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

Rebecca, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

I get the most joy out of my work by documenting births. Sometimes, though, the joy gets left at the door while I walk into a room to document a loss. I’ve photographed many babies that have left this world too soon. One family in particular was not working with me originally. They had never heard of me prior to me arriving at their bedside in the hospital late one night. At 37 weeks gestation, they received word that they little girl was no longer living. Sensing their need, a nurse reached out to several other photographers in the area to see if they were available to document their special moment. To do such a task requires particular knowledge, equipment, and emotional stability. I was gratefully able to fulfill this call.
Working with families who have experienced a loss changes you. It changes the way you approach clients, care for their products, and helps you realize just how valuable photos truly are.
This family and I have since worked together, numerous times. They had me at their side when they welcomed their second child, a boy. I was there to document his newborn photos, family photos, and even had the opportunity of documenting their cuddle cot donation to a local hospital.
This family’s loss resulted in the development of a non-profit organization, unification of communities, and a relationship with me that I will forever cherish.

Rebecca, 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?

Like most photographers, I’ve always had a passion for it. I like creating art. One day I bought myself a “fancy” camera, and the rest is history. I’ve always felt pulled towards documenting motherhood. Maternity, birth, newborns, breast feeding, etc. As a mother myself, I understand how fulfilling it is to have beautiful pictures with your child. I understand how time changes things. Whether it’s your own body or your children, you see the change happening right before your eyes! Women can visualize the future and we think to ourselves, “I want to look back at this moment in 20 years”. And THAT’S my goal; to document a moment that 20 years from now you can look back at and smile.
In 2021 I was presented with an opportunity. A local graphic designer reached out to me and told me that she had found a building that she wanted to rent as an office, but essentially she could not justify the cost of rent on her own. She informed me that the building had a large area with large windows, and that she believed it would be the perfect space for a photographer to use as a studio and wanted to know if I was interested in sharing the space.
After months of planning and discussion, 5 women (myself included) opened up Collective – A Shared Studio Space. It has been amazing not only owning a studio, but co-owning it with 5 incredible women!
I pride myself in the space we’ve created. I’ve been able to produce a style of art that I feel is unique to my area and my clients truly enjoy the comfort of coming to a studio for portraits.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

When I first started my photography journey, I had no intentions of it being a career. I didn’t think it was achievable for me. I was a stay-at-home mom with little kids and photography was the perfect way for me to express myself and find joy outside of the home. My only goal at the time was to be able to fund my photography through what clients I could get. Fast forward 10 years and now I co-own a studio, I travel for work, and I’m actually profitable! It’s thrilling to see hard work pay off. There’s fulfillment in working hard, having growth, and achieving goals! To see the growth from where I’ve been to where I am now, it motivates me to keep working hard, to keep pushing outside of the box, and to know that with hard work comes reward.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The joy of being an artist comes from two parts. First, there’s the joy you find in yourself. The joy of creating something you’ve envisioned. The joy of stepping back, looking at a piece and saying, “I made that”. There’s something special about that. Second is having another party love what you’ve created. Being able to share your piece with clients, friends, fans, colleagues. There’s joy in having others admire your work. It creates a sense of pride in yourself and reassurance that what you’re creating is in fact a great piece of art.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.maidenmusgrove.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/maidenmusgrove
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