We were lucky to catch up with Rebekah Starin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebekah, thanks for joining us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

If I could go back in time I do wish in a sense I started earlier, but not in the ways you may expect. In college I went for an Advertising/Public Relations degree and in doing so had a photography class to take. I absolutely loved it! But I soon realized that those that had outgoing/confident personalities attracted people for photos more-so than the “good listener/introvert” person. This was something that when I look back on I wish I could have recognized the talent that I had (not trying to be prideful here) and just take that confidence into starting up my business.

I didn’t officially start my business until 2021, right after Covid and when my husband and I lived in Northern Virginia. And to be honest if it weren’t for my husband, Kade, and his encouragement I might have not taken the leap to start my business. We had gotten married June 2021 and shortly after found out we were expecting our first child. Starting the business while being in a new state and with a baby on the way made for some tough times, but I don’t think I would change a thing. That first year taught me about gaining confidence in my craft and skills. I learned to be confident when speaking to my clients and feeling grateful for the times I had to grow into that professional photographer.

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 Rebekah but go by Bekah! I am currently a professional photographer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I grew up in Okinawa, Japan the majority of my life. My parents were missionaries there and I absolutely loved getting to grow up in such an amazing culture! For those that look at my company logo you’ll notice its a bonsai tree and I wanted to bring it back to my Japanese roots (no pun intended). Getting to be surrounded by such beauty led me to having a fascination with cameras very early on, I wanted to “capture the beauty to have forever.” Since then I have graduated from college in Florida, started my family in Virginia, and now we are back in North Carolina raising our little girl!

I have been taking photos since I was probably like 7, but didn’t take an official photography class till college. And after graduating in 2020 my husband helped encourage me to start my photography business in 2021. Since then I have loved getting to capture weddings and engagements along with family sessions and portrait sessions.

I strive to give my clients a stress free session where they feel like they’re getting their “romcom movie moments.” I believe photos are something that will be one of your most prized possessions. We love to look back on our favorite moments whether it be a trip, friends, family gatherings, or the special day of saying “I Do.” I provide 4 different packages for my couples who are getting married so they have a variety that will fit their needs exactly on their wedding day.
For engagement sessions I work to get to know my couples personally. We discuss and plan places that have meaning to them. Was your first date at a Waffle House? Cool, lets go back and get photos there. Do you both love a certain musician? Awesome, I love to play music during sessions to help get my couples in the right mindset. I work to think out every detail to make sure sessions go as smoothly and comfortably as they can for my clients.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

So last year I decided to invest to take a mentors business program. It was the first one I had taken that truly was made to be helpful in checking the way your business is set up from a photographer standpoint. The mentors name is Nathan Chanski and his program is called The Business Blueprint. It has been such a breath of fresh air, because it started off with talking about mindset and sometimes as creatives I feel like there is the constant comparison or just seeing so many things at once on social media it can be easy to get in your head. I know for me it was something I struggled a lot with. But working to check your mindset and where it guides you takes intentional steps. A book that has really helped me is Psycho-Cybernetics: Updated and Expanded by Maxwell Maltz. I highly recommend it to the personal who struggles with mindset.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I would say my family fuels my photography business. In the sense of what is my “Why” I want to do this to not only help capture memories for others but to also be able to use what I make to travel with my family. I have always loved traveling since I was little. And now that I have a little girl I want to be able to take her places and save up for her future. I think parents feel this need quite a lot once they have their family, the need to provide or contribute.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rebekahstarinphotography.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: photos.rebekahstarin
• Facebook: photos.rebekahstarin