spotlight: becky reed of ravenberg photography

Before we get into today's post, we wanted to let everyone know that we recently received the (stellar!) photos from our September 13th luncheon and will be sharing those next week. Watch for that on Facebook and here the blog!

And now, we are excited to share with you our latest vendor spotlight featuring the oh-so-talented (and sweet to boot!) Becky Reed of Ravenberg Photography. Becky's work is gorgeous and let's be honest so is she. Enjoy!

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Tell us a little about Ravenberg Photography, its background, and its specialties.

Necessity is the mother of invention. When my husband (Jon) decided to go to law school and we needed a way help make ends meet. My parents encouraged me to finally venture out on my own, put my photo degree to work, and start a wedding photography business. Ravenberg Photography was born. I had seen other fellow students use “gimmicks” as a way to make a name for themselves. Others used film, cross processed images, ring lights and other things to set themselves apart as a photographer. I knew that the fastest way to success would be to find a way to make myself different. We saw a faux photo booth at a company party and it was a lot of fun. We did a studio photo booth for a few weddings and school events and everybody loved it. Many of my first weddings booked because of the photo booth. Since Jon has graduated from law school he no longer has the time to do studio photo booths with me so now I focus on weddings. I love weddings. The beautiful emotions of a wedding are so fulfilling to capture.

Tell us about your family.

I have a very artistic family. My sister is the owner of Cosmo Cricket and my mother is a woodcarver whose carvings have been cast in molds by a major manufacturer and are now selling across the country. I’m constantly stopping in craft stores and telling people my family made that! I feel like being an artist runs in my blood. Even now my daughter Mary, age 3, paints, sculpts and draws while I work in Photoshop. I have another little girl, Rachel and she is just the sweetest little baby you’ll ever meet. Lastly, there’s Jon—my very supportive husband.

What are two words that best describe you?

Two words that describe me are sweet and assertive. I like to be easy going, quiet and observant. On a bride’s wedding day, however, I bring my game face. There are times during a wedding when it is best to be sweet and relax and fade into the background as I photograph. Other times I need to be assertive and get large groups of people organized for photos.

What are your hobbies outside of photography?

We love to go fishing as a family. Mary is a pro at catching her own fish. Even at three she can cast a fishing line, although I usually duck and cover when she does. If it’s a Saturday that I’m not shooting, you can bet we will be spending part of the day trying to find a stream or lake so that we can go fishing.

Where is your favorite place you've ever visited and where is your dream vacation destination?

Jon and I lived in China our second year of marriage and I loved it. It was undoubtedly hard at times but it was the most fun year of my life. We had some disposable income and no children to worry about. We would decide an hour before buying tickets and wake up the next morning in Beijing or Qingdao. Traveling was a priority to us and we had other friends who felt the same. Jon’s language skills are amazing and mine where around that of a two year old child. Sometimes Jon would speak in difficult situations and sometimes he would let me. That’s because I would simply repeat what I wanted until somebody would do it for me—just like a two year old. If the right job opportunity were to come up we would both be over there in a heartbeat. We love it!

My dream vacation would be to go back to Asia. I would really like to visit Taiwan. That is where Jon served his mission and I love hearing his stories from there. He said it was just like China but much cleaner and with better food. I would love to go back there with him someday.

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I majored in photography because I was a lazy college student. Really, that is how it became my area of focus. I was an art major and I went on a study abroad to Australia and New Zealand. I took one roll of film, it took me less than one hour, and I received an A for the term. I was hooked. Taking photographs was so much easier than actually having to draw something!

Please tell us anything else you'd like to say!

I feel like wedding photography balances out my life. I’m a busy photographer but I’m also a busy mom. As a mom nothing ever seems to stay done or polished to a perfect shine. Photography allows me to reach some sort of perfection in my life. After I’m done shooting, I can stop and set photography aside to make mud pies with my three year old.

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Thanks for the spotlight, Becky!