Today we’d like to introduce you to Becki Smith.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Becki. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As funny as this sounds, our business was born while sitting in traffic on 59 while I was trying to get home from my office — anyone who has ever sat on that highway during rush hour traffic can understand how life-changing it can be. I was working in a business development role in a traditional 9-5, and I was so frustrated sitting in traffic that when I (finally) got home that day I looked my husband in the eyes and said: “I want to quit”. And I did.
Four years later, here we are. We have photographed more than 100 couples, as well as many incredible businesses, families, and even our favorite four-legged friends. Our cameras have traveled with us all across the US (New York City, San Francisco, Colorado Springs, Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans, Seattle, and more!) as well as around the globe (Belize, China, Costa Rica and more).
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t think anything ever feels like a smooth road while you are living it. Starting a business is an everyday challenge. When you’re in the thick of those challenges it can feel like the worst is happening, like you will never make it. But in hindsight the hard days, the struggles, the difficult projects — these are the things that make you better, hone your skills, and create the path to success that you are looking for.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Smith House Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a team of photographers who believe real life is beautiful. We call our style “Creative Non-Fiction Photography”, which means we want to capture real life in the most beautiful light possible. Our style is ever-inspired by literature (my husband and I are both huge book nerds), architecture, travel. We believe in finding beauty in the smallest of details, and in capturing who people are, not just what they look like.
We began by photographing weddings, which is still where our team is rooted. We have photographed over 100 couples across the US and abroad. We have also expanded into photographing events + creative businesses. We have the privilege of working with incredible companies such as Create + Cultivate, Mini, Hey Lovely Make-up, Microsoft, Fossil and More.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
The “luck in business” question has become one of my favorites to hear people answer. I love the podcast “How I Built This” and at the end of every episode the host, Guy Raz, asks his guest how much of their success they believe is based on luck and how much is based on hard work. So, of course, I often think about this for myself.
The truth is, we can’t deny that there is a little bit of kismet in everything we do — there certainly has been for me. I have had lucky introductions to incredible friends + mentors, lucky timing, lucky inquiries for couples and companies that we were able to book, and even lucky inquiries that didn’t end up booking with us leaving the date open for something even better. But it is what we do with lucky moments that really make us successful. We have to recognize our “lucky breaks” and go full force to make the most out of what has been given to us.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.smithhousephoto.com
- Email: hello@smithhousephoto.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/smithhouseweddings AND instagram.com/becki___smithhousephoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/smithhousephoto
Image Credit:
Smith House Photo
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