Meet Erin Beckwith | Photographer & Educator

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

Hi Erin, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
I’m a perfectionist by nature and very type A. I love a beautifully posed image with perfect little details. However, real life is messy and rarely perfectly posed. Being a family photographer, I have the honor of capturing the beauty in the chaos and reminding my clients (and myself) that the true, perfect image is the one that shows the love and deep connections between family members. This truth has spilled over into my home life and brings a wonderful balance to my days with my own wild littles at home.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Honestly I just love my job and my clients so much. There are some families that I’ve been photographing since I started my business 10 years ago and others that have trusted me since the birth of their first baby and now they have 4. That’s so humbling and I don’t take that lightly. I hope that my art reflects that; the hard work, the gratitude, the beauty, the chaos, but mostly the love. The longer I’m in business, the more I’m thankful for the relationships. I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of these beautiful families I get to work with. I want families to love coming to sessions with me. I know family pictures can be stressful but I really want them to be fun. I want everyone to feel connected and then go home with all smiles. I want kids to feel seen and encouraged. I want family sessions to be the highlight of their year because after all, these will be our most precious memories.

For the past 5 years I’ve been teaching a photography class called Capturing Your Everyday by Erin Beckwith, for moms who want to learn how to use their DSLR camera to capture those fleeting, everyday moments of their own children. Sometimes those long days with little kids at home can be draining and I found that setting aside some time to be creative and see the beauty in the simple moments, helped me really cherish that time and reflect on what a gift motherhood truly is each and every day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First of all, I would tell them to come in March because the weather is perfect and all of my favorite things happen. RodeoHouston would be first on the list because there’s really nothing more magical than horses riding through the heart of your city, country music every night and the yummiest food all in one place. Then I would take them to Brenham to see the beautiful bluebonnet covered fields and end with a trip to the BlueBell Factory.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Of course I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my husband and family. I have 4 kids, all of them 6 years old and younger so I need lots of help, so I’d be remiss not to give them a heartfelt thank you! However, the biggest blessing of the past couple of years has been the friendship of another local photographer, Melissa Fitzgerald West. When you’re a photographer that owns your own business, you typically don’t have any co-workers and it’s hard for other family and friends to know exactly what you’re going through. Melissa and I have forged this wonderful friendship built on mutual respect and trust. We encourage each other on hard days and through busy seasons, turn to each other for advice and genuinely cheer each other on. I feel so grateful to have found such a wonderful friend and “co worker.”

Website: http://www.erinbeckwith.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinbeckwithphotography/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinbeckwithphotography

Image Credits
Malae Talley for the personal photo