Photographer, Educator, Student, Mother & Wife Obsessed with sharing moments through pictures & words
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” -Martin Luther King Jr. Today would have been my “follow up” visit for the first D&C if everything had gone as planned. Unfortunately, instead it was one of […]
Amanda & Jason – Team Montalvo sends our love and prayers for a complete, healthy recovery. Please feel welcome to tap us as we’ve officially signed up to be part of your support group. Whatever you need, we’re here. HUGS, Love and Rock n Roll,
Erica, Mike, Isa & Lili
:o) =o) 
well im glad you update us with everything and anyone who feels my sister is sharing too much can jump off acliff! i love you guys still praying for ya too!
ditto to that, joleen. transparency is very helpful at times like these for those of us that care and worry. it takes a great deal of courage to share and be so open with issues so traumatic and personal. dr. volker gallichio says hang in there and make sure you get some rest amanda!
thanks guys. It’s definitely been tough to rest this mind of mine until more time passes. That said on just 2 1/2 hours of sleep between being in discomfort still from the effects of surgery and just having my mind unsettled about all the recent news. :o( They say pain is weakness leaving the body…so give me a bit more time and I’ll seriously be tough as nails guys. I don’t see how I can have much more weakness inside me after all I’ve been through these last few weeks.
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“I know the Lord will never give me more than I can handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.” – Mother Theresa Since this past Friday’s surgery I have to admit I had been feeling so much better. I finally felt as though the worst was behind us and that I was […]
by Amanda Kern
9 comments
Thanks for updating us and don’t worry about overwhelming your friends. Maybe we are overwhelmed… with caring for you… that’s a good thing Hang in there my friend.
i love you!!
Okay Amanda,
Now is the time to get better! I am joining Kristy’s club to to have a “small talk” with your doctor. We are going to go “in mass” to encourage him to make you better. We all love and miss you and can’t wait for you to feel better and come back to school!
You know that you only need to ask and I (we) will be there to help you with anything you should need.
Even if it writing some cheesy jokes!
Take care and see you soon.
Miss you,
Diana Turk
thank you guys. And trust me Diane – I’m anxious to go back to school but after today I’m equally fearful to until the doctors are able to give me an indication that I will be okay so that this doesn’t happen again.
I am so sorry you are going through all of this. I will pray for your full recovery.
Sometimes we don’t know why things happen. We certainly don’t know why certain things happen to us in particular. They just do. Trust me, I know. You just have to take it one day at a time. “Life is what happens to you when you are making other plans”. I cannot say I completely understand what you are going through. But I can say that I understand what it is to have to deal with something going wrong with my body, seeing a lot of hospital, needing multiple (very painful) eye surgeries and not seeing a whole lot of progress (but quite the opposite). Something has been taken away. It’s tough and often dark. But remember, you are not alone.
It’s great to receive so much encouragement from others. I’m sure you deeply appreciate all the sympathy, consideration, words of encouragement and all the warm wishes you get from so many through email, your blog, in person or written. Their faith in you, especially those nearest to your heart, mean the world to you. That, is what keeps you going. You remain positive as much as you can. After all, that’s what your family needs. Being the true soldier that you are, you keep trucking along as you always have. But remember, you are not alone.
Through all this, despite so much expressed love and sincere support, there remain unanswered questions, lingering feelings of inadequacy and possible silent fears. After all, what is happening to you is not normal. As you go along, you have some good days and sometimes you just don’t. You go through it hoping things are going to get better, but you just really don’t know if they will. You hang on to your faith and to the hope that tomorrow will be a better day. You pray you have a better week, a better year. Sometimes that’s all you have, hope and prayer. You are not alone.
Oh! But how powerful that hope and those prayers are! Speaking from experience, they matter. They are not in vane. They are not empty. Hope truly moves mountains. Your prayers are certainly heard, even those your very lips cannot clearly express (but are deep within your soul). I’m not trying to sound profound or poetic. I’m just speaking what comes to mind as I reflect on my own experience, some of which you witnessed as I struggled to make it through school with the endless eye surgeries and the long and painful recoveries I faced (and still struggle with). You are not alone.
