We recently connected with Beau Brighton and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Beau, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

I believe it really depends on how you approach asking friends and family for their support. There’s a clear distinction between having them do something that’s mutually beneficial—like being models for your portfolio or writing a review for your services—and asking them to spend money purely for your own economic gain.

When I was starting out in photography, I often asked friends and family to model for me. That was a win-win: they got free photos (which they genuinely needed or enjoyed), and I built up my portfolio and experience. Having them leave a positive review afterward—or simply tell people about my work—felt fair and didn’t put any awkward pressure on them to buy something they might not truly want or need.

On the other hand, I’m not comfortable asking friends or family to purchase my prints or photos solely for the sake of boosting my sales. To me, that crosses a line. Rather than pushing them to buy work they don’t necessarily want, I’d prefer to say something like, “If you’d like to support me financially, maybe we can talk about a loan or another arrangement.” That way, it’s more transparent and doesn’t put our personal relationship in an uncomfortable spot.

A quick anecdote: early on, one of my relatives really needed new headshots, and I was practicing portrait photography. I offered a free session, and in return, they recommended me to a few of their coworkers. It was a natural, authentic way to gain clients. It felt good, and I believe it was beneficial for everyone.

Ultimately, I draw the line where a relationship could be damaged by financial expectations. If my work genuinely meets a need for them—great. If they want to help me in other ways, like referrals, reviews, or even friendly feedback, that’s wonderful. But I never want to make them feel obligated to buy my products or services just to support me financially. That’s where it starts to feel unethical.

Beau, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve been captivated by cameras for as long as I can remember—I was only nine when I first picked up a 90s-era Sony camcorder. It was the same camera that once recorded my first steps, so you could say I’ve literally been in front of and behind the lens my entire life. My mom later introduced me to a hand-me-down DSLR from Costco, and that’s when I discovered the world of “real” photography—exposure, metering, aperture, and so on. I became obsessed with capturing the world around me, but I quickly realized my favorite subject was people.

In high school, I offered to take a friend’s senior portraits for free. She already had professional shots, but she ended up discarding them and using mine instead! Word spread, and within two weeks, I was shooting senior photos for fifteen classmates. That was the turning point: I knew photography was more than a hobby—I wanted it to be my life’s work.

These days, I specialize in portrait photography—everything from senior portraits to headshots and branding sessions. What sets me apart is my focus on bringing out the real, authentic essence of whoever is in front of my camera. I believe a good portrait is more than just a nice picture—it should reflect the subject’s personality, story, and style.

I’m proud of how my images can capture milestones and memories that mean so much to my clients. Whether it’s helping a high school senior shine in their yearbook or showcasing a professional’s unique brand identity, I thrive on making each person look and feel their absolute best.

I want my clients and followers to know that I bring a personal, hands-on approach to every shoot. I’ll guide you through poses, help you get comfortable, and collaborate with you so the photos truly feel like “you.” It’s my goal to solve the problem of stiff, impersonal photography by creating an experience that’s relaxed, fun, and deeply personal.

If you value authenticity, creativity, and a photographer who genuinely wants to help you tell your story, I’d love to work with you. I’m excited to keep exploring the world through my camera—one genuine portrait at a time.

Have you ever had to pivot?

It was the beginning of senior year and people were starting to talk about senior portraits.

A lightbulb went off in my head.

I first offered to take senior photos to a friend who had already had a professional take their graduation pictures. Despite this, she me up on my free session (I think mostly for Instagram likes) and the results were stunning.

She discarded the portrait pictures from the professional who charged hundreds of dollars and used mine instead.

Word went around. I did 15 different sessions for my classmates in two weeks. I knew photography would be in my life, but now I knew it would be my life.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I started building my social media audience almost by accident—back in high school, when I did those fifteen senior portrait sessions for my classmates, they shared my photos on their personal profiles and tagged me. Word-of-mouth online is a powerful thing! Suddenly, I wasn’t just known in my local circle; friends of friends started following me, curious to see the portraits I was creating.

From there, I made sure to keep posting consistently. I focused on showing work I was proud of, sharing behind-the-scenes shots, and telling little stories about each photo session. People love to see the human side of a brand or business, so I’d show the process—choosing locations, setting up the lighting, even the silly candid moments in between. Over time, this helped me form a more personal connection with my followers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.beaubrightonphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beaubrightonphoto/

Image Credits

Beau Brighton