Tag: joy journey

What My Photography Was Like 5 Years Ago

Starting A Business While In College

When you don’t drink coffee.

 

I don’t know what I was thinking but I re-started my side business while in college probably from fumes of pure excitement. Formally I started Bethany J. photography in high school when a family friend hired me for Christmas photos. If you want to see the work I did back then and a cringe bathroom selfie of me in high school click here. I wanted to grow my business but I wasn’t sure how to go about it.  Have you ever been scared to ask people for money before because that is exactly how it felt at first? I decided to offer free sessions wherever I could in order to build my portfolio which was full of fine artwork. I think I had some imposter syndrome and didn’t feel official enough to actually charge anyone for my work. What I didn’t anticipate was how hard it would be to create family photography while also trying to create more in-depth work in school. I think any creative has been there if they have ever done both meaningful art and fun client work.  I don’t have a formula on how to do it but I can share my experience so you can get to know me a bit more. I have a big rebrand announcement coming and wanted to do this blog post so you can “grow up” with me and understand where I have been and where I am going. Stay tuned for next week’s launch of the new brand!

 

Getting real-world experience

Check out some of the work I created with my first clients. While I had worked on more artistic fine art photography learning to communicate with people for family and professional portraits was a new skill that involved learning to direct people on how to pose, and working with various lighting situations. 

 

 

Developing My Voice

While starting to shoot clients I was also in school learning to develop my voice visually. College is where I learned how to be purposeful with the techniques I had been taught as well as how to tell a story. Here are a few projects I think show my thinking over time by exploring self-portraits, costumes, and dramatic lighting.

Fairy Knots

This project was about my natural hair. I cut my hair in high school and remember being so nervous to have short hair. I learned a lot about myself having to accept my hair as it was. 

Growth

One thing I can reflect on is that during this period of my life, the growth really showed in my technique. I was able to bring that back to my clients. Here are a few samples of the work that I did with some great people!

 

What I look forward to is bringing back some of my passion when it comes from the fine art side of my practice while continuing to use the vibrancy and warmth that I brought to my client portraits. I also look forward to taking the time to make portraits with even more detail and thought. I hope if you are working on your own skills or craft that you choose not to give up. Everything takes practice and time. It took years for me to get to where I am and I still have room left to grow. I like to always say enjoy the journey the destination will come. I would love to hear about what your work looked like 5 years ago! Find me on Instagram @bethanyjphotography or email me by clicking the contact button. Also, stay tuned for my podcast The Creative Cure, and more information about my rebrand launch!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What My Photography Was Like 10 Years Ago

Let’s Go Back

Yes, this is me in high school!

 

It has been 10 years since the first time I picked up a camera. I am surprised I stuck with photography this long considering how many other hobbies I’ve lost along the way. I made purses, sold cards, and even did Avon for a bit, and T-shirts! If you haven’t heard I have BIG news coming in February about how I am changing my business. I thought that one way to help everyone make sense of what is coming would be to look at how I started. I want to bring you into my circle here to help you understand how I built along the way. I have done a general blog on this before but this is a bit more in-depth covering 2014-2015. This blog is the first in this series and it’s looking at my work from when I was 15 and had just started photography class at school. I think it’s cool to share because if you are a teen out there please know you can grow your skills into a business even at that age. I also think some of you art lovers might appreciate it. So let’s go. I had way too much fun going through these. 

 

 

Portraits From the Start

From the start, I was in love with portraits! I started with portraits of people on the street and pictures of buildings. I was really scared of people getting mad so I would try and do portraits in stealth mode. I had to build the confidence to ask people for a picture. 

 

Projects I Still Love

There were some projects or moments that I will never forget. They sparked my love for photography and made me some friends I still have today!

These two portraits were my first studio work. One was a study of the lighting of a Joni Mitchell portrait. The second was a project on making my little brother look like an adult for a project on irony. I remember being so excited because I got the light to do what it was supposed to! This was a win in understanding how to make drama come alive in portraits.

