We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Betsi Ewing a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Betsi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style. Do you have an interesting story from that stage of your career that you can share with us?

I landed in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at the height of the hipster renaissance in 2003, back before this little corner of the world was overwhelmed with high priced condos and Whole Foods. What was going on in Brooklyn at that time was pure magic! In my imagination it was like the stories you hear about Studio 54 and Woodstock, a “had to be there” kind of time and place. You could live in NYC and be a working artist. We all had a handful of odd jobs at all times, and a hundred roommates but we were living the dream!

A few years and many gigs later, I was back on the hunt and through an agency, landed a job with fashion photography duo Inez & Vinoodh https://www.inezandvinoodh.com/. I had loved their work and admired their collaboration for years, being a part of their day to day world was truly life-changing. I traveled the world and saw first hand the behind the scenes balance of photography, art, business and family. I had the confidence and courage to launch out on my own and start my company with their support and encouragement. The years I spent with them truly shaped who I was to become next.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My interest and obsession with photography started decades ago. My grandparents kept meticulously organized photo albums from each year, and I spent a lifetime looking through these photos, hearing the stories behind them. For me, images evoke memories, understanding, and senses, even from life events that happened long before I was in the world. Our stories are important and photography is an incredible gift to illustrate our memories and our history.

I wanted to be a photographer since I was 15, it took me twelve years of hustling hard to make that my “full time” job. Being intentional is so key, my business and life all pulled together in much better alignment once I decided exactly what I wanted versus “trying out” a lot of different things… That is universal for everyone on any path, creative or not, be intentional.

Betsi Ewing Weddings covers weddings and events from LA to NYC, and around the world. I have a small team of highly-talented photographers and videographers, and with this exceptional back-up from artists who support my style, I can accommodate weddings and events with a guest list from fifty to several thousand.

Our client list includes; Burberry, HBO, American Express, Bonobos, Cartier, Beverly Hills Hotel, Carolina Herrera, NYFW, Saks 5th Avenue, SXSW, Belmond Hotels, Fusion Media Group, The Ace Hotel, and many more.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Each day is different, and being a creative keeps you on your toes! Every business needs systems in place to run smoothly, however, the landscape changes for me with each shoot. Pivoting through the digital age has been a roller coaster and being flexible is important. We are constantly having to upgrade systems, client expectations, industry standards, etc, with the ever changing landscape of tech. I shot film for the first TEN years of my creative life, and now we have AI.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

College can be great but you have get out and DO THE THING! Art school did not teach me how to start a business, do my taxes, pay my employees, and keep the lights on. For anyone who wants a creative career. go find someone you admire and ask them for a coffee, an internship, a paid position, anything where you can be in their orbit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.betsiewing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betsiewing/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsi-ewing/
• Youtube: https://vimeo.com/betsiewing

Image Credits

All credit to Betsi Ewing Weddings ;)