Have you ever come across those certain types of people who are just overwhelmingly kind and infectious?
It’s an undeniably undervalued personality characteristic, but I’m convinced its those types of personalities that make the world go around.
I met Alex Loveland-Masten, bless her adventurous heart, at a DNR State Game land park located about a mile down a dirt road. Her only true destination guidance being my very vague directions, and a promise that sooner or later she would find it, and of course that the views would be worth it. Instantly I took notice to her willingness to go above and beyond, despite the newness, or lack of a structured plan. I soon learned this must just be a Loveland characteristic, because both Alex and her sister Amanda showed up, and the fun that followed was enough to have me camping out there with those ladies for days.
“We can be amazing women ourselves, and still help and grow generations of more strong women to come. We can be talented and amazingly good at more than one thing!“
Alex Loveland-Masten
Alex started her photography journey a handful of years ago, the leap of faith stemming simply from her love for pictures and her ambitions to own a camera and start capturing memories of her own. Alex says her room as a child was plastered with magazine cutouts and any pictures, she could get her hands on, getting behind the lens seemed like a natural progression.
Being a camera owner soon spiraled into Alex taking pictures of family and friends, and then getting outside interest as well, before she knew it, she was happily snapping professional grade photos, and doing it all pro bono just because of the love she has for the camera and her infectious love for people.
Her sister Amanda stepped in as the voice of reason, immediately recognizing her sister’s undeniable talent, and seeing the happiness and strength that Alex was able to pull out of her clients. She instantly started planting the seed, letting Alex know, not only were her services highly valued, but Alex as a person was becoming a hot commodity; she’s unbelievably light hearted and feels like home, who wouldn’t want to work with her!?
I think it’s safe to say that she has found her stride. Not only has her path opened up to allow for her beautiful outlet of creative talents to flow, but Alex has also grown into this mold which allows women like myself to look up to her as a friend, and as a mentor of sorts. Alex and Amanda in the last couple years have stayed pretty busy becoming the proud new parents of a new Non-Profit Startup here in Jackson, MI, known as Michigan Tribe. Their goal is to provide support, resources, and growth opportunities to local female entrepreneurs. The trend has caught like wildfire.
Michigan Tribe is always hosting fun and enlightening gatherings which grant attendees access to what can best be explained as a wealth of highly informative and beneficial events, they range anywhere from resourceful panel discussions with local successful entrepreneurs, nights themed around financial guidance and how to instructions, as well as authentically crafted networking mixers, and women centered community gatherings. Michigan Tribe events have currently gone virtual but are totally still happening, I highly recommend looking into what they offer.
Each Alex and Amanda have quickly become pillars to Jackson’s business community and once you meet them it’s blindingly clear why. They have a special soft space for empowering fellow women, and it comes across in a brilliantly fierce way that exudes integrity. True warrior women.
Amanda Boyers (ME) and Amanda Loveland (my twin flame) we are our families nature freaks
Alex reminded me that day why I always circle back to loving this odd and personal dive into the lives of what are most of the times strangers, all for the opportunity to capture their story and weave it through words and through a perspective lens all my own. It’s a thirst for the ego of the writer of course, but more so it’s the thirst to be reminded again and again that there are absolutely INCREDIBLE human beings doing INCREDIBLE work in this world.
Alex is a light that shines bright, a light that reminds us women that we can chase our creative outlets, just as much as our business savvy boss babe sides. We can be amazing women ourselves, and still help and grow generations of more strong women to come. We can be talented and amazingly good at more than one thing! Alex is your proof! As are probably any wonderful people you look up to.
I wouldn’t have these amazing pictures to cherish forever without that bravery that Alex had to pick up her camera and capture her dreams. Loveland Farms Photo didn’t have to be a thing. I didn’t have to be completely comfortable and one hundred percent seen and understood by a woman with a camera who had only then just met me. But yet, in just a couple hours with Alex, the camera spoke the deepest truths, and that empowered woman that Alex and Amanda kept speaking of was no longer just a dream, she was real. That’s what makes Alex so real, and I think that’s pretty special.
