Meet Debi Beauregard of Deb B Photo in West Houston and Katy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Debi Beauregard.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I always loved photography, but when I was growing up, the family camera was pretty much used for documenting family events and visits. In high school, I became interested in how the camera worked and how to get the images I wanted instead of the ones that it gave me.

Fast forward through the years of being the photographer in the family, and once the family left home it was clear that I needed to make new friends and find something interesting to keep me occupied. While looking for camera clubs, I found the Katy Photography Meetup Group online and my life changed.

In 2009 I met the greatest group of camera nerds and they showed me how to get my camera off of automatic and take control of my images. I purchased a camera and a couple of lenses and started the journey that would change my life. They took me to places I had never seen and showed new ways of capturing images and introduced me to post-processing tools. After years of being a ‘natural light photographer’ which is code for “I don’t know how to use my flash,” I began to really see the light for the first time.

What started out as a hobby and a great diversion, quickly became a passion. I shot a lot of landscapes and architecture swearing I would never shoot people, but then I was asked to shoot events and quickly learned that trees wouldn’t pay my bills, but people would. I was fortunate enough to be working for print media outlets at the time and could always find an event or gathering to photograph for an accompanying story and eventually was able to shoot some covers for the publications.

I am known as the event photographer to call for corporate events, birthday parties and family occasions. I hold “Headshot Days” with my partner at Custom Minds Photography once or twice a month in Katy. Travel photography is another favorite past time and I have been lucky enough to travel to many countries as well as some great places in the US. One day, I discovered a wireframe mannequin in a storage shed and she became the subject of my photographs.

The mannequin I later named Stella became my traveling companion and we would drive until finding an appropriate spot for Stella to pose. These images later went on to be exhibited at the Katy Contemporary Arts Museum and at Fotofest, an international photography exhibition held every two years in Houston.

This opened up the world of art photography to me and encouraged me to push the boundaries of what I thought my camera could do. I began to seek out different instructors and learn about different aspects of photography both online and in classrooms. I began to meet and shoot with some of my heroes like Trey Ratcliff, Don Gianatti, RC Conception, Scott Kelby, Joel Grimes and Ben Willmore.

As I continue my journey, I have realized that mentoring and being mentored is an important process to help me succeed in my business. I have joined professional organizations such as PPA, TPPA, and PPGH who have introduced me to the Texas School of Photography and I work and network with some very gifted photographers and the result is that we all make each other better.

I love what I do and I love doing it for people who never thought they would like themselves in a photograph. I am often greeted by customers who say “I’m not photogenic” or “I look horrible in photographs”, to which I laugh and reply, “You haven’t had your photo taken by me.” I love seeing their faces when they realize they really are beautiful. I love my job!

Has it been a smooth road?
I struggled with confidence and my ability to get the shot. Knowing how to use the equipment and what the limits were helped ensure that my ‘lucky shots’ became my normal shots. Luck is the combination of preparation and opportunity. I made sure that I had lots of both.

I still take assignments that scare me a little, but I know my camera and I know what it will do and I know I can control the shots.

Being over 65 is another concern for some people. I quit worrying about it and just do my job. Luckily I can still roll around on the floor and climb on rocks to get the shot. Age gives you the liberty not to care what other people think or expect and allow me to surprise them with images they never thought were possible.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Deb B Photo story. Tell us more about the business.
I am primarily known for my event photography. I am doing more professional headshots these days as well as family photography. I don’t have a studio, so I try to travel light and come to the client’s home or office and make the images look as if they had been taken in a studio environment.

I think my ability to relax people and get the shot sets me apart. I try to bring joy to the shoot and hope that it spreads to the client and therefore shows in the images.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We have already seen the industry veer away from film. The immediate gratification of digital images is a blessing and a curse. The ability to tell whether you got the shot immediately has been a game changer. Anybody with a cell phone can be a photographer and a darned good one. It’s not the same as the old school medium format film cameras, but depending on what their final output is, they can get some amazingly good images.

Right now the biggest conversation is mirrorless vs DSLR. Do you shed the weight and go for smaller equipment and newer technology, or do you stay with the tried and true equipment even though it can be heavy and cumbersome?

People no longer print their images, which is a shame. Camera phones break, floppy disks go away, CDs will soon be obsolete and hard drives have a way of tanking just when you thought they were the perfect way to save all of your precious images.

Look at some of the new books that print all of your Facebook photos. They are pretty spectacular. A good photo book is today’s answer to mom’s box-o-photos. They are easy to put together and more affordable than you might think.

My kids recently asked me why I didn’t have a small exhibit of my work in our house. Reality hit me, too. I printed a small selection of my favorite photos from my most recent trip and have a nice little wall that can be changed to reflect my adventures.

Contact Info:

• Website: DebBPhoto.com
• Phone: 713-204-2314
• Email: debi.beauregard@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debi_beauregard
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Debi-Beauregard-950026581694970/

Image Credit:
Debi Beauregard

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