 

Exploration

 

The exploration of this time was so much fun. I teamed up with the Baltimore City Mayor’s photographer and shot the back-to-school giveaway. I started messing with color developing the style that I have now. Shout out to all of my family members who involuntarily posed for me! 

 

 

 

I started developing my warm and vibrant style in high school thanks to my friends and family modeling for me.

 

 

Collaboration 

One project that I absolutely loved was Uniquely Human. A project where my friend Rebekah and I collaborated with our class to create a single portrait from 20 faces making universal emotional expressions. 

 

 

 

 

I look back at this and I am so proud of myself and all of the people I met along the way. I had fun just playing, exploring, and connecting with people. Can anyone relate to having a moment of courage when it comes to chasing your dreams? Lately, I have been doing a major rehaul of Bethany J. Photography and looked over all of the stuff I did ten years ago. It makes me excited to dive back into making art again. I tend to remember the fear and nervousness I felt when I would make work and constantly wonder if it was any good. I think looking at the images and remembering that all of that stress did pay off gives me some bravery to make new things again. I kinda wonder what Bethany back then would think of me now. On that note, that’s all I got for this blog. Next time I am gonna get a bit into art school and my first client work. What would you tell yourself 10 years ago? Drop it in a comment below or DM me @bethanyjphotography everywhere.

 

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Final Fall Sessions

This weekend I finally finished fall sessions! This season I captured portraits with more vibrancy and style than I have before! I met new families and had some friendly faces return. I count myself blessed and so joyful that creating art is something I get to do for other people. I enjoyed the beauty of the outdoors, getting little kids to smile- even for a second, and just learning more about you. Scroll below to see some of my favorite portraits of the season! Usually, they are my favorite because they are unexpected, impactful or I just love the composition. Choosing just a few is hard because they are all my artwork babies! Enjoy and see you back here for a new blog next Friday.

 

 

 

Thank you to everyone who worked with me this year! You are the reason I do what I do!

 

 

 

Finding Joy

Welcome to my blog. Here I am myself. I am an artist who shares her photography, her family, and more! I called this blog choosing joy because 1. That’s my middle name and 2. Finding joy when life is tough has been a journey for me. More often I am choosing to look for the bright side even when I don’t see it. If you are an artist, a parent, a small business or all three then you will like being around here!

Share your Joy Journey with me by emailing bethany@bethanyjphotography.com. You might be featured in my newsletter!

Your Joy Journey can be something funny or moving your story of overcoming or what brings you joy.

 

 

The Steele Family

I decided to do something special this year! Being a photographer I live behind the camera. I always have because it’s my comfort zone, playground, and so much more. This year when we were moving on our 3rd anniversary it occurred to me that we didn’t have any family photos in a studio setting or formal wear since 2019 when we got married.

 

 

One thing I have been reflecting on lately is how it seems like time really flies. 3 years ago I was just out of college, engaged, and excited about my wedding. I still forget that I’m 25, not 23 (the adulting that has happened has been serious.) For me this year was so monumental in ways I don’t always share and I wanted to make time slow down. I knew that I had not been making time for celebration. No matter what life looks like celebrating what matters helps me remember why it matters. Accomplishments are worthy of luxury, beauty, and time. So after Instagram stalking Pics By NiNi I booked our first studio session!

 

I had a good time picking out the colors, my dress, and my hair. I was so excited to get dressed up and then to finally get Jamal to agree to join me in front of a camera, I could not wait. When we arrived at her studio she was so warm and fun. We put on Lofi music and she gave us ginger beer (which tastes like ginger ale tries to taste.) Nini is the cousin of one of my art friends from high school. My friend, Ohene was assisting so it was like a double good time! I have insecurities about my look and Nini was great at communicating how to pose, and how to make adjustments. She worked with us and it was a very relaxing experience. I was so excited to see the pictures and when they came they did not disappoint! I love them! They really make me smile and think of how far we have come. I have my own family and it’s such a wow moment to see in pictures what we have.