I used to have 2 well functioning eyes. I lost one. It’s basically blind. I used to have vision in it. But I see better now. I see that life is precious. I see there is so much to be grateful for. I see that I’m loved, appreciated and I make a difference. I better learned that their will always be things in my life that will try to take my focus away from all the great things life has to offer. I realize that life is much bigger than any medical condition I have. I more clearly see, that there are others who struggle with conditions much more complicated than mine. It may be tough, but what I struggle with is not the worst thing that can happen to me. There are so many things I will miss out on in life if I only focus on me and my struggle.
I continue to learn that it’s OK to feel, to hurt, to cry and to, once in a while, have a pitty party for myself. (I just have to make sure I keep’em vert short so that I can move on). It’s OK, and often very good, to be open about my struggle, pain and fears. That’s why I so much respect and appreciate your openness about your battles through your blog.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned (and continue to learn) is to enjoy the NOW. I’ve learned to enjoy where I am at, despite hardship (or because of it). I better appreciate what I do have and not worry so much about what I don’t. I work hard towards what I want to achieve or acquire. But I enjoy the process more and not let challenges rob me for missing out out fulfilling moments or from creating great memories. I’m learning to, once in a while, stop and smell the roses.
Amanda, you are a great inspiration to so many. You are a tremendously courageous woman, a true soldier. Thank you for sharing with us your knowledge and creative talents, your joys as well as your struggles. You are a great instructor in school and a wonderful teacher beyond the classroom. You are a great performer on the stage of life. Keep it up. You’re doing great! Hang in there, because you are not alone!
My girl – three D&C is at least two too many. I will continue to pray that through all of this God will lift you up. Hugs,
Amanda, I have just spent some time reading through your recent blog posts and my heart is breaking. I am so sorry for all that you have been through. My thoughts are with you and your family.
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“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought again.” – peace pilgrim This morning I went in for my follow up appointment with the doctor. After Wednesday’s appointment I was left with many fears and though I was hopeful that I’d recover in two days, I could just […]
by Amanda Kern
7 comments
YOU ARE THE BEST Everything is gonna b alright
‘manda, love you and am praying for you.
Let me know what I can bring by, please.
e
Wow, How much strength as a person you will grow from all this. My thoughts are with you. Let me know if theres anything I can do for our class. And if we have class tues lol Get better Soon Stacy
Amanda,
You are in my thoughts and prayers! I grieve with you, no one should have to endure this. I am so sorry!! My offer still stands I would love to bring by a meal. Just say Yes and I can bring it to you, or take it to a friend;s house for you or leave something at school.I just want you to feel loved! I feel so bad that you have to go through something this rough again. Praying for you, Rachel
I am sorry to hear that there is more bad news prof. Just do your best to stay strong and you will be fine. My health was at serious risk not too long ago and the ability to stay focused and strong allowed me to make it through the situation, mentally. My hope and thoughts are with you. Dacoup Howell
Since I met you I have marveled at all the tasks you juggle so seemingly effortlessly. I have come to believe that you are one of the strongest and most motivated people I know and possibly have ever known. What you are going through now would test even the strongest person and force one to know and see the limits of that strength. I’m thinking about you and wishing you well and a speedy recovery. I know you will bounce back from this and you will not be diminished but be even stronger for it. Take care of yourself and don’t be in a rush to get back to the daily grind of life.
You are so much stronger than you can possibly imagine. We’re all with you!
“Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. but to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.” – author unknown Nine days after surgery I wish I could just write this wonderful blog update to say everything’s going great and that I’m […]
by Amanda Kern
6 comments
#46 has been my motto for quite some time now!
Amanda, my prayers are always with you. Wishing you a speedier recovery!
oh my…thanks. now I just pray this fever goes down, instead of up like it’s been going. If it goes up much more I have to go back to the doctor sooner. **sigh**
do u need me to watch the kids on friday?
