Do you ever get those moments, where you think back to your childhood, and wonder how much of your memory is accurate or if you just imagined certain details?

Rebecca Hunnicutt is in the business of capturing those memories for families and enshrining their happy moments forever, instead of leaving it up to guesswork years from now. Through her lifestyle family photography business, she captures the personalities, moods, and details that families can cherish for decades to come.

In this episode, Rebecca shares how she found her niche in lifestyle family photography, the common mistakes she sees photographers make when choosing locations to shoot, how to capture those extra details that make photographs pop, and why she loves more formal school photography sessions too.

What’s in this episode:

• [01:48] How Rebecca found her photography niche
• [07:29] Common mistakes Rebecca sees when photographers choose locations to shoot
• [11:47] Tips for photographers to improve their composition skills
• [14:02] How Rebecca uses color to set the mood and influence the feel of her photographs
• [17:22] How to manage photoshoots while respecting family dynamics
• [22:18] Why Rebecca loves school photography and her advice for starting out in that niche
• [27:49] How to find inspiration and avoid creative burnout as a photographer
• [31:12] Rebecca’s best advice for brand new photographers

If you’ve wanted to jump into lifestyle family photography, this episode with Rebecca will get you started! 

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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Resources Mentioned

Elena Blair Schooled course

Meet Rebecca Hunnicutt

Rebecca Hunnicutt is a lifestyle photographer specializing in joy filled environmental portraits of children and families based in Portland Oregon. She also takes modern personality filled school photos of today’s contemporary kids at multiple Portland area preschools. As an educator Rebecca teaches photographers how to use composition and color to transform ordinary locations into extraordinary images.

Connect with Rebecca

Visit Rebecca’s website

Follow Rebecca’s Education account on Instagram

Follow Rebecca’s Photography account on Instagram

Follow Rebecca on Facebook

Did this episode with Rebecca make you rethink how you view lifestyle family photography? Check out this episode The Fearless Photographer: Your Art, Your Way with Bobbi Barbarich

Transcript

[00:00:00] Rebecca: You can make interesting images anywhere. You just have to slow down a little bit and think and change your perspective. So one is just not using your location to the maximum. And sometimes all that means is just turning around, right? Making sure you’re checking all the spaces. I think another one can be being afraid of a location based on the lighting.

[00:00:19] So even though, you know, we’re talking about location and composition, I think it can be really good to practice in all different types of light and figure out how to use a location so that you’re not putting yourself, like, in too narrow of a space, you know, where you can’t use a different location or different times.

[00:00:40] Lisa: Hey friend, welcome to the Art in Soul Show! I’m your host, Lisa DiGeso, a mom, a photographer, and entrepreneur. Tune in here for pep talks, conversations, and advice on photography, creativity, mindset, business, life, and that messy in between. This is the place where you can go when you need a boost of encouragement, a kick in the pants, and [00:01:00] inspiration to pick up your camera.

[00:01:02] This is the art and soul show. Hello, my beautiful friends. Welcome back to the show today. I am super excited to dive into today’s conversation with Rebecca Hunnicutt. Rebecca is a lifestyle photographer specializing in joy filled environmental portraits of children and families. Based in Portland, Oregon.

[00:01:20] She also takes modern personality filled school photos of today’s contemporary kids at multiple Portland area preschools. As an educator, Rebecca teaches photographers how to use composition and color to transform ordinary locations into extraordinary images. Welcome Rebecca. Hi Alisa, thanks so much for having me.

[00:01:39] So, I wanted to hear about your story and your journey, about how you got into photography, and really how you found your niche in lifestyle photography. 

[00:01:48] Rebecca: Yeah, so I happen to be one of those people who, you know, it dates all the way back to having a Kodak 110, you know, back in the 80s. Yep. So yeah, I was always interested in photography, but it’s interesting that [00:02:00] For me, when I was doing black and white film, like when I first started studying in high school and college, I wasn’t as inspired.

[00:02:05] And I think I always kind of struggled a little bit. I enjoyed it, but felt like something was missing. And it’s interesting that once, you know, things switched over to digital and I started doing digital photography and had kids and then was doing everything in color, how much like I was able to make the images I was wanting once they were in color.

[00:02:23] So that was kind of where the shift happened for me, but it’s always been something I’ve done like. I worked at a one hour photo, worked at a portrait studio one summer, so it was always something that was going on in the background even when I was doing other things. 

[00:02:35] Lisa: I love it. And so what was your attraction?

[00:02:36] Because I am a very, very posed portrait photographer, and even when I go and I try to do lifestyle, I just, I just want to tell people what to do and I am posy, posy, posy. And lifestyle photography always intrigues me because it’s such a different approach to photography. So how did you find yourself in that niche and drawn to it?

