Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky Mitchell.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My love of photography began as a 15 year old girl living in West Africa. My dad handed me his Pentax K1000 and a few rolls of film and I began capturing images of African landscapes. Upon my return to the United States at 18 years of age I began photographing friends and family, including my sister’s engagement photos and even a few weddings. All with that antique 35mm camera.
Long before I knew I had talent others recognized it and trusted me with images for their walls.
In 2010 I married my husband and he encouraged me to make more of this talent. This is when Becky’s Lens was officially named and began to grow. It became an actual business.
About 5 years ago I started calling myself a “Forever Photographer”. It is a title I created. Many years before my photography business I was a social worker and helped children find their Forever Families. This terminology stuck with me, it brought on the realization that my photography clients were often the same families over and over through the years. When I established new clients they became Forever Families with Becky’s Lens. This is when I realized that I was their Forever Photographer and we had become the Becky’s Lens Family. It is sweet to me how all the experiences in our lives develop who we are as people.
Recently one of my Forever Families flew me to their vacation site to spend 3 days documenting their time together. It was incredible. It was the culmination of years of taking their family photos, wedding photos, and extended family photos. I photographed their family cooking contests, sand castle building on the beach, and sunset beach sessions. It encompassed everything I am as a photographer, just part of the family. The icing on the cake is that one of the sisters had a great eye and interest in photography and I was able to encourage her to take the leap and start her own business. She had already been thinking about it and just a few months later, there she was on instagram, rocking her photography skills.
In recent years I have taken an interest in up and coming photographers. They are full of energy and they have so much knowledge of new technology. They are impressive. I love cheering them on and helping them when I can. Of course they help me too, because they are so creative and keep me relevant.
I strive to increase my photography skills daily, but just as important to me are the relationships I develop with those I serve. Every session is personal to me. Every person brings substance to my life and I hope I do the same to theirs. I live my life daily grateful for the grace that God gives me and I hope to extend that grace to others as our lives intersect.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been a smooth road. Learning how to manage the business side of Becky’s Lens was quite challenging once it began to grow. Since the business started with the creative side I had to back track and create some systems and processes after they were already desperately needed. I had to learn how to run a business, not just photograph clients.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Forever Photographer. I follow families through all of their seasons in life. My clients become like family and we celebrate and sometimes grieve together. I photograph their big and small events to help them remember these precious moments in life.
How do you define success?
Success in my everyday business is in balance. I try to prioritize my relationship with God and my family before work. This makes me successful, putting what is important first in my life. I try to see my clients as people with real needs and meaningful lives, and then serve them accordingly. This is what makes me successful. Integrity and respect are very important to me and this makes me successful. I believe my business is successful financially because of these things, without them my business would fail.
Pricing:
- 1 hour session $395
- 1 1/2 hour session $495
- 3 hour session $695
- Weddings – custom
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beckyslens.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckyslens/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beckyslens/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/BeckysLens901/
