These are rookie mistakes to avoid to help you get clearer, more impactful photos… for Instagram.
Read moreCommunity Over Competition
community over competition
L I F E . S T Y L E D .
Write what you know.
That's a pretty standard writing cliché, right? Just thought I'd get it out of the way before continuing this blog post that is true to my heart. Literally, on the left side of my screen I have four drafted blog posts, one doesn't even have a title. "Gifts for," "How to Identify your Brand - Part I," "No Title," and "How to Take the Best Photo." They all have either an intro sentence or, obviously, don't even have a title. This jumped the line because of an encounter I had this morning and I realized this might be a concept I've been taking for granted.
When I began photographing for bloggers and small businesses, BECKLEY was just a hobby. I count myself fortunate that when I began my business, there wasn't a lot of risk involved; I was pursuing a career in physical therapy so whatever I did as BECKLEY was just a bonus. It was a happy time of meeting bloggers, befriending "real" photographers, and getting my name out there for the fun of it.
Now that this is my career, I am so glad I got my start with the right attitude - an attitude of community over competition - because I didn't really have "competition." More so I had a community of people I respected and admired.
Why do we feel competitive?
It happens to the best of us. We see someone doing something similar, or working with people you saw as "your people," or someone didn't give you appropriate credit. There's always SOMETHING we can find that has the potential to strike a chord.
I find that whenever I look at someone's work with anything less than excitement for that person, that's a reflection about how I'm feeling about my own work. When I see people succeeding and the phrase "congratulations" doesn't immediately come to mind, that's a reflection of how well I think I'm succeeding or not succeeding.
But someone creating cool images, or wearing something so chic I'm mad I didn't think of it myself, or being published somewhere is a reflection of their own merits. If I'm feeling uncomfortable with that or wishing I were doing something similar, that's a great opportunity to think about what's going on in my own life that's preventing me from doing those things. Maybe I'm bending too much for a certain client and need to regain my vision as a photographer; maybe I'm not planning my time well and am feeling over-worked and not creating as much as I'd like to be. Either way, whenever I feel that pang of competition, I think of it as a chance to acknowledge the real reason I'm feeling uncomfortable, do something about it, and move on.
How do you find a community?
Buck up and be nice. That's all it takes. I used to reach out when I was just starting out and let other photographers in the area know that I respected and admired their work and that if I ever had client overflow I would be giving out their info. It was a genuine act and one that helped my career exponentially.
Reach out online or even in person. We're at a point where it is completely normal to walk up to someone you recognize from Instagram and say how much you liked their last blog post or the outfit they posted on Thanksgiving. People love that (usually) and it's a great way to introduce yourselves and foster a sense of community.
Practice what you preach. If you're leaving comment after comment "One word: Fabulous! That outfit looks amazing!" say it in real life too. Hang out with people that are acquaintances that might become friends. Collaborate on a project together. Just know to check yourself: if you're feeling competitive or that your ideas are similar already and you don't want to risk copying each other, table that topic and talk about something outside of your field.
We have the capacity to help each other grow.
WE HAVE the capacity to help EACH OTHER grow.
When you foster a sense of community you are treating yourself and those around you with kindness and respect. We have so much to learn from other people and going it alone is the long hard road that is honestly a waste of time.
Please, this week go sit at a coffee shop and strike up a conversation. Or meet someone you follow on Instagram and grab a drink. Some cities have a wonderful community of entrepreneurs and young professionals and old professionals - people to learn from! Some cities aren't as inclined towards that scene, so be the person who reaches out and FORMS a community!
Have fun with it and let me know how good you feel once you adopt this as your way of life!
SHOP THE POST
Rome: A Home Away From Home
A quote I revisit every day: "Home is wherever I'm with you". Andrew and I have both been traveling constantly, and separately, for the past few months and this trip to Rome was the longest amount of time we have spent together since August. Along with spending quality time together, Andrew and I got to visit with friends - some of whom we haven't seen since our wedding in July of 2015.
Both Andrew and I had spent our semesters abroad in Rome in 2010 and 2011, and that was when we checked off most of our museum, monument, and church tours. On this trip, we simply strolled through the streets, sipped plenty of espresso and Aperol spritzes, and ate pasta and cheese to our heart's content.
Some highlights of the trip: gathering wine, cheese, prosciutto, and crackers from a small shop and walking to the Borghese gardens for a small sunset picnic laughing harder than we have in so long with some of our best friends. The group of us one day were shown around the city by an American priest who took us to to top of the seminary and the view was more than breathtaking. The entirety of Rome, from the Vatican to the "wedding cake" - it took us all several moments to drift back down to reality and realize how lucky we were to experience this together. Finally, the purpose of our entire journey, was the wedding of one of our dearest friends - a beautiful, magical sacrament of marriage at St. Peter's Basilica where I was asked to second shoot. Suffice it to say that will go down as one of the most magical wedding to photograph and I count myself truly blessed to capture at least part of it through my lens.
It's difficult to articulate a trip or an experience, and that is why I love photography. Jump in and explore - photos are an invitation to join in the moment and develop your own story around them.
“The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.”
Jon & Sam Downtown Dallas Engagement Shoot
Romance is an adventure. The initial attraction to falling deeply in love; getting to know someone better than you know yourself and learning from each other to help each other grow. For this couple whose "hearts are in Dallas" we wanted a location that complemented the serenity and deep love for each other, while offering a vibrant and dynamic backdrop that set the tone for capturing Jon and Sam's passion and playfulness when they are together.