[00:02:58] Rebecca: Yeah, I think really it was [00:03:00] because I really first started with just observing my kids and then photographing them while they were doing things. Because I found for me with my own children, of course, they’re always our hardest subjects. I think, you know, if I was like, look at me, they’re like, You know, making things like it just never was what I wanted it to be.

[00:03:15] Yeah. And so I found, you know, it had to be a lot more interactive and also them doing things to really be able to create the images that I wanted. And I liked seeing how they interacted with the world, what they were doing as they moved through it. So for me, I think it was a combination of that. And also at the time they were young, we were living in Asia.

[00:03:33] And so I had a lot that I wanted to record, not just their cute selves, right, but also where we were. And so with those two things together, it just became a lot of me recording their adventures. And that’s how I was able to practice and develop my style. 

[00:03:46] Lisa: Oh, interesting. I have an only child, so I had a really different experience just with having the one because he always was looking at me.

[00:03:54] He was always focused on me and he was always performing on me, which I think because he was the reason I got into [00:04:00] photography. Yeah. I think like maybe. You know, because that’s how I learned that it wasn’t just observing him because it was such like, Mom, look what I’m doing. Look what I’m doing, Mom. And he still is so much like that.

[00:04:11] So it’s funny. It’s 

[00:04:13] Rebecca: funny. Yeah. I would say mine aren’t performers necessarily, although it’s interesting. We did a family session this past summer actually in London and you know, you’re never quite sure how it’ll go, but they’re 11 and 13. They also understand for me how important it is to be in pictures.

[00:04:28] So they actually really. really, it was a great morning that we had taking photos, but I was like, whoa, you’re doing everything this photographer is asking of you. And so I was very impressed, but also like, wait, you don’t do that for me. They never do. So funny. 

[00:04:43] Lisa: There’s been some times I’ve had sessions and they’re, and my clients are like, I don’t know whose kids these are, but they’re not mine.

[00:04:50] Like they’ve listened to everything and they’ve played with you. They’ve had fun. They haven’t fought. Like, I don’t know who these kids are, but thank you. Right. 

[00:04:57] Rebecca: Yeah. I’m like, yeah, [00:05:00] it was funny too. When I finished that, our own family session, because we were traveling, I was like, Oh, are they not going to let me photograph them anymore today?

[00:05:07] Right. Because we’d spent all this time with the photographer, but we were in cute outfits. And so. I didn’t want to quite give up and they let me continue photographing them all day. I was very surprised, but that’s awesome. I know it worked out 

[00:05:17] Lisa: in your bio. You mentioned you’d moved a lot as a child and so that got me curious about maybe how that impacted your perspective on locations in photography.

[00:05:26] Rebecca: Yeah. You know, it’s. What it has done is actually make location feel important for me. So whether it’s a park or an ice cream shop or a street or someone’s house, like I want to capture where you are and where you spend time as a family, because I have so many memories that I don’t know. Like, if that’s actually what happened.

[00:05:48] Like, is that actually what my house looked like? Or is that just my imagination? So I think, to me, it’s really important to document place as well as people, because it changed so much for me over time. So, that’s, [00:06:00] I think that’s really how it’s impacted it. And also, like, You know, I wish I could see the bedroom from when I was eight that I have in my mind that I don’t think is documented anywhere.

[00:06:09] So I think if, you know, if I did have photos of that and could see if my memory matches up with reality, that would be really, really interesting. So I think it’s important to document place as well as people. 

[00:06:19] Lisa: You know, what’s interesting is I recently, within the last six months, went through a photo album from when I was like a teenager and I, the posters I had on my walls were like of old fashioned children in costumes of a dad holding it, like a muscly dad holding a baby.

[00:06:35] Like it’s so very indicative of my work now. I was like, I had no idea that I was creating the work that was literally the posters on my wall as a teenager. I was like, that just blew my mind. 

[00:06:49] Rebecca: Yeah, it’s really interesting, actually. I think it’s an exercise sometimes I talk to people about if they’re like, you know, I don’t know what my style is, or I’m not sure what I like.

[00:06:57] I’m like, go back. Like, what were you doing before you knew you were [00:07:00] doing it? Because I think that really means something. And yeah, I have these pictures of my grandmother sitting on a beach on a log, which I probably wouldn’t have done exactly this way. But what’s interesting to me about it is I include the log, which is like a line, you know, at the base anchoring the image, and then there’s so much negative space around her.

[00:07:17] And I like to shoot that way still. And so, you know, when you really dive into it and look back, you do find that you’re doing similar things and like similar things. So I think it’s a really good way to look and see where your inspiration came from. Yeah, I love 

[00:07:29] Lisa: that. Yeah, we talked a little bit about like, fun locations like ice cream shops, but I want to talk about maybe some common mistakes you might see when you have, when you see your students or photographers choosing locations for shoots.

