Why NYFW?

When I first started photographing bloggers, which was almost by chance in the first place, I was shooting a group of bloggers in Downtown Dallas and everyone was asking who was going to New York Fashion Week. A science major in college and steadfast in practicality, I was confused by this conversation. Can you just choose to go to a fashion week? I thought it was invite-only. I thought it was, for lack of a better word, for important people.

I got my first taste of New York Memorial Day weekend of 2016. I was a second shooter at a wedding in Princeton, NJ, and the lead photographer suggested we hop over to NYC for the rest of the weekend. True to my practical tendencies, I typically set the bar low for new experiences, tempering any disappointment that might come from greater expectations. New York was wonderful.

Four days after I got home I was on another early flight from Dallas to La Guardia, this time going as a blogger’s photographer for the long weekend. That was my first look into what I call “Club Blogger.” The truth is that bloggers are “important people.” With less runway shows and more “exhibitions” influencers are able to interact, share with their audience, and sometimes even get products to shoot, share, and earn commission on. It’s all very interactive and of course brands benefit from people sharing what they’re putting out.

At Bauble Bar HQ looking so good...

Traveled with Brooke Burnett and photographed her all around the city

Met with a jewelry designer at Laduree SOHO

First runway show I ever attended

Rooftop blogger brunch hosted by Amanda Miller

The Dutch NYC

I saw the business side of blogging. I was still living in a world of making these beautiful moments, dressing the part, dancing in sunlight, sipping martinis in a dark bar — curating and enjoying moments that I could dance around and take photos of to share with the world! It’s not quite that simple. There’s deadlines and guidelines and quotas. I wouldn’t say it was disheartening, I would say I’m thankful I got a good look at what it takes to produce killer content to get brands to notice you and take you seriously.

Since that first taste, I promised myself I would go back every New York Fashion Week — both September and February.

I continue to go because (and Jacey Duprie touches on this beautifully) I heart NYC, and I especially love embracing a city by photographing people in it. New York offers nearly every background I could hope for, I love the light, and I love that bloggers are there with inspiring looks. I actually prefer February because I’m a sucker for photographing layers, coats, boots, and menswear inspired looks. Whenever I get back to Dallas, I find myself explaining, “I love going to New York and I love that when I leave I know I’ll be back in six months. I love photographing people and I love photographing people in New York. NYFW is a great time to go because everyone’s there! I’m always happy to go, and if I can offset a trip to New York even a little bit by photographing people, then that’s great!” By going every year I’ve built up a client base of people who know they can shoot with me. If you’re curious, just go. Immerse yourself, don’t wait until your “credentials” line up, just jump in.

Fashion Week is for important people. I’m not important people, but I love photographing them. I love being up for anything and meeting new people. It’s always an adventure. I learned last September when I was getting far too serious about the numbers of my final payout from the weekend, that the experience has to be more than numbers on a balance sheet, and that was the worst experience so far. I almost left early. I’ve since remembered to embrace whatever comes my way. I’ve shot with some of my favorite bloggers — people I followed while studying bio and just imagining what it would be like to have a life that let me travel and wear the clothes I want and meet fascinating people.

Let yourself explore. Let yourself create. Let yourself breathe.

I go because I love it.

xo Becca

part one of a fashion week reflection, part two on how I shoot while I’m in New York

The First Beckley Dinner | This Year is Your Year

The very first Beckley Dinner — a stepping stone in bringing more people into the community of sharing what it means to be authentic, passionate, and driven. On May 30, 2019 we gathered around one large table and, to put it simply, embraced every moment.

“This Year is Your Year” was the theme of the evening. It’s a response to something my soccer coach once said to me, “Next year is your year,” which was also the worst piece of advice I’ve ever been given. As people gathered and guests dove deeper and deeper into thoughtful and refreshing conversation, dusk settled in, and dinner was served. White lights twinkled and candles flickered. Peaceful music carried us through the evening as the wine flowed, and soon we were well into the evening feeling as though we were catching up with old friends.

Joined by a simple love of life, connecting with people, and using our gifts to navigate our place in the world, this was simply a calming and truly rejuvenating evening. A feeling of wholeness has made this a challenging post to write. Nothing will be the same as being there, happy, and with a healthy dose of sweat across my forehead from choosing at the last minute to wear a wide-brim hat to the event, but just happy. Simply happy.