“When picking out this couples outfit for the engagement shoot, I knew I wanted to capture the simplicity of their love while highlighting their passions for one another. Starting with this dreamy wrap dress from Planet Blue with added accessories from Lion and Witch. To compliment her airy look, I decided to dress Jon in a blue suit from Suit Supply and then paired it with suspenders and a light pink tie. This look was completed not by just my styling and Rebecca’s photos, but how their love for each other makes you feel.
Words I keep thinking of when seeing these photos- Airy Romance, Passion, Sexy, Cool ”
Darling Dinner x Lou & Grey
Hosted by Darling Magazine + Lou & Grey, Darling Dinners are curated to foster conversation and community
Darling's mission statement inspires integrity, sophistication, authenticity, and creativity; ideals BECKLEY & Co. stands behind and strives for daily
We loved photographing this night at Americano and enjoying what felt like an Italian family feast with both wine and conversation flowing freely
florals and event design by Chelsea M Carter
STYLED SHOOT | HIGHLAND PARK
BECKLEY Photography (formerly BECKLEY & Co.) (yes we are still a team) (yes we still offer our styling services) (yes we hate that "& Co." wasn't accepted by the state's office as an official business title) (and yes we are still nursing our wounds)
... had the wonderful opportunity to work with Dan Sauer photography last weekend on a magical styled shoot. Dan is a photographer friend of mine from Los Angeles and coordinated this entire shoot in no time at all - which is a testament both to how amazing he is and also how phenomenal Dallas is. (In case you missed it, I think very highly of the Dallas creative community. See: Every post ever on the BECKLEY blog)
This was an exciting opportunity for the BECKLEY Photography team because our lovely Elizabeth did the hair and makeup for the "bride" and our brand new stylist Alex worked flawlessly on-set styling the models to perfection. Big win for team BECKLEY!
PHOTOS | DAN SAUER PHOTOGRAPHY
Let me list these fantastic vendors because they are forever my favorite people:
Photography | Dan Sauer Photography | @dan.sauer
Set Design | Melanie & Co. | @melanieannewing
Florist-tables | Platinum Petals Floral | @platinumpetalsfloral
Florist-crown/bouquet | Leeny's Flowers | @leenys_flowers
Model Stylist: | That's us! | @beckleyco
Dress | Circle Park Bridal | @circleparkbridal
Vintage rentals | Gold Dust Vintage | @golddustvintagerentals
Baker | @brigid.mcmahan
Calligraphy | Kimi Nam | @kimi.nam
Models | @claireballor & @james.voelker
** COMING SOON | BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS FROM A BEAUTIFUL HIGHLAND PARK STYLED WEDDING SHOOT **
YOU ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU NEED TO BE
A rush of wanderlust, a yearning for change, a need for excitement. Friday afternoon hits and more often than not I just want to GO ANYWHERE - especially somewhere photogenic. I actually googled today "How to move to Berlin". (Why Berlin, who knows)
I saw these words a couple weeks ago and they really spoke to me.
Sometimes I can get impatient and just want everything to happen all at once. We have a lot of exciting ideas and collaborations in the works for BECKLEY & Co., but these words are so comforting. Not to be confused with contentment, but I think it's important to remember to be fully present in each moment and in life. Take in all that is around you, all you have been given, and all the opportunity that lays ahead. God has a plan, and that is something I often forget.
Happy Friday from the BECKLEY & Co. Team!
HOW TO: MONDAY
Part One of BECKLEY HOW TO
We will be sharing tips on taking photos with an iPhone and with a DSLR, how to edit photos on the computer and on your phone, lighting and composition tips, and a lot more. But on this Monday morning we thought we'd start slow and just share all our coffee photos from the past year or so.
Bon Java and Happy Monday
CITY STREETS
You know that cool new place you find that everyone has known about for years but it's new and exciting to you? THE JOULE. An absolute new favorite spot for coffee, food, drinks, work, play, occasional celeb sighting.
Last week I met up with Kathryn of Wrapped in Rouge at the sleek hotel, got my third caffeine fix for the morning at Weekend, chatted with every barista and lobby manager in sight, and got some really fun shots inside and outside of the hotel that I have been really excited about.
I love shooting with style bloggers because they are like living, breathing, Pinterest boards (or simply, style inspiration) that make me remember that there is more out there than black jeans and grey sweaters.
See her post here where she describes her outfit details better and more eloquently than I ever could.
the BECKLEY vision
BECKLEY & Co. was founded with the vision of becoming the source of inspiration for creating complete images that combine style, location, and photography. Officially a year old as of October, we have come along way in curating a brand that melds our California roots with Dallas's accessible networking, startup, and creative community.
While we have immediate goals in reaching out to more Dallas creatives and collaborating to bring our expertise to this great city (and beyond!), we also have goals to acquire and create a studio space in the not-too-distant-future.
We are the cool and cozy navys, greys, whites, and blacks. We are natural wood and cool breezes. We are matte finishes and copper accents. We are sage and eucalyptus. We are cotton and linen. We are BECKLEY & Co.
And if we were a storefront, we would be S E T & C O., which is by far the best kitchen and home decor store in Dallas, and probably Texas, America, and the world.
Sometimes the vision can seem impossible or we can get distracted with whatever matter is right in front of us, but it is so refreshing to walk into a shop like S E T & C O or brainstorming with other Dallas creatives and realizing there is a lot out there that is very real and attainable given hard work and dedication.