We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebecca Franke. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebecca below.
Rebecca, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.
The majority of my marketing and growth comes from Instagram. The biggest trend lately, that some of us feel forced into, has been making Reels. Since Instagram changed their algorithm, Reels are now getting more exposure than normal posts. This is challenging since we, as photographers, need to share still photos to showcase our work. We need to step into the world of videography now in order to stay relevant. Don’t get me wrong, I think Reels are entertaining and a great way to spice up any feed, it’s just another facet of our jobs we now have to add on – one extra step. That being said, they are a lot of fun to make and I really do enjoy them. I just find it slightly difficult to juggle taking photos during a session or a wedding while also remembering to take behind the scenes videos.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’ve always been creative, but I gravitated to photography around age ten – that’s when I received my first camera. It was this miniature, very low quality, digital camera, but it piqued my interest immediately. I got more serious as I got older and even took a film photography class the summer before high school, but I turned my hobby into a business about two and a half years ago. It started with my friend hiring me to take her engagement photos, and now, I have begun to photograph weddings as well. Right now, I’m offering a handful of different types of sessions: weddings, engagements/couples, graduations, families and one-on-one creative portraits. In the future, I hope to narrow my services down a bit and find my niche.
I think that my current list of services helps differentiate me from other photographers. Since I offer quite a few different options, I have a wider range of clients than someone who focuses on one genre. On the other hand, like every photographer, what sets me apart from others is my personality and editing style. Some may have more experience than others, but we all pretty much offer the same thing. It really comes down to the client connecting with the photographer on a personal level and putting their trust in us after only seeing our body of work and having a conversation before booking. If you vibe with each other, that will make a huge difference in the outcome of the project.
I am proud to be self taught, minus the four week film photography class I took over a decade ago. It takes a lot of hard work and discipline to learn photography because there is so much to know and you never stop learning. It’s not just pressing a button, as so many people frustratingly think it is. You have to know how to pose subjects, what settings on your camera go with the lighting/location/style of the shoot, programs like Lightroom and Photoshop for editing, how to build and maintain a website, how to market yourself and grow your business. There is a vast amount of knowledge required to run a photography business.
For me, the client’s overall experience is very important. Sure, you can take great photos and satisfy the client with that alone, but to really create a great experience, you have to go much deeper. I make sure to connect with my clients and make them feel special and comfortable the whole time. It’s more of a fun hangout than a photo shoot.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Photography is my passion and my number one goal is to grow my business to be able to go full time. To be truly in love with my life’s work would be a huge accomplishment. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, which is what’s motivating me to keep learning and improving my skills. I’m not ready right now to make the switch from side hustle to primary source of income, but I believe I will get there soon.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I find it extremely rewarding when my clients reach out to me after receiving their photos with positive reactions. Testimonials from past clients go a long way with potential new clients. Not only that, but it makes be happy to know that they loved their photos and had fun working with me. I think everyone can agree that positive feedback is great to receive. It can give you more confidence for future sessions. We all struggle with imposter syndrome occasionally, and knowing that our clients had a good experience is validation in a way.
Contact Info:
- Website: rebeccafrankephotography.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/rebeccafrankephoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccafrankephoto