We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebecca McElroy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebecca below.

Alright, Rebecca thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I am so happy that I am a business owner! I seriously am so in love with what I do! If “regular job” meaning 9-5 M-F, then no I do not wonder what it would be like. The only time I’ve ever thought maybe photography isn’t for me was when I was first starting out because I was not getting a lot of inquiries. I love that I am my own boss, and that I am able to spend so much time with my family!

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?

Hi! I’m Becca, owner of Rae Dawn Photography LLC! Still not over the fact that I am literally doing what I love the most. Being able to let others see what I see .. is truly such a beautiful thing. It’s indescribable.

Some fun facts about me! I am a mom to two amazing kids and with the love of my life! I have 11 chickens, a dog and a cat! I love gardening and being outside. I love singing and writing music. I am self taught on guitar and have been writing music since I was 8. My top 4 best singing impressions are Britney Spears, Shakira , Celine Dion and Creed (yes. Creed , specifically “With Arms Wide Open”). I have been told I am funny, which could be true, sometimes I make myself laugh! (lol). The name “Rae Dawn” comes from my middle name, my moms and my daughters !

I started photography in 2012, just a mom trying to document each milestone with my children. I took a break a few years after my second child was born in 2017, and started focusing on my music career. While my music career was something I was deeply passionate about, the older I got and having kids, it wasn’t my reality anymore. Everyone has dreams and I feel that I lived that dream for a few years and felt fulfilled in that aspect of my life.

I picked back up on photography in 2020 when my sister, Raechel, had her twin girls, wanting to have newborn photos done. After that, it just took off. My sister pushed me pretty hard to start again, she saw a lot of potential I didn’t really see in myself. One of my biggest issues so far in this journey has been editing. The sky is literally the limit when it comes to editing photographs. I wanted my images to be different, because if all photographers edited the same, there would be no room for creativity. Having a consistent workflow can be so hard to accomplish when you factor in colors of outfits and lighting. I am more confident in the images I produce now than I was 2 years ago. Consistency, and learning new things is definitely key!

I specialize in Family, Lifestyle Newborn, Couples, Maternity and Creative Portraits. My favorite images are candid, emotional images rather than posed. I feel that every session is unique, and no two sessions are the same! I send all of my clients a questionnaire to get to know them better beforehand so that I am able to tell their beautiful story through my images. For my creative portraits, my ideas are always flowing. Something about creative sessions spark something in me that I can’t really explain! Creative sessions are for any age whether it’s a birthday or celebrating an accomplishment!

I am most proud of myself. It has taken a long time to say that, but I am. There were a lot of times I just wanted to give up because I didn’t believe in myself. A lot of creatives have what is called “imposter syndrome”, meaning you don’t believe you are good enough for this. I have an amazing support system who reassure that I in fact, am doing a great job. Also knowing that I am not alone in those feelings is also reassuring, that other business owners feel this same way at times.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Word of mouth! It has helped my business tremendously! Even if someone hasn’t had a session by me, I do receive inquiries from friends of friends. A big percentage of my clients tag me on social media in their posts when they post their pictures from their session! I first started out with a website and an instagram. Last year I finally made a business Facebook, and although Im not big into social media, it has helped my business so much as well!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson that I had to unlearn is that not everyone values your time. I am such a people pleaser, I will bend over backwards to make sure everyone has the best experience. I have a had a few clients that did not respect me or value my time. I had unlearn that not everyone is going to value you, and with that being said, those that do not, are not your clients.

To put in perspective, photographers do not just click a button. I put my heart and soul into making sure my clients session is an amazing experience. Not only am I taking the images, but I am scouting the perfect location, sending over style guides and making my clients visions come to life. I also spend countless hours editing, making sure each and every image is perfect. Making sure that they receive their images in a timely manner, and my clients are never left in the dark wondering when they will be delivered. I have all my clients sign a contract and it illustrates all the details. With any business, there will be times where you will have a client that doesn’t value you, it’s unavoidable.

Although that lesson I unlearned was a long time ago, it does not deter me from continuing to put my all into each and every session.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.raedawnphotographyllc.net
• Instagram: @Rae_DawnPhotography | https://www.instagram.com/rae_dawnphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaeDawnPhotographyLLC/