An Interview with Amber Marie Green: International Award-Winning Photographer
Amber Marie Green is an international award-winning photographer and activist. It was a journey that she didn't intentionally set out to start. The photographer has had the privilege of photographing some of Chicago's most iconic events, figures, and stories. Her skills range from portraits, products, events, property, fine art, and even sports! She uses her lens to capture stories and to leave impacts.
This was not the initial direction she saw her career however. Growing up, Amber always had a feeling that she was going to be someone who would be in the public eye. When she initially started and built her career though, she was a dental office manager. Not new to hustling, Amber also tried to find her fortune in various entrepreneurial ventures that did not work out. Born in Tacoma, Washington and raised on the southside of Chicago, she was also more than familiar with the injustices that impacted her community. She was also a single mother raising her young son when everything changed.
After losing her job as a dental office manager, Amber spiraled in a state of depression. She did not know where to start. "This was 10 years ago. My son was five-years-old. I had rent to pay too."
It was during this time that Amber began reframing her perspective. Unemployed, afraid, and depressed..she came across a Kodak commercial. Although she was inexperienced as a photographer, in her spare time Amber started taking photographs. She went ahead and took rent money and purchased a DSLR camera. "I had to borrow the rent money from my Mom. She cursed me out. I knew that I was on to something though."
She started watching YouTube videos to improve her photography knowledge and skills. Amber was also a fan of several photography blogs, such as Humans of New York. "I decided to start walking around my neighborhood and taking photographs."
It was during these walks that Amber began to take a special notice in the "less fortunate" as she refers to them. These were the people living without shelter and those who were living on the streets. In her particular neighborhood, the same faces were prevalent. "I started taking pictures of them and posting them. I would also caption and share their stories. Soon I realized that there were a lot of reasons that a person can be homeless. Some of them were domestic violence survivors, others were veterans who had been completely abandoned by the VA (Department of Veteran's Affairs). There were so many reasons!"
Posting her photography on Facebook helped Amber develop a following. Her work became recognized by local non-profits addressing the less fortunate. She was soon approached by the Blue 1647 Technology and Innovation Center. This tech incubator was designed to create more space and dialogue about Black and Brown Americans in the tech industry. Amber recalled her surprise when they told her they wanted her to teach a photography class for women.
"I told them, 'I haven't been doing this for very long.'
"They told me, 'We don't care. We want you.'
"I went into my first day of class and I won't deny I was nervous. But I was upfront with the students-- these women-- from the beginning. I told them that I was going to teach them what I knew. Anything that I didn't know, we were going to learn together. My class was informative and I received positive reviews."
Amber went on to teach four classes. She was also tasked with leading the Communications department as a manager of 12 men, and the only woman on the team. The team’s strategy focused on showcasing "nerds" as being the "new normal" and that it was something to aspire towards. Her contributions got the incubator recognized by folks such as Mayor Rahm Emmanuel of Chicago. They were even invited to Brownsville, NY to host a 15-hour Hackathon. One of their most memorable achievements was being able to ring the bell at the Nasdaq.
"One thing I definitely found is that your gift will make a way for you," Amber said.
This was evident even when she decided to leave the incubator and to take a break from photography. She wanted to start her own business but she quickly found that she lacked the understanding to maintain it at that time. While she was certainly artistic, she was missing business acumen. She took a break from running her own photography business and once again focused on her craft.
It was at that time that the murder of George Floyd took place. "When I would turn on the news I would see one side of the story. There were things going on that I definitely didn't understand. A voice inside told me, 'You need to go out there.'" A friend of hers , Elle Davis, texted Amber at 5am encouraging her that she should go out there with her camera.
That was exactly what Amber did. During the time she was out in the streets taking photographs, she found the narrative that she was seeing on the ground was different from what was being presented on television.
"The news was saying that it was Black people agitating the police officers and causing a riot. What was really going on though was that people-- from many different ethnic groups-- were all instigating conflict with the police and causing damages to the businesses. However, most of the protests were peaceful. The news was trying to feed an agenda."
Amber believed that the news was not only trying to spin a false narrative but to also distract. They wanted to get the ratings and the reviews. The news was also sensationalizing what was happening. They also tended to focus on the reactions from young Black people as opposed to centering it on the overall response from the Black community.
The most iconic photo that Amber took was of a mother with a crying baby in her arms. The woman was there to protest what had happened to George Floyd at the hands of U.S. police officers. After she took the photo, Amber spoke with her. Through tears, the woman shared that she was less fortunate and living with her baby in their car.
"I am convinced God put me there to help that woman."
That was exactly what Amber did. She collaborated with the woman she photographed and reached out to her connections she made through the local non-profits she worked with in the past. Within hours they found the woman and her child a hotel to stay at for a week. During that time, they also found a local restaurant that was willing to give three free meals every day for a week. Within that said week, they also found an apartment that she could afford.
Photography helped Amber develop confidence in her ability to make changes."I believe in my power to affect the world around me. Even if I can't change what is going on in the world, I still have the ability to affect the changes I need in my sphere of influence.
"Photography is painting with light."
Amber also credits her belief in God in getting her through the hard days. She was raised by her father and he would bring her to church with him. However, even as she was growing up she noticed the differences between going to church and being it. "A lot of people were going but many of them did not really live out the message. I never fully understood it. I did know that my relationship with God was unique though."
She spoke about the incident that truly changed her perception of God. "I had a hysterectomy. Before that, I was hiding all of my insecurities in my work and parenting. I bought into the hustle culture, that we had to be a part of it. I fell into a dark depression after the surgery though. I couldn't sleep. What helped me through it was meditation and frequencies. I also watched videos about chakras, alchemy, stoicism, Socrates, and Galileo."
She borrows principles from these philosophies and thinkers. She also found a life coach, Nikki of Kundalini Rising Intuitive Advisement, who aligns herself with similar values. "She is my ascension guide. She helps me break down the social construct I was taught and helps me align with purpose, path, and assignment God has placed for me."
Today, Amber uses this knowledge to help her in daily life so that she can be the best person she can be for herself and her son. "When you're a parent, your kids are your best teacher. They do what they see. When I see how he behaves, I can see elements of myself in him. If I see one of my own negative traits in him, I am quicker to realize that he got it from me."
This helped her have humility in her own relationships with her parents. "My Mom was unable to care for me the way I needed to when I was young. She and I are ok now. I had to learn to extend grace and boundaries with her. But I know that I am not a perfect parent either. If I want my son to extend that same grace to me then I have to do the same."
For Amber, authenticity and humanity must come first. It informs the work that she does to this day. By approaching life with transparency, she is able to take on any challenge that comes her way and handle any critique or praise. Her belief in herself and in a higher power keeps her going on the days that are hardest. She marches to the beat of her own drum and believes in the power of free will and the human spirit.
To learn more about Amber, you can check out her website here.
