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

Juliette, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I’ve always been a big overthinker when it comes to the “what if’s” in life. What IF I never picked up a camera when I was little or had a supportive family when it came to being an artsy child? What IF I actually listened to my high school guidance counselor when he said it was “not a smart life choice” and “I wouldn’t make it” when I told him I wanted to be a full-time photographer after I graduated? What IF I went to a four year college for some randomly chosen major instead of a technical school that taught me all about how to master my craft? What IF I actually went through the career change I felt was on my heart after experiencing a few traumatic things that made me lose motivation and concentration when it came to running my own business? There are so many variables that cross my mind, daily, but not because I wish I was doing something else….but because I feel lucky enough to still love what I do for a living, even after everything I’ve ever gone through, and I’m glad photography found me at such a young age because I have no clue where I’d be or who I’d be without it.

Juliette, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Gosh, where do I even begin? My journey started at such a young age, that I don’t remember a time where I DIDN’T want to be a photographer. My mom played a big role when it came to finding ways to get me more involved in the photography industry while growing up – like signing me up for photography auctions, workshops, classes, volunteer groups where you take photos for charity events, etc. I met so many people along the way and made so many friends within the industry that I felt like I had a good community around me that would love and support my business when I went full time, which of course they did when I made the big decision to change my hobby/passion into my career.

When first starting out, I photographed pretty much everything and anything but when I started to really nail down my craft – I decided on specifically shooting “weddings and lifestyle portraits” which might leave you wondering…what is a lifestyle portrait? That term includes family sessions, senior (high school and college) sessions, and couple sessions! All the big moments in your life, I want to be apart of! Even with the title “Photographer”, it sometimes feels like I’m also a coordinator/honorary bridesmaid on wedding days. There are so many tasks guests and sometimes even family members don’t see behind the scenes because there’s always help being needed or just a hand to hold when the pre-ceremony jitters begin. I’ve shed tears with brides, I’ve held hands with grandmother’s as they sit and watch their grandchildren dance around on the dance floor, I’ve ran across the street in Atlanta traffic trying to make sure the exit car driver knows where/when to park, I’ve led in the bridal party during a ceremony and told each one when to walk down the aisle, etc. There’s so much more I could mention, because things happen and that’s completely normal on a wedding day, so I will wear all the badges because I truly do feel honored to do it all!

What am I most proud of? Honestly I’m just proud to say I’ve accomplished what little me always dreamed about. I wanted to be a photographer who traveled around the country, photographing all of life’s beautiful moments – and I truly feel like I’ve done that. From New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, and of course Georgia – I’ve been apart of so many sessions/weddings and met so many clients that overtime have become out of state best friends, that I can truly hear little Juliette’s squeal of excitement because she can’t believe we’ve actually “done the dang thing” so to speak! All of this is to make HER proud.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

WORD OF MOUTH. In a society that loves sharing everything on social media, I have not yet experienced more inquiries coming in from social media…than I have word of mouth. And yes, it is not like that for every business, but for mine – it’s definitely like that. Engaged bridesmaids from a wedding party of a wedding I photographed, family members that saw me working a wedding or capturing their sibling’s senior/family photos, friends on social media seeing my photos posted by my clients, vendors seeing me work together well on a wedding vendor team, etc – it all boils down to how you carry yourself during a work day and how that makes people want to work with you after seeing the way you interact with your clients/their friends and family members. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely gotten emails about how clients have found me through Facebook group recommendations, venue websites that have examples of my photos displayed, or just accidentally stumbled across my website through keywords online – but it still comes down to (a lot of the times) my business getting recommended by someone who enjoyed my services or a venue staff member that I connected with during the day that wanted to share the work I did. CONNECT. BE KIND. WORK HARD. And make sure to speak with family members, because nine times out of ten – those family members paid to hire you and they will always appreciate a sweet kind gesture from you or just a small conversation sometime throughout the day showing your care for their daughter/son/grandchild! Your work is important but the connections you create are more important because that will bring you more work in the long run.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being the one who takes THE photo, that’s the most rewarding part – the photos your grandchildren are going to look back on together when they want to admire their grandparent’s wedding photos, the photos your parents are going to hang on their walls for years to come, the photos you’re going to share on wedding anniversaries and “just because” posts, the photos your kids are going to cherish most because they’ll see just how much their parents loved each other back then, the photos that will always hold a special meaning and a special moment in time that won’t ever be replaced or redone. I get to take those photos. THE PHOTO. And it means the absolute world to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jettpics.com
• Instagram: @jett.photography

Image Credits
All Photos Taken Or Edited By Jett Photography