Meet Bethany Hicks | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bethany Hicks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bethany, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process for starting my own business was a pretty simple one. It started with me finding a passion for photography. After forcing my friends and family to be my models for a few years they started to ask me to take the photos they needed and then they began to recommend me to other people. Seeing the joy my photos gave people made me decide I wanted to be able to provide that joy to other people using my photography. With they decision made I started my photography business

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Being a photographer is not an easy road to go down, not only do you have to figure out what you like and what your style will be but you also have to figure out what your clients like, and if I’m honest I don’t know if I have either of those figured out yet. I personally think that I never will have that figured out or nailed down as I like to try new things. I think that my willingness to try new things and work with my clients is what sets me apart. I like my work to be a collaboration not I say you do that type of shoot. I got to where I am today by learning everything I possibly can. I took classes in high school in photography and I am currently getting my degree at Northern Arizona University for photography. My path in photography has not been easy from a business standpoint as I don’t make a lot of income and I’ve had to work other jobs but every time I do get hired to take photos for people it’s a dream come true. I would gladly work two jobs if that means that I get to take photos and give people lifelong memories. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is you have to do what you love and if you love it, it’s easy to get up and do it every day. The takeaway I want people to take away from my story and brand is there is always another way to look at things even behind a camera so never stop looking for a new angle.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In the town of flagstaff, there is not a whole lot to do but that’s almost the amazing thing about the college town. If my best friend was to come to town there are three restaurants I would take her to; Grand Canyon Lumberyard and Matty G’s. I’m a huge fan of pulled pork and the Grand Canyon and Lumberyard have some of the best I’ve had. Matty G has some delouse union rings which my best friend actually got me to like after 10 years of knowing each other. The places I visit on a regular basis would be buffalo park and sky bowl as I’m always blown away by how quiet it is and how beautiful it is. I do have to mention that since flagstaff is so close to Sedona and the grand canyon those are some pretty amazing day trips.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who inspired me and helped me on my photography journey. My friends and family were a big help by allowing me to have actual models to practice on. My high school photography teacher actually taught me how to use a camera and edit properly which made me a better photographer. Then there s my childhood dance teacher who would let me photograph dance classes to see if photography was something I really wanted to pursue and that is when my love of photography really took off. These are the people who made me the best version of myself today.

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