[00:07:40] Rebecca: Yeah. You know, this is an interesting question because I think it can go so many different directions. So a big mistake would probably be not using it to its fullest potential actually. So you can have a location that maybe on first glance, you don’t see a lot of like interesting elements. Maybe you can’t see framing.

[00:07:58] There’s no lines. It’s just kind [00:08:00] of, like, I always rag on parks, like, I feel bad I make fun of parks. I know. Parks. They’re very green, and in Portland they’re green. Everything’s green, which I’m sure you have in Canada, too. Everything’s green. So I kind of make fun of it. I would prefer a downtown city, because there’s so many options, but you can make make interesting images anywhere.

[00:08:18] You just have to slow down a little bit and think and change your perspective. So one is just not using your location to the maximum. And sometimes all that means is just turning around, right? Making sure you’re checking all the spaces. I think another one can be being afraid of a location based on the lighting.

[00:08:34] So even though, you know, we’re talking about location and composition, I think it can be really good to practice in all different types of light and figure out how to use a location so that you’re not. putting yourself like in too narrow of a space, you know, where you can’t use a different location or a different time.

[00:08:51] So, yeah. Yeah. Those are probably the main things. Do you 

[00:08:54] Lisa: are shooting mainly like during magic hour, golden hour, or you shoot all day long, wherever you want? Yeah, [00:09:00] 

[00:09:00] Rebecca: I have different times because I really try to work with the clients, you know, so if they have a seven month old, for example, that’s on a really strict nap schedule, You know, I want to respect that and make sure we can get the best pictures for them.

[00:09:11] So I’ll work around that and I have some locations here where, you know, the trees are so tall. I can really use that location anytime because there’s so much filtering of the light. And for me, urban locations are also a great option if you’re limited on the time for your session, because you can find shade on the side of a building.

[00:09:28] I guarantee it. You just have to walk around the whole building. 

[00:09:31] Lisa: it. Yeah, it’s true. 

[00:09:32] Rebecca: Yeah, you just have to find it. So I think for me, I mean, Golden Hour is awesome, but it’s not my like, main goal, usually my work, which I think is awesome. It’s probably obvious when you look at it. So having open shade is the key for me.

[00:09:45] Lisa: Do you find that you shoot a lot in interior locations? Because sometimes that can be such a challenge with like the overhead lights or whatever lighting that situation they have happening inside. 

[00:09:54] Rebecca: Yeah. So in clients homes, when I do sessions there, you know, I just work with what we [00:10:00] have. I am starting to, you know, add a strobe, like bouncing in the corner, on the window when needed.

[00:10:05] Since obviously here in Portland, our days are short. Yeah. Yeah. And. Our houses aren’t very bright like we’d like them to be. So, yeah, I just kind of, it really depends, you know, I just work with what I have and if there is a really cool, you know, compositional opportunity, then I’ll figure out, okay, how can we light this space so we can use this, you know, compositional opportunity.

[00:10:24] Lisa: So I want to talk about, about when you go into a client’s home and, you know, every home is different. Some will tidy it up and make it immaculate. Some will make it,

[00:10:36] So what is your process for transforming an ordinary location into something extraordinary? 

[00:10:42] Rebecca: Yeah. So for me, the main key, and this would be whether I’m at someone’s home or out on location, is really to, I like to layer the composition elements. More you can get into one image, I think the better. So often the ways to do that is by changing your perspective and moving your body.

[00:10:58] I think that’s the biggest, [00:11:00] biggest tip. And sometimes just by getting lower, you might even find a line, right, that you didn’t see before, or you can frame them in a different way, or you can add depth. Like if you’re at their home, maybe you use a plant to have some foreground depth, you know, or they’re in an archway or doorway.

[00:11:15] So there’s all different opportunities, but sometimes you just have to move to see them. I think that’s the biggest key. 

[00:11:20] Lisa: I love that. I remember I had heard from a photographer one time, instead of moving your subjects, Go around them in a circle, like, especially if you’re in like a shaded area, go around them in a circle and see all the different options and all the things you can get.

[00:11:35] And even like going high, going low. And that really changed things for me and how I was shooting. I started really overshooting a lot more, but I mean, that’s a different story. That’s a problem for me too. 

[00:11:47] Rebecca: I think it’s 

[00:11:47] Lisa: fine. We’ll go through it later. We’ll come out later. So can you maybe share some tips for photographers trying to improve their composition skills?

[00:11:56] Thanks. 

[00:11:58] Rebecca: Yeah, so I think the first step is [00:12:00] really to learn the basic rules of composition, right? You know, we always talk about, you don’t have to follow the rules, and of course that’s true, but I think you need to know them before you can bend or break them. So the first recommendation I have would be to learn the compositional rules, and then just go out and look for them, because I think once you start looking for something, actually it’ll surprise you, right, how often you’ll find it.

