Amorphia Photography

This August we partnered up with Maui wedding and portrait photographer Sofie from Amorphia Photography. As a photographer that is used to working with her husband on weddings, turning her lens to animals up for adoption at the Maui Humane Society was going to be a new adventure for her. Sofie was a little apprehensive about photographing animals but was up for the challenge. We thought her amazing talent would be welcomed at the Maui Humane Society and we know the animals were ready for a fun photoshoot in the beautiful outdoor facility.

Sofie captured these 4-legged love balls so wonderfully. Each portrait shows off the animals personality so well. Photographing animals is a tricky feat, working with a subject that does not want to hold still or have a camera in their face makes for an interesting shoot sometimes. Sofie worked her magic and was able to show off these adorable furballs so well.

We at Lens and Leash want to thank Sofie for donating her time and talent to helping these incredible dogs and cats from their forever homes. If everyone would open their arms and hearts to one animal the world would be a better place instantly.

Lens And Leash: When did you first start taking up photography and why?

Sofie Louca: I first started photography back in the 90s. A family friend gave me some money and I decided to spend it wisely rather than buy another wardrobe of clothes! 🙂 I ended up buying a Nikon F50 and both my husband and I began our journey in photography.

Lens And Leash: When did you start your photography business and what was your goal when you started the company?

Sofie Louca: Amorphia Photography was created in 2006. Prior to that I was working in a contemporary portrait studio. I’d just quit my job due to the long hours and someone asked me to photograph their wedding. At the time, it was the last thing I wanted to do! All I knew of wedding photography were the boring, traditional images. When I looked online, I saw that wedding photography had changed and photographers were creating some breathtaking images. We photographed our first wedding in 2006 in the UK and 12 years later we’re photographing weddings on Maui!

Lens And Leash: What services do you provide?

Sofie Louca: Paul & I are primarily wedding and portrait photographers. We photograph weddings mainly on Maui but also contemporary lifestyle portraits of couples and families. With water surrounding us on the small island of Maui, we’re also photographing portraits and wedding couples actually in the water. We have another business called Fish Bowl Diaries which is our windsurf and surf photography. We get to work with some of the biggest brands and athletes in the windsurfing industry and I was recently awarded Sports Photographer of the Year by an international photography society in the UK.

Lens And Leash: What makes you stand out compared to other photographers?

Sofie Louca: Both Paul and I are very committed to our clients by providing the very best service and images. We have many years of experience and one of our unique selling points is our water photography for our clients.

Lens And Leash: What is your style and what do you like to photograph most?

Sofie Louca: Our style is modern but timeless and it’s great to look back at our wedding images from when we first started and not cringe at how dated they look! I think that’s very important with wedding photography so we stay away from editing fads and styles which change from year to year and become dated quickly. As much as I love photographing weddings & portraits, my passion is travel photography and photographing different cultures and people.

Lens And Leash: Do you have a favorite project you have shot and why?

Sofie Louca: One of my favorite projects was many years ago when we photographed a model on a large salt flat in Cyprus with a bunch of black balloons. It was so windy but the results were incredible.

Lens And Leash: What has been your favorite location to work at so far?

Sofie Louca: We have been fortunate to photograph in so many stunning locations around the world… Cyprus, Greece, Sicily, Morocco, Spain, Maui, UK, Australia, USA. It’s hard to pick a favorite location as they’re each so unique.

Lens And Leash: What changes have you seen in the industry since you started?

Sofie Louca: There have been so many changes that I don’t know where to start! Some good, some bad! I’m loving the current elopement trend with couples being more adventurous as to where they get married and having a photographer create some breathtaking images in stunning locations.

Lens And Leash: What gets you most excited about your business and the future?

Sofie Louca: We moved to Maui about a year and a half ago so although it feels like starting from scratch we’re excited to be here and build our business in Hawaii.

Lens And Leash: What inspires you?

Sofie Louca: Finding new locations to shoot at always inspires me. I enjoy coming up with something different for my clients or for a photography project. My best ideas often strike in those few moments between being awake and falling asleep…. And then I have to remember what they were when I wake up! 😀 In February we won a first place award at WPPI for a unique wedding album I designed and it was one of those ideas that came to me just before I fell asleep!

Lens And Leash: What is your favorite camera?

Sofie Louca: Paul & I have always photographed on Nikon cameras. We started with film and now shoot digital. We love how user friendly a Nikon camera is and the cooler tones it produces but I don’t think a camera makes the photo. It’s the person behind the camera and what they do with it!

Lens And Leash: What is the one thing you have to have on all of your shoots?

Sofie Louca: The most important thing on any shoot is the light. Poor light is a photographer’s worst enemy. If the natural light isn’t working for us we always make sure to have other light enhancing tools on hand to use.

Lens And Leash: Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

Sofie Louca: Find your own photographic style. There are so many talented photographers to draw inspiration from. Be inspired by them but make sure to create your OWN style. Practice and perfect who you want to be as a photographer.

Lens And Leash: Do you have any pets? Have you ever adopted?

Sofie Louca: Paul and I used to have a big 100lb boxer called Tyson. We had him for over 12 years but he sadly passed away in 2011. I still miss him like crazy. Unfortunately we’re not able to commit to another pet at the moment. After visiting the Maui Humane Society it was so hard not to leave with a couple of the dogs they had there!

Lens And Leash: If you could choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Sofie Louca: Pretty much any Bon Jovi song!

Lens And Leash: If you were a dog or cat, what type of dog/cat would you be and why?

Sofie Louca: As much as I love dogs, I don’t think I’d want to be one! And not a cat either! It would have to be a bird so I could fly. I love to travel and I absolutely love seeing the world from the aeroplane as I’m flying to different locations. It all looks so small and I love the patterns in the clouds or on the land below. It all looks utterly different to how we see it from ground level and I love that perspective from above. Our next investment is going to be a drone and I can’t wait to take photos from above!