We recently connected with Becky Ankrum and have shared our conversation below.

Becky, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My mission as a lifestyle photographer is to make all of my clients see the beauty in their photos. The physical beauty, yes, but also the beauty of the time of life they are in. For my brides and grooms, I want them to look back at their wedding photos and see their day in all it’s beauty with raw and real photos.. real laughter.. real tears.. and yes, looking beautiful in their gowns and suits.

For my family sessions, I want them to look back on their photos and see the beauty of their toddler refusing to smile, opting to make silly faces instead. I want them to see the beauty of that time and place in their life that I was able to capture with a click of a button.

For my newborn shoots and engagement sessions, I want my clients to look back on their photos and see the beauty of new beginnings.

Every single picture I take has a story. Every person in that photo has a story, and I am beyond honored to be able to capture just a small part of it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Welcome! My name is Becky, and I am the owner of Becky Ankrum Photography! I started my business in May of 2020, when one of my friends asked me to take their engagement photos for them. I have always loved the art of photography, so while I was surprised they would ask, I was also excited. After their session, I had this feeling of fullness.. it gave me energy and life to take their photos and edit them. After they got their pictures back, they asked me if I could photograph their wedding, and since then I have been hitting the ground running. I rarely say no to new clients (I’m a yes girl), and everything has been word of mouth since then, which I can’t thank my clients enough for recommending me.

I am a wife to a wonderful, supportive husband and a mom to 4 (almost 5) beautiful kids. Without them and the desire back in 2020 to find myself outside of being “mom” I couldn’t have done this without them. Being a mom of a slew of busy kids has definitely helped with my family or extended family sessions in embracing the chaos and being that beacon of calm and patience that I know a lot of parents need.

I also was a personal stylist for 10 years prior to becoming a photographer, and that has given me the tools to help with wardrobe options as well as seeing the little details.. whether they need correcting in the moment or whether they need to be captured to be remembered.

Like I mentioned above, I’m a yes girl. I take on most any clients, from weddings, to headshots, to product photography, to newborns, etc.. I truly have loved being able to connect with so many people and their stories. I’ve been able to be a part of many projects that have brought me to tears, getting to know these clients, and becoming a lifestyle photographer has definitely softened my heart towards this beautiful world. Everyone has their own history, their own story, and we, for the most part, have no idea what that is.. I just feel so incredibly lucky to be able to capture a part of it for my sweet clients.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Like I mentioned, most of my business has been word of mouth, but I also continuously post on my social media pages to show my work as well as let people see that I am still active. I also make sure to mention to my clients when I deliver a gallery that I greatly appreciate it when they pass my name along.

I also personally reach out to people who have tentatively mentioned wanting to do a shoot.. I don’t wait for them to get back to me (who knows how long that will take because life is busy), so I seek them out. More often than not, they are super appreciative that I pursued them to make something happen.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I just truly enjoy meeting new people and hearing their stories. I may sound like a broken record at this point, but I leave each session just feeling so full and feeling a love towards humans in general. We don’t know where people are at in their lives and so often we are so quick to judge.. I think that my job as a photographer, is to offer a genuine kindness to my clients, encouragement, patience, a listening ear oftentimes, just to help their world (and session) feel a little brighter in that moment. I like to think of myself as their personal hype girl :)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beckyankrumphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/beckyankrumphotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/beckyankrumphotography