[00:12:20] And, you know, and then like I said, you can start layering them on and finding more and more. I found the same thing with color too. I did a project once with my kids where every month. We tried to focus on one color and some are much easier than others, right? Like just looking at you right now, I green would probably be easy at your house, right?

[00:12:38] Yeah. And I mean, right now behind me, I have a bunch of pink, but some colors are really hard. Like we love purple, but then it’s not a natural color that we see very often, or it’s not a color people use. to decorate buildings with very often, you know, so some colors are harder, but once we were had them on our brain, we started finding them everywhere.

[00:12:57] And I think the same is true for composition. [00:13:00] So once you’ve learned those basics, if you’re trying to go and find something, you’ll be surprised. I think you actually can find them. Much more because you’re looking 

[00:13:07] Lisa: I love that you touch on color there because color can really evoke specific emotions in photographs So, yeah, how would you advise people to use color to bring out emotion?

[00:13:18] Rebecca: Yeah, I think you know and this can really depend on you know, your style and what you like So for me and in my business, like I’m trying to capture happy joyful fun Images like I do love a quiet sultry photo, but it’s not You I don’t know. It’s not really me or my kids or how we are. So even for those family photos, I mentioned that we did.

[00:13:40] I wore a bright blue shirt. My daughter, one was in yellow and one was in red. Cause I was like, Hey, we’re going to wear these primary colors because we’re happy and we’re going for fun, you know, and smile. So that was how we kind of brought that in. You know, I think all the colors have their different.

[00:13:55] psychology, you know, involved with them. So I think you can use that and think of the mood you’re [00:14:00] trying to evoke and bring that into pictures that way. 

[00:14:02] Lisa: Totally. Do you find that you use color theory a lot too with balancing the colors? I do. I do. I think it 

[00:14:08] Rebecca: can be a little bit easier in your own personal work, right?

[00:14:12] To create some of those color harmonies, or if say you find a location that has some really cool. I don’t know. My kids and I are always looking for colorful walls in places. So if we find a cool wall, then we’d be like, okay, like what do we have in your closet that could create a cool image that way?

[00:14:27] With clients, I personally feel like it can be a little harder just because I try to be a bit more hands off on wardrobe. So I don’t have a client closet. I give recommendations, but I really do leave it up to them because I want them to feel like themselves when they see their photos. But like I had a client yesterday and Like, the dad was in a blue shirt, one kid was in blue jeans, the two others were wearing like neutrals and browns, and then we found orange leaves, right?

[00:14:52] So the orange and blue automatically just happened. You kind of just 

[00:14:55] Lisa: tie 

[00:14:55] Rebecca: it together. Yeah. Yeah. And so that’s the thing, too. For, with clients, if they, [00:15:00] when they show up. You know, I’ll be like, okay, this is what you’re wearing. And then I’ll, if I see a good opportunity to make a stronger image with color, I’ll do that.

[00:15:06] I do ask them in their questionnaire if they have a color in mind that they want to highlight or put in their home. So for example, if they have a living room with pops of red, And they’re like, yeah, I’d like some more red in our artwork, then I can think of a location, you know, that might work with that if wardrobe’s not an option.

[00:15:22] So that’s kind of how I do it ahead of time with clients to see if we can create something. But going for really, really specific color work definitely is easier with personal work. Yeah, 

[00:15:33] Lisa: totally. Now what would you do if a client and her whole family showed up in black? Well, I’d probably be a little sad.

[00:15:41] I’d 

[00:15:41] Rebecca: be sad and I’d be thinking, Did you look at my 

[00:15:44] website? 

[00:15:45] Yeah, I know. Okay, and then what would I do? Uh, let’s see. I would probably not handle it any differently. To be honest, I would do the same thing. That’s what you 

[00:15:53] Lisa: want to wear? Okay, let’s roll. Yeah, yeah, 

[00:15:56] Rebecca: I’d be surprised. But then we’d just go with it.

[00:15:58] You know, and it’s funny, [00:16:00] Portland’s very casual. Right? So like, Yeah, it’s never happened. It’s never happened here. That’s funny. I know I’m trying to imagine like I’ve never even seen the whole family’s wearing black here 

[00:16:11] Lisa: Oh, no, it’s funny because I asked because that actually happened to me last year and I like I sent a style guide I sent all the things.

[00:16:17] Yeah, they went to wear and I was like cool So what I did is I actually took them to a really green area and so it’s just black and green I was like, this is what we got 

[00:16:26] Rebecca: Yeah, and I think and that’s really what I would probably do too Like if they all showed up in black and I was had in my mind picked out this location that had a dark background.

[00:16:33] I’d be like, okay, this isn’t gonna work. You know, so yeah, just ways that you can make them still stand out and be contrasty. I think if they’re all wearing black too, the struggle would be right, like in having them too close and blending together. So probably finding, trying to find ways for them to connect and having more like touching.

[00:16:51] Yeah. Happening too. So make some space. Exactly. I mean, that was a 

[00:16:54] Lisa: struggle is like the clipping of the shadows when they were like, and just looking like this black. Yeah, 

[00:16:59] Rebecca: [00:17:00] yeah. Or the alternative could be to just lean into it, right? Yeah. And be like, okay, we’re just going to lean into this mood. We’re going to do it.

[00:17:07] See if you can find some high key lighting and, you know, like really get, or like some side light and split light and just kind of lean into it. I think that could be another way too, is just to like, Even take it further. If the family is like one that could do that. Totally, right? They’re all different, yeah.

[00:17:22] Lisa: So sometimes we run into sessions that are challenging, and they kind of hit our mojo a little bit. So do you have any recommendations for overcoming self doubt in those situations? 

[00:17:33] Rebecca: Okay. Yes. So I think the main things, and of course in the moment this is hard, right, but it’s to try to really remind yourself not to let everyone else down.

[00:17:43] impact you, that you’re in control, right? You’re the boss. I tell myself all the time. I’m like, I’m the boss. These people aren’t the boss. I’m the boss. They’re paying me. I’m in charge. So just remind yourself that. Take a deep breath. And then I usually try, for me, it’s always about the kids. Yeah. More than the [00:18:00] adults.

[00:18:00] And so, if, of course, an adult is interacting with a kid in a way that I think can like derail the situation, I’ll just be like, hey, relax. I think often what happens is that two or three year old and their behavior, and then the parents are like, I’m so sorry, they’re misbehaving, or I’m so sorry. And I’m like, they are being exactly how I expect them to be.

[00:18:15] You just need to have fun and relax, you know. And so I think really taking control is, you know, the main thing, or if you have a, you I was going to say a dad, but I want to like pigeonhole them. But if you have a parent that just like keeps checking their phone, I’ll be like, Hey, can I put your phone in my bag?

[00:18:29] You know, just being in control. And then I think too, if it’s getting out of hand, giving the kids something to do. So I’m very specific about like, Oh, go find me a red leaf, you know, find me this and sending them off on little adventures and giving them purpose, I think can really help. And then you can just kind of slow things down.

[00:18:47] Lisa: Totally. Scavenger hunts have saved so many of my sessions just like, and I’m like, go find me a purple flower. I’m like, there’s no way they’re going to find a purple flower. And they, they managed to come back with a purple flower. I’m like, what? Where did you [00:19:00] find that? Yeah, that’s awesome. Yeah. 

[00:19:02] Rebecca: Right now I’m always trying to look for the few colorful leaves among the green.

[00:19:06] So yeah, you know, that’s what we’re doing. But yeah, I think it’s really just reminding yourself that you’re in charge. You know, and you got this. And honestly, if you have to be like, Oh, hold on, I need to change my lens, or I need to, you know, find something you have to do. Like if you need to take a minute, I’ve heard from a friend who does a lot of at home shoots, that she’ll be like, Oh, I have to go get this equipment from my car.

[00:19:28] And so she’ll walk out to her car. You know, take a beat and then come back inside. And it’s just like, and then I just grabbed something random from my car. It’s like, I don’t even always need something, but I need a minute. Just everyone needs a reset. So, um, yeah, I think those are the big, big keys. 

[00:19:43] Lisa: This is going to sound terrible, but I, I sometimes shoot with the 200.

[00:19:47] Which is like a very very large lens. 

[00:19:49] Rebecca: Yeah, 

[00:19:50] Lisa: and I often will shoot mainly my main lens is 135 Which is sort of an average looking lens But I’m finding that I’m not really people aren’t paying attention to me or I’m not getting what I [00:20:00] need I pull especially maybe the older gentleman of the family Typically, I don’t want to pigeonhole my either but I get paid attention to after that cuz I’m bringing out my big guns 

[00:20:11] Rebecca: That’s 

[00:20:11] Lisa: so funny.

[00:20:11] Even if I’m not going to use it. I just shoot off a couple, couple shots and I’m like, perfect. Got what I needed and I’ll put my other one back on. Yeah. Cause they’re like, Ooh, what’s that? Yeah. So 

[00:20:20] Rebecca: funny. 

[00:20:21] Lisa: Oh, the psychology of the big gun. I know. So kids can be often really shy, especially with family sessions and especially with people they don’t know.

[00:20:30] So how do you get kids to maybe come out of their shell if they are a little on the shyer side? 

[00:20:35] Rebecca: Yeah. So for me, it’s interesting because a lot of my clients now. I’ve met at preschool before I’ve seen them as family clients. So it’s interesting because it actually now is less common that the kids haven’t met me before, even if it’s our first family session, which helps a lot because I’ve already been to their school and they had an interaction with me and my stuffed animals that I use at school pictures.

[00:20:57] But when I do have a client who’s shy or [00:21:00] nervous, like a little one, my main thing is just, I ask the parents, just like, just keep holding them, you know, and you talk to them, you interact with them. And I’ll get them to do things with them so that hopefully the kid can, even if it’s just for small moments, like forget that I’m there and just be connected to their parent.

[00:21:15] And in that way, you can get the pictures that you need. You know, you might not get one of everyone looking at you smiling for the Christmas card, if that’s like one of their goals, but to me, it’s okay. Like that’s really capturing that child. And at schools, I do something similar. So for me, I want It’s kind of funny.

[00:21:32] I think of the pediatric dentist in this way, because when we started on our pediatric dentist, they were like, you know, we want to set up where your kid looks forward to coming to the dentist, not that they’re scared to come to the dentist. So they have all these, you know, things in place. And I kind of want to be the same for school pictures, too.

[00:21:47] Like, I don’t want them to be, you know, dreading this awful experience and, you know, someone touches you or these different things. And so if I want to capture them as they are, so if a kid comes up and I’ll try to be funny. [00:22:00] And if they’re not, you know, reacting to that, I’m like, Oh, okay, you’re serious. And that’s cool too.

[00:22:04] And then I’ll just be like, Oh, what are these numbers? You know, on my light, what’s over here. So then you can get them to move and do some different expressions without forcing them, you know, to do something that’s not their natural way of being. So I just kind of lean into it and accept it, you know, for what it is.

[00:22:18] Lisa: Now you mentioned going into schools and doing school photos. Like how did you get started in that? And because that for a lot of photographers strikes fear in their hearts of that many kids and that many images. So what advice do you have on maybe getting on getting started with it and maybe adding that as part of your business?

[00:22:39] Rebecca: Yeah. So for me, it’s interesting, you know, I call myself actually like a children’s photographer, but I’m also a family photographer because they don’t exist anymore. Right. On their own. So the school photography actually is a really natural way for me to work. I also like that it’s during the day when my own children are at school.

[00:22:55] And it also is just getting my business, my style in front of so many [00:23:00] families that might not find me otherwise. So I started it actually back when we lived in Asia because the school photos weren’t photos I wanted, my own kids. And I took a class from Elena Blair. She has a class called schooled. And so I started out with that class.

[00:23:16] And then took, you know, the pieces that I wanted from her system, modified it to my style, or how I wanted to run it, and then with each season, you find ways to become more streamlined, more organized, more efficient, and yeah, I honestly, I really love it. I’m never upset that I’m going to a school. It’s only hard, the very beginning of the season, at first, my body’s like, why?

[00:23:36] Why are you doing this to me? So that’s really only the hard part, but I love the kids and interacting with kids. And so before I worked as a photographer, I was actually a pediatric nurse practitioner. So working with kids is like kind of been the other thing my whole life that’s been there. Yeah. And so I like it.

[00:23:54] I do. And it really, to be honest, it’s the main income source within my [00:24:00] business. So 

[00:24:00] Lisa: awesome. So if someone were interested, what steps would you say about approaching schools on selling them on yourself? 

[00:24:08] Rebecca: Yeah. So I think, you know, first, of course, you need to come up with how, how you want to do it, right? So what is your style?

[00:24:15] Some photographers only deliver black and white to their school. So only do vertical. I do mostly horizontal with some vertical color and black and white. So I think first would be coming up with what you want your images to look like in your offer. And then for me, it’s been a mix of personal contacts.

[00:24:32] and actually cold calling school. Wow. Which is very nerve wracking, right? Right. It feels 

[00:24:37] Lisa: terrifying. Cold contacting, right? 

[00:24:40] Rebecca: Yeah, it is. But that’s actually where I’ve gotten the best results. Um, if I didn’t have a personal contact, it’s just calling them and being like, Hey, I don’t know if you have a photographer that you love right now, or if you’re looking for somebody new, but this is my style and I’d like to talk to you about it.

[00:24:55] And if they have a photographer they love, I’m like, I’m so happy to hear it. Can I email you my info in [00:25:00] case things change in the future? So I’m not trying to take anyone’s business or change that, but if they have someone awesome, just give your resources for later. And then otherwise the, I think I got very lucky in the sense that a school was opening in my area and I got in there like right at that beginning, I didn’t know they actually had four locations so that, you know, Easily got me those additional locations, but yeah, but just call them seriously.

[00:25:26] A lot of my new schools are from calling the third piece would actually be SEO. So yeah, I think the competition SEO wise for school photography is actually not as competitive as maybe like family, newborn maternity. Yeah. So I get a lot of schools too, just through SEO. 

[00:25:42] Lisa: Wow. So I imagine organization must be a key, especially with organizing different classes.

