Meet Betty Elaine
Just when red lips and polka dots couldn’t get ANY cuter and classier, they certainly do on Betty! What a charmer she is with her sweet style and amazing talent that she’s sharing with us! Seems like the PNW is where all the talent is! Road trip to Washington, anyone?? Take a look at what she shared with us and make sure you leave her some love!
xoxo, Elizabeth Lauren
MEET BETTY ELAINE SIMPSON
Where is home?
Seattle, WA
A website/blog you frequently visit:
http://www.abeautifulmess.com
http://shereadstruth.com
http://www.wta.org
What are five words friends would use to describe you?
Driven, caring, intuitive, authentic, adventurous
If you could have lunch with one person, who would it be and why?
Right now it would be Joanna Gaines! I just bought a house, and I am obsessed with her show. Before I knew about the show, I had watched a video of her story about trusting God with her dreams, and starting her own business etc. It was incredibly inspiring.
If you had to choose one lens, which one would it be?
It’s always my 50mm 1.2! The 50mm was my first lens when I started getting into photography professionally, so it has a special place in my heart, and I’m very familiar with how it plays. But on a technical level, I love the bokeh that this lens creates, and flares I can play off when shooting into direct sunlight. It’s gorgeous, sharp, and dreamy all at the same time.
What’s in your camera bag?
Canon 5D Mark iii
Canon 6D
50mm f/1.2 L
85mm f/1.8
24-70mm f/2.8L
70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
100mm f/2.8 Macro
Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite Flash x2
How long have you been doing photography?
Professionally since 2011. First camera was my Dad’s old camera, film, and that was in 2004.
What type of photography do you focus on?
Professionally, engagements, weddings, and anniversaries. Outside of work, travel and outdoor.
What advice would you give to your 15 year old self?
Embrace chaos, take risks, do what you love, don’t focus on trends, don’t compare your work to others, learn everything you can about getting it right in camera, focus on people, create time for self discovery, trust your discernment.
How does your relationship with God affect the way you do business?
Without my relationship with God, I would not be a professional photographer. And I would not own my business. God used photography as a tool to help me through tough times and discover who I am. I am constantly viewing the world through the eyes of my lens. Photography helps me process my emotions, and how I feel about places, and people. It’s also a lovely way to preserve moments.
I never saw myself as creative, or an artist. That was always someone else. As a sister I was always the responsible one, or the bossy one. But what I’ve discovered is that everyone expresses creativity in what they do, and everyone is a different type of creative. My creative self and where I put my creativity isn’t going to look the same as where you are creative. And that discovery freed me to be able to call myself creative, and an artist as a photographer.
As a photographer who mostly photographs weddings, my career has been fighting against a saturated market. I’ve been judged and asked what my real job is, if I introduce myself as a wedding photographer. I’ve shown up to weddings, events, and business meetings, and if I happen to be standing next to a man I get overlooked as the person in charge or the primary photographer. In 2016 I’m still surprising people that wedding photography is my full time job, and I am the boss lady ;)
In those situations I choose to not let those expectations or words define me. I turn to Jesus to encourage me to be light, and to give me the energy I need to run a small business. Because it is a hustle! And working for myself has come with extreme highs, and lows. I’ve needed determination, and faith, that things will flourish.
God took me down a road that wasn’t normal, and then he asked me to become a leader. I had to fight against fear, and fight for joy in my life. Then I had to learn to take risks, and have hope in God’s plan for my life. He has proven his faithfulness more than I could ever have imagined! My relationship with God created the way I do business.
Favorite bible verse?
Luke 1:46-55
How would you describe your style?
Editorial, authentic, romantic
Who or what is the greatest love of your life?
I will answer this in two parts. Because I want to give you more than a cliche answer, but the cliche is true.
Jesus – As much as I may love other beings or things, none of those define me. But Jesus, my Savior, Father, and Lord is my everything. I am never forsaken, and anything I create, anything I capture, is beauty He has created for me. Jesus inspires me, and pushes me into places I wouldn’t be otherwise. I have crawled out of dark times and onto a foundation of joy I didn’t know existed. Love is not always easy. But Jesus, His love for me, is perfect. I can’t comprehend that in words.
My husband, Matt – Falling in love with my husband, Matt, far exceeded any novel I had read, much to my surprise. I had a very practical plan, and I wasn’t wanting to be married until much later in life. But our marriage has been my greatest adventure. Matt is my biggest encourager, and best friend. He is also the nice one, haha, he softens my edges.
Where do you find your inspiration?
People, hiking, and restaurants!
I love client meetings, it is the beginning of my relationship with a couple. It’s kind of like a first date! I find out their occupations, how the met, when they fell in love, things they enjoy, what they love about each other, their family dynamics, pets, aspirations, etc. It is so inspiring! My brain spins when I get to know someone, I start noting down things we have in common, things they might enjoy, scenes I could photograph them in that have meaning, and what I love about them. And that is key for me, I want to know what I love about a couple, so I am inspired to create imagery with them.
Hiking inspires me visually and spiritually. It restores my soul, and fulfills my longing for adventure. It is a very personal experience for me and I do my best work in the more adventurous environments.
I love food, lattes, and cocktails. And the presentation can change the experience for me. Living in Seattle I am surrounded by some beautiful restaurants with great atmosphere.
If you could choose one person to photograph, who would it be?
I couldn’t say, I don’t care for celebrity culture, and I don’t think I have a singular person that I would want to photograph most. I’d rather live in Rainier National Park and photograph the mountains.
website: http://bettyelainephotography.com
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bettyelainephotography
instagram: photosbybetty