I want to encourage you this season especially since times can be hard right now to find a way to celebrate. Celebrate making it through the year, celebrate achieving a new goal, or even just waking up another day. Your life is an occasion worth celebrating however you decide to do it.

 

Thanks again to Pics By NiNi for creating such beautiful work!

 

 

Finding the Joy

Welcome to my blog. I talk about choosing joy, to me, that means believing God is good and there is hope in the face of difficulty. I also talk about my goals and challenges. I believe in perseverance, grit, dreaming big, and choosing to challenge yourself to be better than yesterday.

What does it mean to be a part of the #JoyJourney?

It means to choose JOY in the good and bad!
It means we focus on our goals!
It means we challenge ourselves to do better!
 

Hope & Patrick

Client Spotlight

Booking 2023 sessions and planning a client newsletter! Contact me today to schedule your session!

 

Hope and Patrick should look familiar because they have been some of my best supporters for years now! If you haven’t seen their beautiful engagement party blog head over here to catch up! This was the third year that I photographed their family. This was the first session we did!

 

 

Back then it was just these two with baby Vaeda on the way! Now that baby girl is so big! I was so excited to see her again! We did their annual session at the beautiful Liriodendron Mansion in Belair, MD. We made Christmas come early in front of this beautiful fireplace and in front of the mansion. Check out the images below! I really enjoyed working with their family. Hope is amazing at coordinating outfits and colors and sending me her ideas which makes getting ready so easy! We worked around Vaeda who was full of energy and wanted to explore and I think she did a great job! I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them, Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

 

 

Fall/ Holiday Sessions are still available. Please contact me today to get your session booked!

Finding the Joy

Welcome to my blog. I talk about choosing joy, to me, that means believing God is good and there is hope in the face of difficulty. I also talk about my goals and challenges. I believe in perseverance, grit, dreaming big, and choosing to challenge yourself to be better than yesterday.

What does it mean to be a part of the #JoyJourney?

It means to choose JOY in the good and bad!
It means we focus on our goals!
It means we challenge ourselves to do better!
Wanna share your story? Join the #joyjourney in my FB group here! We encourage each other to accomplish more and meet up once a month for a nature walk!

 

Finding Joy

The Official Bethany J. Photography Blog with Bethany Joy Steele

Check out this page

to get to know more about me!

 

Zoë & Dom

Client Spotlight

Zoë had a special idea in mind for her second anniversary. She wanted to plan a special session in a Sunflower field. I was excited because I had not done a field session before! Usually, I work in parks with trees and hills. Sunflower season is typically in the summer so I was bummed out at first because a lot of farms were closing. I was so excited to find Magnolia Meadows Farms in Thurmont, Maryland. I headed out and was hyped at first because it had been a stormy week but this day was sunny and beautiful. It was the most refreshing drive for me. I was drinking in the mountains, the leaves, and the countryside.

 

Zoë and Dom were such a sweet couple they were willing to walk through the wet grass and bugs to make some great photos! We got the field to ourselves for two hours. This session was beautiful, vibrant and colorful, and worth the drive! I loved the humor that these two had. They were laid back and adventurous walking through the sunflowers, and wildflowers and climbing on tractors. We finished our session in the sunset with some poses against a wood fence. If you have a dream for a session please don’t feel limited by location or what you think is possible! Let me know so I can collaborate to make your vision a reality! Thanks, Zoë and Dom you were amazing and I hope you love your images!

 

 

Fall/ Holiday Sessions are still available. Please contact me today to get your session booked!

Finding the Joy

Welcome to my blog. I talk about choosing joy, to me, that means believing God is good and there is hope in the face of difficulty. I also talk about my goals and challenges. I believe in perseverance, grit, dreaming big, and choosing to challenge yourself to be better than yesterday.

What does it mean to be a part of the #JoyJourney?

It means to choose JOY in the good and bad!
It means we focus on our goals!
It means we challenge ourselves to do better!
Wanna share your story? Join the #joyjourney in my FB group here! We encourage each other to accomplish more and meet up once a month for a nature walk!