Daily Inspiration: Meet Natalie Beck

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Beck.

Hi Natalie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was working on my bachelor’s degree in Social Work, I started taking photography classes to decompress, and quickly realized how much I loved photography. I had always loved taking pictures, but learning how to develop film and print images made my soul sing. I began assisting wedding photographers and completely fell in love with all that was professional photography. Eventually, I switched my major to what had been my minor (which, funnily enough, wasn’t even photography), and later returned to earn my Master’s in Humanities with an emphasis in Photography and English. After I graduated, I was still assisting other photographers and learning more and more.

In 2000, I started my own business. It has really evolved alongside my life and the world around me. There have been seasons where it grew rapidly and seasons where it slowed down, especially during big life changes or events like Covid. Even in the moments when I wondered if it would survive, I was able to keep it afloat. During Covid, my high school seniors were what kept me going. It was perfect. It was minimal contact and parents who were trying to give their kids anything that resembled a senior year experience were so happy to have an afternoon of normalcy.

When I first started, I focused mainly on weddings with a few family portrait sessions sprinkled in. Over time, my business has shifted, I photograph more high school seniors now and portrait sessions and weddings are sprinkled in. I To be honest, at times this transition was scary. I didn’t know what things would be like the following year. High school seniors aren’t booking a year in advance, so I had a harder time planning my summers and fall. I do still miss photographing so many weddings in a year – the energy, the emotions, the beautiful chaos of the day – but I still photograph enough weddings in a year to keep me going! And senior sessions have become such a marvelous area for me. They’re creative, meaningful, and honestly a lot easier on my shoulders, which I’ve learned to appreciate!

Overall, my business story is one of flexibility, perseverance, and growing into the work that fits my life and passions right now. I have learned to embrace the unknown and be excited about what’s next!

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?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. Like I mentioned, Covid was a really tumultuous time for everyone. I also had a high school senior of my own in 2021, and it broke my heart knowing his senior year wasn’t going to look like the milestone it was supposed to be. During that season, I learned a lot about business, about myself, and about people. I wish I had learned some of those lessons earlier in my business journey. They would have been very useful.

Another major challenge was the 2008 housing market crash. I had just raised my prices, and almost overnight people stopped spending money on what felt like “extras,” including photography. That period was incredibly hard and really made me question things.

Over time, I have realized that photography does matter not only to me, but to families. They realize how important it is to have those moments documented and not just for now, but for the future. It took me years to fully trust that, but now that I do, I feel much more secure in the work I create. What I do really does matter, and those hard seasons helped me see that more clearly.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in weddings, portraits and high school seniors. I love so many different aspects of each of these – from the quiet, tender moments to the joyous celebrations at a wedding. To bringing out authentic family moments that define who that family is. To celebrating a milestone of a young person becoming an adult. I love creating timeless memories for people to share throughout their lives.

What clients say really sets my business apart from others is my ability to personable and comforting. I try and create an environment where people feel safe to be themselves. In this environment, I am able to capture real moments like laughter, connection and emotions that all create the story of their lives.

I am so proud when people come up to me after a session or a wedding and they say how much more confident or loved or on top of the world or however elevated they feel after working with me. This is what makes my soul soar! I love that they feel like I see them! I wish I could give this gift to them for the rest of their lives!

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that surprises a lot of people who know my photography, but not necessarily my personal life, is what my home life looks like behind the scenes. They may know that my grandkids live with us and that we’re helping raise them. But the reason is because their mom struggles with addiction. I struggled about whether to include this because it is a tough topic, but I settled on doing it because there are so many people in this situation and it should be talked about. We shouldn’t have to hide because of the addicts choices. This is a different place I thought I would be in now, but I am so grateful we are here to help. Not everyone is lucky enough to be in this situation.

I have been a CASA for 10 years. When people hear that, they’re usually really excited and think of the impact on the kids’ lives. It is meaningful work and sometimes the hardest part isn’t always the situation the kids are in, but how incredibly slow the court system can be.

Both of these parts of my life have shaped who I am — they’ve deepened my empathy and probably explain why preserving family, connection, and real moments in my photography matters to me so much.

Pricing:

• Senior Pictures Sessions $225-800
• Portrait Sessions $125-250
• Weddings $1650-2750

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nataliebeckphotography.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/natalie_beck_photography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Natalie.Beck.Photography
• Youtube: @NatalieBeck343

Image Credits
Headshot by Mel Kubala