pressure to be anything other than myself – she wanted to help document who I was/am and capture the moment. These are things that I want to carry into my company – affordable and having everyone in front of my lens be confidently themselves.

Website: https://friendlycactusphotos.shootproof.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendly.cactus.photos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendlycactusphotos

Other: Email: friendlycactusphotos@gmail.com Shop for stickers or prints or other items: https://www.redbubble.com/people/Friendly-Cactus/shop?asc=u&ref=account-nav-dropdown

Image Credits
Friendly Cacuts Photos – all photos