Dang! Just dang…
My quote/motto (attributed to Mother Teresa) isn’t listed. It’s… “I know the Lord will never give me more than I can handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.” Feel free to borrow it. ;o)
Feel better soon! Prayers to you.
hola Mi Amiga, thanks for your wisdom. in my everly affectionate latin way, i love you, God bless you and I always pray for all of us. b
I’m excited to finally share the preliminary concepts for the logo for my photography business. Though I’m also a designer myself, I elected to step back from the design process to give one of my former students, award-winning designer, Daissy Linares, an opportunity to come up with a few concepts that would represent me and […]
by Amanda Kern
29 comments
I like concept #1 for its simplicity and fun nature, however concept #4 feels better with the style of photography you specialize in. Its a bit more mature. Careful with concept #3, its easily mistaken for someone flipping the bird. (No offense duende)
Out of the choices 4th looks the most appropriate. Number 1 looks the strongest for a logo overall but it doesnt really speak photography.
Honestly I enjoy the logo you currently have for your header though its a bit played out with the signature mark. It’s classy and speaks photography.
I would enjoy seeing concept 4 further expanded possibly having the logo mark towards the left and the right using ur name and photography. Showing it more of a horizontal fashion would fit best on your website header.
Can’t wait to see the overall outcome
Efrain
What r you talking about Steve? That would be great if everyone mistook that for flipping the bird, cuz then Amanda can say its playful reference to the old photography term used for getting children to smile in photos: “Smile for the Birdie”
Actually, I feel that Steve makes a good point. Concept #1 lends itself too much to one style or age. Be weary of that if you are trying to avoid it. Concept one is very young, and although you shoot a great deal of newborn photography who knows how the logo will interpreted by the parents seeking the photographer.
Concept #5 is very mature and very refined and still very unique, but could be mistaken for a misregistration issue when being printed. But i absolutely love the type treatment. I would buy that t-shirt when it gets printed.
Overall, I like concept #4. It is very iconic, and even very conceptual. The pre bloom flower bud relates to your target subjects. It also feels like the flower is the subject of a photo itself, and its being photographed in the bottom right quadrant of the frame.
That’s just my opinion. Take it with a grain a salt.
that was fun! thanks for letting us vote!
Steve I bet that #3 might win awards because of what you noticed. :o)
Very interesting vote results thus far.
oh! and sorry amanda i can’t resist: concepts 1 – 3 remind me of the ameriking project we had in advanced 2 years ago.
Your name – all by itself- carries so much weight, so much integrity and reputation. I feel like the everything else takes away from that. That’s why I voted Concept #5. Even tho that’s too swirly for my taste. Just sayin’.
ohhh looks like i picked the one majority has picked. i really feel like #4 is more amanda’s style. and its got a clean modern feel… and the concept is more suitable for photography. good job though, theyre all great concepts!
I liked #4 I fits your personality better, nice and soft. Like all the baby photos I see you post
#4 for me. Looks enough but not quite like a lens diaphragm. Decisions… decisions
Hey Amanda. Hope everything is going well with you.
I’m going with #5. I like the simplicity of #1 but there is a bit of awkward negative space in the a, that bugs me a little, #2 leaves me unsure if thats a flame at the terminal of the k or some type of bloom. #3 reminds me of the too prevalent leafy sprouty trend that’s been going around. I think #4 and #5 are both very classic and say photography. The illustration in #4 is very tactile and has a great line quality to it. However #5 wins for me because the typography is beautiful, its got a great flow to it and both clean and sophisticated. A classy logo for a classy lady.
First of all, who is that beautiful baby when you first come to the site? Father must have some rockin guns ;^) Anyway. Good eye Steve (as always). As one who’s been through the Amanda Kern Photography experience, the fifth concept feels right. I think it compliments the style well. When I first saw the edited photos of Abigail, my thoughts were set in the type face used for #5.
Ah! also #4 reminds me of Hallmark.
woo! concept 4 is in the lead, it’s the one that makes you stop and look, that’s the goal! 
Hola! Love them all.. everyone makes good points, but I think has skipped over this statement in your explanation:
“During the design process we discussed the importance of the versatility of my logo to represent not just my photography, but other endeavors I am equally involved in such as education and design.”