[00:25:49] Maybe reshoots that you might have to do, too. How do you handle the organization side of that? Well, I have a notebook. I was going 

[00:25:57] Rebecca: to show you my binder. I have a binder. [00:26:00] I’m not going to lie that it’s complicated. And the more students in schools that I’ve gained, the more my brain is complicated. I used to just remember everything, which probably is not the way to go.

[00:26:10] So you know, I have spreadsheets that keep track of all the schools. And there are different points where, you know. I book them and send reminders and different things. So that’s all in a spreadsheet to help me keep organized. And then for picture day, I actually use two different systems, depending if it’s a really large school or a smaller preschool.

[00:26:29] So my really large schools, you know, that have a yearbook, you know, and those other specific needs, um, I deliver via a different way. And that program has actually some facial recognition that we use, which is Very magical. Actually, when it happens, I’m like, this is magic. Yeah. So that helps with the really big schools.

[00:26:46] And then my smaller schools, I actually still doing a bit of a paper system with a printed roster and, you know, I manually keep track of the kids and, you know, and all of that. So, um, the other day I thought I lost my notebook and I was panicking. Yeah. [00:27:00] I 

[00:27:00] Lisa: actually lost my day planner earlier this year. We went to a school and I, I was, my family was skiing and I was in the lodge having hot chocolate and doing some work and I thought that I left my day planner there and I was like, it’s gone.

[00:27:13] It’s gone. So I, like, I was like, okay, well, I’m going to have to figure out all my appointments. Everything’s fine. I digitized most things, but I’m not perfect. I found it under my bed like a month ago. I was so mad. 

[00:27:28] Rebecca: Yeah, that’s something that would happen to me. 

[00:27:29] Lisa: It happens. It happens. Yeah, 

[00:27:32] Rebecca: and I, well, I’ll show you.

[00:27:33] So I even this year, like, put my brand, my own branded, like, front cover on my binder. Yeah, which is kind of funny. I love it. Yeah, so really, I just keep track as we go. And lots of lists. Kind of keeping up on it that way. 

[00:27:49] Lisa: So with being busy with school photography, family photography, how do you stay inspired and avoid creative ruts in your work?

[00:27:57] Yeah, that’s a great question. You know, I 

[00:27:58] Rebecca: love, [00:28:00] well, so TV and movies, which I’m not watching them for inspiration necessarily, but I do find I get a lot of inspiration from them. So, you know, some that have very specific. So Handmaid’s Tale, for example, the way they light and the way they use color, it changes based on what’s happening.

[00:28:18] And so like, you know, things like that can be really inspirational. Something I found for myself is I actually teach a kid’s photography camp in the summer. Cool. And yeah. And so that kid’s photography camp. To me, it’s all about experimenting. So, they each have an SLR. So, like, I have a whole set of Canon Rebels for them.

[00:28:37] And, as we’re learning each concept for the exposure triangle, I’m just doing creative exercises. So, for example, if we’re teaching about shutter speed, I have kids doing cartwheels and jumping and hula hooping right to freeze the motion. And then conversely, I have this really colorful rainbow umbrella that when you spin it and use a slow shutter speed can make just a really creative abstract [00:29:00] photo.

[00:29:01] So it’s funny because I find at the end of those weeks where I’ve been doing all this play basically with them, I’m like, Oh, I might try. Like I just get inspired by Doing that experimenting, you know, sometimes it’s going back, back to basics and thinking, like, how can I make this different or more interesting can be inspiring.

[00:29:18] Lisa: I like that. That’s a really good idea. All right. Ready for our lightning round? Okay. What’s one fun fact about you that most people don’t know? 

[00:29:26] Rebecca: Okay. People might know this, but my superpower is packing. So whether it’s a suitcase, a moving truck, a car, my superpower is packing. 

[00:29:36] Lisa: I love that. That’s awesome.

[00:29:39] If you could photograph at any location in the world, where would it be and why? 

[00:29:44] Rebecca: Okay, so I’m going to pick a location I haven’t been to. I’ve been very blessed in my life to travel a lot. I’ve been able to take pictures on a lot of different places. So a place I’ve always wanted to go is India. And I partially, When I think about doing [00:30:00] photography in India, I feel like a photo there can capture so many of your senses in one photo, right?

[00:30:05] Yeah. Like when people talk about smelling a photo, I often am like, yeah, you can’t always smell a photo. But for some reason in India, I feel like you’d be able to smell it and feel it and the energy. So that’s why I’d, I’d want to head there. 

[00:30:17] Lisa: Cool. Good answer. How do you celebrate your wins in your photography journey?

[00:30:23] Rebecca: Okay, so there are a couple things I’ve done. One is I use a passion planner as my like written planner. And so in there, it’s nice because you can talk, there’s a spot each week for like something good from the last week. So that’s been a nice way to just consistently remind myself, you know, when you see the long to do list, you’re like, yeah, but I did this.

