The Monthly Edit: May Newsletter with Avy Productions
- Amanda Van Meter Burch
- Apr 29
- 7 min read
Welcome to The Monthly Edit, a monthly note from Avy Productions where I gather what’s happening, what’s coming up, and a little encouragement for the month ahead.
May is shaping up to be full of community, celebration, meaningful conversations, and beautiful reasons to get in the frame with the people you love.
As a luxury portrait photographer in Central Florida, I spend a lot of time thinking about what it really means to be seen. Not just photographed. Seen. There is a difference.
Being photographed should not feel stiff, stressful, or like you are being left alone to figure out what to do with your hands. Absolutely not. We are not doing awkward prom pose energy over here.
At Avy Productions, portrait photography is about creating an experience where you feel guided, polished, confident, and beautifully yourself. Whether I am photographing a mother with her children, a business owner stepping into her next level, a senior celebrating a huge milestone, or a woman finally giving herself permission to be in the frame, the goal is always the same.
To create portraits that feel elevated, meaningful, and worthy of being seen.
So, here is what is happening this May.
May Updates from Avy Productions
This month’s edit includes Mother’s Day portraits, local community events, a fun girls’ night out, a recent feature, and a few ways to connect more deeply with the Avy world.
Let’s get into it.
01. Girls’ Night Out: Dinner, A Movie, and a Little Fashion Drama
The Avy Confidence Community is heading to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 on May 2nd, followed by dinner together.
And honestly, if there was ever a movie night that deserved an outfit, this is it.
This is exactly the kind of night I love creating inside the community. Fun, stylish, a little dramatic in the best way, and centered around women actually making time for connection.
Because sometimes confidence looks like deep personal growth.
And sometimes confidence looks like putting on lipstick, getting out of the house, and going to the movies with women who also appreciate a well timed Miranda Priestly reference.
As of this post, I have one ticket left.
So, if you have been wanting a fashionable girls’ night out, this is your sign. Come join us, wear something fabulous, and let’s enjoy a night of fashion, fun, and friendship.
02. Mother’s Day Portraits: Get in the Frame with the Women you Love
Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and I cannot think of a more meaningful reason to finally get in the frame.
For the mamas, this is your reminder that your story deserves to include you. Not just behind the camera. Not just in the blurry phone photo. Not just someday when everything feels perfect.
Now.
Whether your children are tiny, grown, or somewhere beautifully in between, portraits with them become part of your family’s legacy. They become proof of the love, connection, laughter, and season you are living in right now.
And for those of you who have a mother, grandmother, or matriarch you adore, this is your reminder too.
You may already have plenty of pictures of her at holidays, family dinners, or sitting beside someone else in a group photo. But do you have a portrait that truly honors her? One that captures her beauty, her strength, her softness, her story, and the bond you share with her?
That kind of portrait matters.
Our mothers and grandmothers are often the keepers of the family, the memory makers, the ones who have poured themselves into everyone else for years. They deserve to be photographed beautifully. Not as an afterthought. Not only in snapshots. But in a way that says, “You matter. Your legacy matters. We see you.”
A Mother’s Day portrait session can be a gift for her, a gift for you, and one day, a gift for everyone who loves her.
Because portraits are not just for this season. They are for the generations that come after it.
If you have been wanting portraits with your children, your mother, your grandmother, or the women who shaped you, Mother’s Day is a beautiful reason to finally plan them.
Call me to Plan Your Session. 352-598-6237
03. Best of the Best Nominations Are Open
Lake and Sumter Style Best of the Best nominations are officially open, and I would be so grateful for your nomination for Best Photographer under Amanda Van Meter Burch / Avy Productions.
Local recognition like this helps more people discover the work I do, especially women, families, seniors, and business owners looking for a portrait experience that feels guided, personal, polished, and meaningful.
And while yes, awards are lovely, the heart behind this is bigger than a title.
Every nomination helps more people find a photography experience that is about more than simply standing in front of a camera. It helps them find a place where they can be styled, guided, encouraged, photographed beautifully, and reminded that they are worthy of taking up space.
If I've photographed you, encouraged you, helped you feel more confident, or created something meaningful for someone you love, your nomination means so much.