1&2 do have a younger edge to them, so in having to vote for only one I skipped them.
4 is very, very nice… but it’s too classy and refined for someone who is working so hard and wants to make their mark. Number 4 speaks ‘photography’ yes… but you may lose the versatility you’re looking for and blend in with the hundreds of other photographers out there.
5 is a close second in my choice and I would love to see it stay as is or be explored a little more. It’s elegant, slightly feminine and has a solid polished feel. This logo would say ‘established professional’ the second it’s implemented.
3 wins my vote for being fresh and refined at the same time. It can be flexible while staying a little edgy. It’s the most transitional to a graphical icon without dropping your initials because the initials are the graphic. It will also double as a great watermark. It makes a great die cut in multiple situations. Both Steve and Hachem’s woes can be avoided with small tweaks. The sans-serif style feels up with the times and we all know how you strive to be current and up-to-date. I could go on, but that’s the just of it. Good Luck!!
ps.. I organized my whole comment into nice clear lines with breaks and once submitted it eliminated all the breaks 
Sorry Kenny…I sure hope to look into the comment formatting of my blog soon, this blog is still rather “new”. And I am very intrigued by the outcome of this survey. Though I certainly like #4 it definitely was NOT the one I had considered as my top two choices. And Ed, you crack me up…glad to hear that beautiful 9lb baby of yours let you show off those guns!!! :o)
Amanda, they are all GREAT!!! I personally like one best because it just looks professional, but I agree that number four fits your personality best!! Love and miss you all even if I am in Korea!!!
They all great but I feel that #1 and #2 is a little much to the edgy side and doesn’t necessarily relate to your photography, although it does speak design, not sure what to make out of what is over the k in #2. #3 does have potential, but the type for the initials is little too bold. Although #5 choice of typography is great, sophisticated, I think that this type of logo is very common and somewhat played out.
To help on my decision, I kept in mind about your target audience as well. I know you do a lot of newborn, therefore most people who seek for your photography services would be parents. With that in mind, I chose #4 because I feel that it represents you and your photography best. The classiness and elegance reflects your photography. The clean and solid design reflects your personality and as a designer. I especially like the flower/rose inside the box, because it acts like a photo. It has this delicate yet professional look to it. To me this logo says, professional photographer-designer who is attentive to details captures life’s delicate beauty.
Number #4 really??? I’m still very surprised by everyone’s opinions.
Concept #4 also slightly resembles an iris of a camera.
#4 (among other things) looks like a polaroid with a photo of a wrapped up baby in it. lol!
I love all of them but specially Numero 4 because it represent a more classic and simplistic style just as your photography. I would suggest working a bit more on the word photography and the dots, I’m not really into the dots. But you can probably make them even smaller and separate them a bit more. awesome work!
Very nice concepts. I’m really going for number 4. It looks like the shutter from a camera, I really like that one
Number 4, Number 4, Number 4!!!
My logo must represent me as a person…not just as a photographer…remember this should represent me as a designer, educator, etc. – not just photography. So as much as I love everyone’s visual cues with #4 relating to photos and babies…that’s not the only thing I do. I’m still very shocked at the results thus far…
I think #5 reflects more what you are, it is clean, slick, detail oriented and sophisticated, also is a reflection of the elegance of your photography. My 2 cents.
Amanda,
I love your blog. As for the designs, I was torn between 1 & 3. I finally chose 1 because it is crisp and clear in presenting you. I thought 3 was a little more feminine but I went with the clarity of 1. I really liked 4 also…and 5. Obviously, you can’t go wrong. They are wonderful designs. Congrats on your new business. Hope you had a nice birthday and anniversary. Much love to you, hon.
Connie
I’m a little crossed between #1 & 5. I like #1 for the bubbly and fun style, but it doesn’t say photography to me. #5 I like for its simplicity and it’s elegance, but I’m not feeling the drop shadow effect. But with that being said, but feel more complete to me than any of the others
I love the simple design of the first concept, but love concept 4 for the imagery.
by Amanda Kern
6 comments