Meet Trailblazer Rebecca Elliot

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Elliot.

Rebecca, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I walked confidently into my high school guidance counselor’s office. “I want to be a Photographer!” I announced. He told me that photography is not a real job – that I needed to go to college for a “real career”.

He was wrong.

The very next year, I was in school for photography in Massachusetts. I graduated with a job lined up at a studio in Tennessee – was promoted quickly and moved to Kansas (*cough* mistake). I met a man and moved to Alaska where I opened my first in-home studio… got engaged and un-engaged (*cough* another mistake) and moved to Florida… then finally Colorado.

I worked as a photographer along the way, but never trusted my business prowess (or lack thereof) to commit to the full-time entrepreneurial lifestyle. The idea of being solely responsible – not just for being a phenomenally creative photographer and master of photographic technology *hand fans face with blatant confidence* – but also for being in charge of accounting and insurance and marketing and advertising and contracts and customer service and scheduling and, and, AND! The life of a small business owner is so much more than just creating beautiful photos, and it scared me.

Four years ago, after having already been a photographer for ten years, I made the leap to a full-time, self-owned, successful small business owner as Rebecca of Sunnybrook Photo – here to make you look SO. GOOD. 😉 I attract kind and outdoorsy clients – people who focus on the love and light that shines through photo and video. I capture weddings, portraits, and commercial work for like-minded lovers of the good life, and I thrive on making people (and places) look their absolute best.

For the past four years, I’ve operated by word of mouth… but if my 2020 Goals have anything to say about it, you’ll see me posting more on FB/IG/Pinterest, committing to blog posts about everything from hilarious photo memes to stunning real-life weddings, and maybe even investing some hard-earned monies into marketing and advertising. However it plays out, I’ll for sure keep prioritizing delivering stunning photos to my beloved clients, and making the time to give back to my community (check out the Charity section of my website).

I like to say that “Sometimes I take pictures. The rest of the time, I think about it.” Photography and Videography are IN MY SOUL! That high school guidance counselor just didn’t know it. 😉

Has it been a smooth road?
If you read ANYTHING about ANY entrepreneur or small business owner – you’ll see a recurring theme: My biggest obstacle was myself. And even as I read those words (repetitively)… I was falling victim to it. When I first started, I made excuses endlessly: “I need to have better photos before I build a website” or “I need to have a better website before I market myself” or “I need to have a better marketing message…” it’s a rabbit hole. Endless procrastination based in self-doubt. One of the greatest pieces of advice I’ve heard (and still struggle with) is “It doesn’t have to be perfect the first time.” Just get it done. Get it published, get it seen, and then, later, if you have to, revise and repeat. Your blog doesn’t have to have ten top-notch posts before you launch. Your IG doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be current. It sounds counter-intuitive but just do it well ENOUGH at first. You can perfect it later. You WILL perfect it later.

We’d love to hear more about Sunnybrook Photo.
Sunnybrook Photo offers Photography & Videography for the kind and adventurous. We specialize in Weddings & Portraits in Colorado and beyond. Our clients value a stunning technical capture – but focus on the emotion in a photo or video. They’re the sort of people who say “we just want to make sure our friends have a BLAST!” while planning their wedding – or they’re the small business who gives back to their community – or they’re the family willing to walk through the park to find that perfect light.

Sunnybrook Photo has grown into a small team, comprised of Rebecca (the Lead Photographer), her sister Laura (the Associate Photographer) and Dave (a Second Shooter and the Business Ninja). Together, we prioritize adventure and helping you look your absolute best!!

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
Oh man, what a great question. I don’t experience any gender inequalities as a Photographer. Maybe it’s my brazen notion that men and women are equal, but I don’t experience sexism on the job, and my gender has not yet impeded my growth as a business owner. I look forward to this becoming the expected response across all industries. <3

Pricing:

• Portrait Session – $595
• Base Wedding Package – $2,800
• Commercial Session – $795

Contact Info:

• Address: Boulder, Colorado, USA
• Website: www.sunnybrookphoto.com
• Phone: (970) 691-2345
• Email: rebecca@sunnybrookphoto.com
• Instagram: www.instragram.com/sunnybrookphoto
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sunnybrookphoto

Image Credit:
All Images (c) Sunnybrook Photo

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