Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Beck.
Hi Kristen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Photography has been a constant in my family. Starting with my grandfather, everything was documented. I have film scans from the 1930’s when he took photos of his friends playing baseball in the backyard. Images of his honeymoon with my grandmother in the 1940’s. He loved photography and documented everything.
This continued through my childhood. He always had a camera and my brother and I have thousands of photos of our childhood because of him.
By the time I was double digits I was constantly sending in rolls of film to be developed at CVS 1 Hour Photo (where I subsequently worked in my teen years). My parents let me use their “nice camera” and I promptly broke it by dropping it on a boat ride on the Hudson River while we were visiting New York City. This prompted them to buy me my very first real camera, a Pentax 35mm analog SLR. I used the hell out of that thing photographing friends, working on the yearbook staff, and taking an obscene number of photos of my cats.
When I started my business in 2006 I used the savings bonds that my grandfather gave me when I was born to purchase my first digital camera. It was a full circle moment for me and I’d like to think he would be proud.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like anything, there have been a lot of twists and turns in my photography journey as well as starting my own business. The biggest struggle was when I was working full-time in another job while building my business and trying to decide the right moment to focus fully on my business. The other job was a safety net and that is hard to walk away from. But the moment I committed myself 100% to Beck Photo Co was when my business grew exponentially.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My company, Beck Photo Co, specializes in wedding photography and portrait photography. We have also recently branched out and offer videography services. Most of our portrait clients are or were wedding couples we worked with that have decided to stay with us as their families/businesses grew.
I am so proud of the reputation we have built in the industry. Couples and clients who come to us know they will be taken care of when they work with us and that we will always go above and beyond for them. So many companies claim to value their customers, but for so many these are empty promises. I did not want my business to be like that. I think saying what you mean and meaning what you say is important. We want to deliver beautiful photographs and videos, but just as important is our integrity and values and how we treat the people we work with.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Being a good person. Nothing bothers me more than when I see a business treat their customers poorly. My couples and clients are why I am privileged enough to run my company. Treating them with kindness is paramount.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beckphotoco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckphotoco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beckphotoco
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/beckphotoco
