Image Credit:
Laura Dee Photography
Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Ickes.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m Italian, so brief is not a descriptive word people usually use with me. 🙂
I started Rebecca Marie Photography nearly 8 years ago after returning from living in the UK for a year. I worked as a full-time artist in an after-school program with at-risk 8-12-year-olds. It was there that, for the first time, I was able to blend my two greatest passions: working in the arts alongside a deep commitment to social justice. It was an incredible year, so jumping into the world of wedding and event photography was a pretty big change. If you do the math, you’ll notice that 8 years ago was 2009-2010, which was not exactly a strong time in our economy to look for a job.
I came back from England to photograph my cousin’s wedding while actively looking for a job in graphic design. Thanks to a bad economy, not getting a traditional job was the best thing that ever happened to me, because it ultimately led me to realize I could start my own company. I couldn’t imagine having it any other way now. Once that decision was made, the story of how we got to where we are today is relatively uneventful – a h*ll of a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck when it comes to ideal timing. We’ve simply kept moving forward bit by bit each year.
Networking here in Chicago and throughout the country has one of the largest impacts on my business. We are predominately a word-of-mouth business, which is fantastic, because it means friends and colleagues who already know us and understand our values, trust us and refer our work to their own loved ones or clients. Growing in this way is the only way I would ever want it because it allowed us to foster much deeper relationships with the couples and families inviting us into their lives.
Simply meeting once, being hired and then popping in to photograph one day, never to speak again, would feel incredibly uncomfortable amidst something as intimate and emotional as a wedding day. Really, aside from a lot of hours at the computer and behind the camera, my community of peers and colleagues supporting our work is what has gotten us to today.
I could ramble on about a myriad of other things with concern to traditional business growth analysis, but I think any small-business owner out there would agree that most of all, we have the most patient and understanding friends and family on the planet. So often, the business can adversely affect your personal life. I’m incredibly grateful to my own loved ones for understanding how much time and effort went into creating where we are today and that they still invite me to grab drinks even if I’ve had to miss the last three family reunions because of work.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I created a background on my computer screen with a quote from one of my favorite movies, A League of Their Own. Tom Hanks is telling one of the lead characters why not to quit and go home (after a particularly trying period of time). He says, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great.” I think this pretty much sums up any entrepreneurial endeavor in any field.
I wouldn’t say it’s been smooth and I wouldn’t say it’s been exceedingly hard. When you compare what I get to do on a daily basis to the photojournalists who sacrifice their lives and well-being to document the frontline of wars or the refugee crisis in Sudan so we can all be more informed citizens, this photographic endeavor is a walk in the park. If we’re sticking with the “road” analogy, I’d describe it much like a Chicago city street. Generally speaking, it’s smooth with a few little bumps here and then. But every once in awhile, a pothole that exceeds the depth of all potholes you’ve ever seen before surprises the hell out of you and throws you off course, even when the road ahead once again smooths out.
Becoming an entrepreneur was entirely new territory for me. My parents are both traditionally employed and have had the same careers my entire life. Most of my friends went the traditional employment route as well. I grew up in a very stable environment that was relatively risk-averse, so deciding to go out on my own and create something out of nothing felt incredibly nerve-wracking. All that’s to say, I think the biggest struggle as an entrepreneur is wrapped up in our own heads. Most difficulties relate to having the courage and confidence to take big leaps when the future is unknown.
It’s trusting more clients will book you when you want to do something like making the leap from working at home to renting a storefront and thus, having a big fixed overhead cost to cover (which we did 5 years ago). It’s having the courage to raise your prices because you’ve paid yourself the same minimum wage salary for 4 years or staying positive when there’s a dry spell. Particular to the creative service industry, there is also a struggle to balance being critical of your work and craftsmanship in order to push yourself to become better, without going so far as to dig yourself into a mental hole of “Oh my gosh, I’m terrible at this.
People are going to find out I’m a fake!” When I put it that way, it sounds melodramatic, but I’m sure you could get 20 people to quickly raise their hands in agreement on any number of private photographer Facebook group pages. Some of these challenges can span out over a year or two, and sometimes you go through all of these emotions within a few hours. It’s kind of bonkers and amazing all at the same time.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Rebecca Marie Photography is an international boutique wedding & event photography studio. We document elegant celebrations, rooted in legacy, that have a romantic aesthetic and touch of humor. RMP couples are most excited about the people who surround them on their wedding day and want those unique personalities and emotions frozen in time to revisit forever. Sometimes those celebrations are in Chicago, sometimes they are across the international dateline. Wherever you are celebrating, I’m only a plane ride away.
We work with a limited number of couples & families each year in order to assure the utmost attention to detail and full force of our attention to give them an incredibly personalized experience. I specialize specifically in people. I actually did not become a photographer because of a love for using a camera. If I wasn’t photographing people and events, I don’t think I would be a photographer. For me, the camera is just a medium to do what I do. What I love is freezing something as amorphous as a personality into a frame that allows another person to view it and say, “Oh my gosh! I can hear my daughter’s laughter when I look at that photo!”
While I am, of course, always pushing myself to become more skilled at my craft, I am not concerned with trying to push the envelope as an artist. A wedding isn’t the time to push creative boundaries. Documenting another person’s story in a unique way to only them is all the creative drive I need. I love being an artist, not for crafting something new or edgy, but for the simple act of creating timeless beauty. I believe photography can not only capture a memory but spur a feeling. Most of all, I believe sharing our stories can change the world and every single person’s story matters.
What were you like growing up?
Hah! Oh man, I laugh about this frequently because so often I think being a wedding photographer is perceived as a super “cool” career choice and I was anything but cool. I was a complete band geek, to the point that I was able to pay for most of college with an instrument (I went to DePaul’s School of Music for Oboe Performance. The nerdiest of instrument options!).
I grew up in East Moline, IL which is a relatively small town and home to the start of John Deere tractors. My mom grew up on a farm and I loved spending as much time with my grandfather there as possible. I think it’s the farming work ethic that makes it easy for me to work 12 hours at my office without thinking about it or a wedding day schedule not feel like a big deal. I’ve always been very much a stereotypical extrovert which was most likely partially created by being the youngest cousin in a large, tight-knit, extended family.
You have to be pretty darn outspoken to get a word in when my family is all together, which I jokingly say was perfect training for corralling large wedding parties. In hindsight, beginning with music, I’ve always had an interest in the arts, although ironically, I only ever took one formal fine art class in school prior college.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5254 N Damen Ave Chicago, IL 60625
- Website: www.rebeccamarie.com
- Phone: 773.614.7673
- Email: studio@rebeccamarie.com
- Instagram: @rebeccamarieart
- Facebook: fb.com/rebeccamariephotography
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