For those who were there, thank you. You made the evening special. Without any fluffy language or hyperbole, I mean exactly that. You made the evening special. Your choice to attend, your willingness to share, your openness to meet and embrace new people. Thank you. And I am also very thankful to Taylor who hosted us in her beautiful home that was an integral part of our vision. Elizabeth, my right hand at Beckley deserves such a giant thank you. She prepared and cooked the meal and was with me through every step of planning this inaugural dinner. Marshall, who arrived early to help with literally anything and was certainly put to work, and who captured the evening so beautifully through his own lens. And my husband Andrew, who stepped in and helped with everything else I could have possibly needed throughout the night — all the little things that keep the party running smoothly that you, hopefully, don’t notice. Thanks babe.

xo, Becca

P.S. Stay tuned for upcoming events. When we say “First” we mean “First of many”!

Unwritten Rules of Being a Photographer

We parked the car and before I could say anything, he popped the trunk from the driver’s seat. I ran out to the back of the car to catch any items that could possibly be flying out the back, and I realized I have these unspoken, unwritten rules I live by to get through my day-to-day with as few catastrophes as possible.

1. Always open the back of the car from the back of the car.
   

   (Avoiding using the world “trunk” because it’s referring to the back of an SUV where things can fall out.) Recently I pulled up to a shoot at a hotel and wanted to move quickly for the valet, so I popped open the back of the car from the driver’s seat, and as I walked around to the back of the car, I saw the lens I had just rented fly out and crash on the ground. In case things shift while you’re drive, always open the back of the car while you’re there so you can catch anything that might want to jump out. This brings us to the second point.

2. Always use a UV filter. 

   A UV filter protects lenses from the sun’s harmful rays, but it also acts as another layer of protection from dust, scratches, and flying out the back of cars. I opened the lens case to find the UV filter completely shattered, but the lens was just fine. This is the second time that’s happened to me, and while the sinking feeling takes a while to wear off, it’s a great feeling knowing you just sidestepped shelling out a couple thousand dollars to replace a lens you had up and working just moments before. 

3. Never keep open beverages next to equipment.

   Laws of entropy say that loose-capped water bottle will eventually spill all over everything you love. The other day a friend was over and, of course I leave these rules unspoken, so I saw the glass on the coffee table next to both of our computers and said nothing. Two minutes later the glass spills and narrowly misses my external hard drive, and thus prompting this post.

4. Double check the memory card before erasing everything.

   As soon as I know a memory card is ready to be formatted (everything wiped off) and used anew, I put it in the memory card case right side up, indicating that when I put it in my camera I can format it. It’s already been checked over and put back right side up, but before I format it, I go through one more time scanning each photo making sure there’s nothing I need in there. I only do it once and once it’s confirmed I format it. When you’re going through thirteen memory cards looking for a set of photos, it’s a good feeling knowing there’s no way you could have accidentally deleted them. They’re there somewhere. Happy hunting. 

5. Eject before disconnecting.

   
   I don’t know why, but just do what it says. Before you unplug your hard drive or pull out the memory card, press that eject button and wait. We don’t understand how it’s 2019 and we can’t just pull it out, and it’s never caused any problems when we get impatient or it accidentally falls out (hello wobbly USB cords), but we all honor the rule as best we can, just in case. 

6. Never hand over your camera unless the strap is around someone’s neck.

   Now I just don’t hand over my camera at all because I don’t use a strap anymore, but two or three years ago, no matter who asked me, the strap went around the neck if he or she were deemed fit to take a photo in the first place. It always came with the disclosure, “I do this to everyone, it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s that I don’t trust anyone to hold my livelihood without some insurance.”

7. Carry on as often as possible.

   I’ve actually never checked my camera bag, and I hope I never have to. 

8. Keep RAW files as long as possible.

   This is why external hard drives are invaluable. There will be many occasions where a client comes back asking for some random photo from months or even years ago, and though you may night be contractually obligated to deliver once a project is complete, how nice is it to know you might be able to make his or her wish come true? 

9. Write Contracts for every little thing.

   As much as this rule wishes to stay unwritten and unspoken, photographers ultimately learn the value of putting everything in writing and under contract. Starting out, it seems unnecessary, or even cold, but the more situations you run into that would have benefited from some clarity, it makes it easier to offer contracts as a way to give all parties realistic expectations. 

10. Help other photographers who ask the right questions.

    I kept this specific to photographers and not business owners in general, because there is a certain camaraderie among people of this trade. As artists we compulsively undervalue our work; as business owners we are entrepreneurial; as creators our work is sought after; and as humans we compare ourselves constantly. 