And while you are there, nominate your favorite local businesses too. We have so many wonderful people in Central Florida doing excellent work, and I love seeing them celebrated.
04. Featured in Bold Journey
I was recently featured in Bold Journey, where I had the opportunity to share more of my story, my work, and the heart behind Avy Productions.
The article touches on confidence, creativity, entrepreneurship, and why helping women feel seen is such a meaningful part of what I do.
Any time I get to talk about this work, I come back to the same belief.
Portraits are not just about what you look like.
They are about how you see yourself.
They are about how you allow yourself to be remembered.
They are about how boldly you are willing to show up in the life you are building.
As a luxury portrait photographer serving The Villages, Lady Lake, Ocala, Sumter County, and Central Florida, I work with women in so many different seasons of life. Business owners. Mothers. Leaders. Seniors. Creatives. Women starting over. Women stepping forward. Women who are tired of hiding.
And every single time, I am reminded that confidence is not always loud.
Sometimes confidence is simply saying, “I am ready to be seen.”
You can read the full feature below.
05. Lady Lake Chamber Gala at the Savannah Center
I’ll be attending the Lady Lake Chamber Gala at the Savannah Center, and I am so looking forward to a beautiful evening celebrating local businesses, leaders, and community connection.
This year’s gala has a decades theme and a lip sync showdown, which means it is already promising to be a memorable night.
Community matters deeply to me. I love getting to support the people, organizations, and businesses that make our area feel connected. Central Florida is growing, and it is such a gift to be part of rooms where people are building, serving, cheering each other on, and making things happen.
Also, yes, I am already thinking about what I am wearing.
Obviously.
If you are interested in attending and would like ticket information, let me know. I would love to see familiar faces there.
06. May Avy Confidence Community Workshop
Our May Avy Confidence Community gathering will be a solution focused, mastermind style workshop where we bring real challenges to the table and work through them together.
This is for the woman who has something on her mind, in her business, in her confidence, in her next step, or in her life, and could use a room full of thoughtful, supportive women helping her look at it from a fresh perspective.
Sometimes clarity comes from finally saying the thing out loud.
Sometimes confidence grows when we stop trying to figure everything out alone.
And sometimes you just need a room of women to look at you and say, “Okay, let’s untangle this.”
That is what I love about The Avy Confidence Community. It is not about pretending we have everything figured out. It is about creating space for honest conversations, encouragement, growth, and the kind of support that helps women keep moving forward.
Details will be shared inside The Avy Confidence Community, so if you are not already in the group, I would love to have you join us.
Why This Month Feels Like an Invitation to Be Seen
There is a theme running through everything happening this month.
Community.
Visibility.
Connection.
Confidence.
And maybe, in some small way, permission.
Permission to go to the event. Permission to be in the photograph. Permission to celebrate your motherhood. Permission to be proud of your business. Permission to step into rooms where you belong. Permission to stop waiting for the “perfect” version of yourself before you show up.
That is a big part of why I do this work.
At Avy Productions, I create luxury portrait experiences for women, families, seniors, and personal brands throughout Central Florida. But underneath the styling, posing, lighting, hair and makeup, and editorial inspired imagery, the heart of the work is this:
You deserve to be seen beautifully.
Not because you are perfect.
Because you are here.
Because you are building a life.
Because you are loving people.
Because you are becoming.
Because your story matters.
Ready to Plan Your Portrait Experience?
If you have been thinking about booking a portrait session, May is a beautiful time to start the conversation.
Whether you are dreaming of Mother’s Day portraits, a personal branding session, updated headshots, senior portraits, beauty portraits, family portraits, or a fully custom editorial inspired experience, I would love to help you create something meaningful.
Avy Productions offers a guided, luxury portrait experience designed to help you feel confident from start to finish. We will talk through your vision, styling, wardrobe, artwork, and how you want to enjoy your images after the session.
No guessing.
No wondering what to do with your hands.
No showing up and hoping for the best.
I’ve got you.
If you are ready to plan your portrait experience, call Avy Productions at 352-598-6237 or visit avyproductions.com.
Here’s to a beautiful May.
With love and a little sparkle,
Amanda
Avy Productions
Comments