[00:30:40] And this was awesome. Another thing that I’ve done, which feels very, like extra is I got divorced a couple years ago. And with each, goal that I’ve accomplished in my business. I bought myself a little ring and I’m making a ring stack. So yeah, I decided I’m like, you don’t need someone else to buy diamonds for you.

[00:30:59] You [00:31:00] can buy them for yourself. So that’s the other thing I’ve been doing, but that feels a little extra. 

[00:31:04] Lisa: I love it. I love extra. That’s awesome. If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? 

[00:31:12] Rebecca: I think the main thing would be not to take in or listen so much to what other people are doing.

[00:31:19] And Telling you and the feedback they’re giving you. Yeah, you know if I’d listened to photography instructors when I was doing black and white film Like I wouldn’t be doing this. Yeah, so I think it’s just really don’t worry about the noise Do what you want to do and not what everyone says you should do or what you think you should do.

[00:31:37] That’s 

[00:31:37] Lisa: good advice What is your weirdest habit when editing photos? 

[00:31:43] Rebecca: So this one was funny So there’s something I didn’t realize I was doing. It’s not really weird, but my 11 year old was helping me. It’s funny. She helps me in school photography sometimes. So she was going through and picking out some images for me.

[00:31:55] And she said. I know why you smile now when you’re editing. And I was [00:32:00] like, yeah, do I smile while I’m editing? She’s like, you do. She’s like, these kids are so cute. Like, look how cute they are. So apparently they smile a lot while I’m editing. So that’s, I guess it’s a good sign better than being frustrated.

[00:32:10] Lisa: I love that. I remember cause I used to do a lot of holiday minis and after editing and editing like all day long, my jaw would ache. And I was like, what am I clenching my jaw? And I realized I was smiling too. I was just grinning at the screen all day long. Yeah. My face would hurt from editing. 

[00:32:29] Rebecca: So I thought it was cute though how she recognized I was doing that herself because she was like, why is mom so happy back there?

[00:32:35] Lisa: Love it. How do you practice self care after a stressful week? 

[00:32:40] Rebecca: Okay. So my most stressful weeks are really with school photography than the other portions of my business. So there are a couple of things I do. One is I get acupuncture, 

[00:32:49] um, 

[00:32:50] every week, which is great with, you know, the different tension we get, whether it’s working on the computer or holding the camera, you know, the preschools, I’m doing a lot of.

[00:32:57] Just holding it like this with my face next to it and often [00:33:00] with one hand, so. My body doesn’t really like that. So yeah, so acupuncture, salt baths, and massages. So those are actually really the main, three main things. Yeah. 

[00:33:08] Lisa: Nice. Good. What makes your soul light up? Actually, I think travel, to be honest. Yeah.

[00:33:16] Travel. Love it. What has been the best piece of business advice you’ve ever been given? 

[00:33:23] Rebecca: Oh, I had an idea for this and now I totally forgot what it was. I think this is something I already mentioned really, which is show what you want to do, right? So your website should show what you want to do and not show what you think you should be doing.

[00:33:36] I think that’s a big piece. 

[00:33:37] Lisa: That’s a good 

[00:33:37] Rebecca: advice. 

[00:33:38] Lisa: So where can our listeners learn more from you? 

[00:33:41] Rebecca: You know, I’m on Instagram like everyone else. So at Rebecca. honeycutt. education, um, is where I keep all my education stuff. And then actually on my website, which is honeycuttphotography. com, there’s an education dropdown and it has all the different information about my current classes.

[00:33:58] And then there’s a bunch of stuff in the [00:34:00] works too, that’ll be coming on there soon. 

[00:34:02] Lisa: Awesome. I love that. Well, I’d love to end my interviews just with this last question, and it is, what are you currently curious about or artistically curious about? 

[00:34:11] Rebecca: Yeah, so I have been trying to do two different things.

[00:34:15] So the one that’s hard for me is I really love seeing a double exposure that’s been done really well. Yeah. Yeah. With my use of environment and everything, that’s something I’d really like to be able to do and figure out how I can work that in. Not necessarily for, for client work, but for personal work.

[00:34:32] The other one is I’ve been trying to take more pictures with both of my kids. But they don’t have to both be in focus. And so, you know, showing some depth, but including both of them in a different way has been a goal that I’ve been doing too. 

[00:34:45] Lisa: I love that. Well, Rebecca, thank you so much for joining me today.

[00:34:48] It’s been an awesome time chatting with you. 

[00:34:52] Rebecca: Yeah. Thanks for having me. I hope to see you again soon. 

[00:34:55] Lisa: Oh, my beautiful friends. I hope you have loved this conversation just as much as I [00:35:00] have. I am sending you so much of my light and my love today and every single day. We’ll see you next time.