We recently connected with Rebecca Renner and have shared our conversation below.

Rebecca, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?

If I could go back in time, I really wish I had started sooner. Originally, I thought I had to go to college for photography, which isn’t the case at all haha. Unless you’re going for a job that requires a degree in photography, you don’t need it for a wedding and portrait business.

In 2017, I was 24 years old, living in a new state on my own, and I was a waitress and really wanted a way out of that industry. I had an interest in photography from a young age, and I always envisioned doing something with it for my career. This is the year I started thinking how I could turn that passion into a career. After moving to a new state and knowing absolutely no one, I wasn’t sure how feasible it would be, but I needed to try. I started advertising and slowly taking clients, networking with other photographers, and navigating the legal side of owning a business.

If I had started sooner, I would have been SO much happier. Working for others and making pennies was really mentally taxing. It also would have given me a jump start in scaling this business into a full time career. Even though I was only 24, I always wonder what it would have been like if I started at 20. Where would I be now had I taken that leap? I try not to dwell too much on this because I’m so grateful for the thriving business I have now.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Rebecca, I’m a 31 year old photographer living in my home state of New Jersey! I have two cats, Nova and Bean, and a mutt, Analisa. Aside from my career, I’m a big animal lover, painter, and love a good thrifting day. Even though I love to travel, I do identify as a homebody and you can find me gaming on my PC or reading a book. All in all, I’m a big nerd (still a Pokemon fan and that will never fade!)

This is soooo cliche, but I’ve always had a passion for photography. It came at a young age and it never faded, and nothing else interested me in that way. Originally, I saw myself as a fashion photographer, and I set out to make that a reality. I photographed a wedding in high school through my vocational school and instantly knew this was it for me. There was something so special about documenting moments on someone’s special day. I’m mainly a wedding photographer now, however I also offer engagement and family sessions.

My clients come to me because they want someone who values what they value on their wedding day. Weddings are not a one size fits all event, they are deeply personal and planned as such. Wedding photography should not be cookie cutter, and I found that a lot of people would do the exact same thing at every wedding down to timing and poses. I’m asking my clients what they want out of their wedding day and what they envision for their photos. Your wedding day isn’t for me, it’s for you, and I want to put all my focus and expertise into making sure I provide the service that’s the right fit for you.

I’m really proud of a few things , one being my ability to take charge when needed as well and have my clients’ backs. With weddings comes a thousand outside opinions, and the only one that truly matters is the couples’. I keep things on track when need be and wrangle dozens of people at a time for photos. Having a vendor in your corner on the wedding day is essential!
Also, I’m really passionate about being an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community. Marrying the love of your life, regardless of gender or color of their skin, SHOULD be celebrated and protected.
And last but not least, editing skin tones to be true. I have a very filmy, true to life style and it’s SO important to be accurate with skin. Learning how to edit deeper skin tones correctly was something I really dove into as I figured out my editing style, and I’ve been told how appreciative people are of that.

What I want people to know about me is that I truly care about others and want to show them how beautiful they are. Being photographed is such an intimate experience, and oftentimes brings out our inner critic. Everyone is photogenic whether they believe it or not, they just have to feel comfortable and be in their element. My work is literally photographing people in love and their families. I’m constantly searching for those little glimmers of magic throughout a wedding day, like a grandparent shedding a tear, a deep belly laugh with your friends, or the stolen glances between partners. Even though the couple is the star of the wedding day, the people they all gather into one space for one night matter substantly to them. At the core, a wedding is about *people*. My job is to not only document the love between the couple, but the many loved ones who came to celebrate.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I got a divorce in 2021. It was a horrible time in my life, one that I’m still working through to this day. As someone who shares in so many wedding days, it was ROUGH. Hearing my former first dance song at so many weddings gutted me, and I cried at a lot of them in secret. My mental state throughout that time was on the verge of collapse. Not to mention, the industry as a whole was dealing with multiple rescheduled events due to the pandemic. I believe I photographed around 70 weddings in 2021. With the nature of weddings, there’s no slowing down and there’s no “calling out sick”. That couple trusted you with their day, and you have to give it your all, whether or not you feel up to it.

Having to navigate alllll those events while I was going through the worst depression and change of my life was NOT easy. It took a lot out of me and some days I wanted to quit. However, I reflected a lot that year on how many people I brought so much joy to. At the end of the day, that’s what kept me going. When someone got their full gallery and replied with the sweetest words, it always reminded me of why I do what I do.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Be accessible. Answer emails in a timely manner, there’s nothing worse than leaving someone hanging. If you can’t answer an email right away, have an automatic email go out that details your response times and when you’re typically in office. For example, all my new inquiries get an automatic email that says I typically respond within 12 hours during the week, and 48-72 hours during the weekend since I’m out photographing events. Overcommunication is SO vital to managing expectations from start to finish.

Even better, as you scale up, hire a virtual assistant. It’s worth every penny to have someone readily available to answer new and current clients. That way you can focus your efforts into moving the needle. Outsourcing or hiring help isn’t a bad thing, it can actually help you grow leaps and bounds.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lunaandlarkphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunaandlarkphotography

Image Credits

Luna & Lark Photography