    
    We can all relate to each others’ stories and problems, and when someone reaches out with a genuine, specific question, we can’t help but answer. We don’t mentor for free, and we don’t hand over client lists. We don’t give up every answer we learned the hard way, but we understand, and we help each other grow and become better. 

    Photographers are one of the most varied group of people because even the medium “photography” refers to dozens of different skillsets, tools, techniques, and end products. But we’re typically pretty good at seeing the similarities in what is shared and are usually happy to speak to that to help a fellow photographer. 

BECKLEY Insta Stories Playlist I

the perfect soundtrack while you’re creating memories

Thinking Inside the Box - How to Stay "On-Brand" and Still Feel Creatively Free

Thinking Inside the Box

L I F E . S T Y L E D .

In the abstract and nebulous world of branding -- identifying moods, vibes, and tones -- guidelines are absolutely necessary. 

When I first take on clients photographing for their blogs or businesses, we discuss what types of photos we need. It's hard for some to articulate what they actually need because we are inundated with "cool" images that all seem to run together. My advice is always the same:

Set parameters for yourself and your brand and then go crazy within those guidelines. 

A few ways to set your own brand guidelines:

1. list the brands you identify with

From clothing to home decor, taking time to identify 3-5 main brands that you feel exemplify the mood you'd like to achieve can make a big difference. Some are classic, some are colorful, some are trendy, some are minimal, and some are playful. Some have vintage vibes, some make you wish you lived in New York City, some give you feelings of wanting to snuggle in bed all day with tea and a good book. 

For example:

• J. Crew - classic, American

• Anthropologie - vintage, feminine

• Revolve - sexy, traveler

• Rouge - French, feminine

• Urban Outfitters - trendy, vintage vibes

• Madewell - on-trend, minimal, denim

• Lou & Grey - minimal, form meets function, chic

• Zara - on-trend, street chic, architectural

• Doën - feminine, folksy, organic

These are just a few of thousands of examples, and you can see there are some brands that start to overlap. Jot down brands that make you happy that your brand identifies with, and then find the cohesion among them. 

2. Have a color Palette

Having a color palette or simply color tones that your brand identifies with will help you see in real-time where you want to photograph your next outfit, what to purchase online, how you want to style your office, and how you want your photos to be edited. It takes practice to see all these things in an instant, but take some time looking through Pinterest and hone in on a color palette that speaks to you and is practical to your life and brand. 

3. Identify Textures

Different textures and materials evoke different vibes. One way to start seeing which textures are in line with your brand is to notice the design in places like restaurants, brick and mortar stores, and hotels. Again, Pinterest is an amazing way to cull through images to pick out what is in line with your brand. Notice the finish of the texture as well. Metals come in all different colors and finishes; wood can be light or dark, finished or unfinished; paint on buildings can be smooth or stucco; streets can be rough or smooth (like modern streets compared to smoothed stone streets in old cities); water can be smooth or choppy with flecks of white; plants vary from light to dark, smooth to matte. 

All of these variations affect how the light hits off the texture. No need to go around inspecting every single thing that brings you simple joy, but be aware that just because one pair of soft black leather boots is in line with your brand, the shiny new pair next to it might not, and that's ok! 

4. Have a voice

There are a million bloggers. That's great. There are also a ton of doctors, lawyers, photographers, etc. That's not meant to discourage, it's meant to ignite your passion to be truly you and the best version of yourself you can be, and then share it! Remember, blogging caught on because people had something to say and took to the interwebs to say it, and then some people started connecting with them. More and more, bloggers gained a following because they were jotting down their life lessons, or their recipes, or their makeup tips, and people hit "follow" to make sure they didn't miss the next post. Blogging has evolved into mainly an "outfit of the day" model, but don't forget where it started. Give yourself as well as your followers a clear idea of the types of posts to expect. All of these guidelines don't magically become clear over night, but if you have it in the back of your mind to slowly hone in on who you are and what you have to say, the clarity will come. 

There could very well be twelve or so more points, but we'll leave it here. Ask your questions below or leave your comments on things that help you identify as a brand. 

One more wrench to throw into this convoluted guide: there are brands and vibes you can appreciate and admire, but be conscious of where your talents lie. Just because you like it, doesn't mean you have to emulate it. Discern between what you create and what you appreciate. 

Next step: Check out How to Create Consistent Photos  for your Instagram feed and blog.