Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Powell.
Hi Rebecca, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My mom let me play with her polaroid when I was younger; pressing that little button and watching the photograph pop out of the camera felt like pure magic. It stuck with me, and eventually, I received my first digital camera, a free one that came with the purchase of a printer. I took that thing everywhere I went for years! When I received my first DSLR camera, I became obsessed with taking photo walks around my home and the local zoo. I didn’t know anyone in my city then, so I had to get creative with my subject. I ended up creating an Instagram to share those photos, which eventually led to multiple freelancing opportunities for various people and businesses. I shoot a lot of marketing content and portraiture, but my favorite thing to photograph will forever be animals.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My husband and I had relocated to the east coast due to his job with the military. When he would go out for weeks, sometimes months at a time, I found it exponentially hard to muster the energy and courage to venture out alone to explore my new home, let alone make actual friends (wow, so much easier to do when you’re kids!) Once I bought my first DSLR camera, I discovered this newfound desire and confidence to leave my apartment and find faces to photograph. It was a challenge at first, but I made many lifetime friends out of the people I met there, and the most beautiful work I’ve created stemmed from this period of breaking free from my comfort zone. I’m grateful photography gave me that gift!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve always loved portraiture, and of course, by moving to the east coast, that love translated to many shoots on the beach. My favorite time to shoot is sunrise. Travel photography is one of my specialties as well; I’m most proud of the photos I took at Carnevale di Venezia in 2020. I’d wanted to photograph it for over a decade; seeing the extravagant masks and meticulously crafted costumes through my lens was a dream come true! I also discovered my love for candid shots during that trip, something I’ve started to focus on more and more these days.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
You can unearth so much strength and confidence by taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone, and how cool is that if it can translate to your art? Taking risks can help you evolve, grow, and change into something so powerful and impactful that I can’t think of a time the risk wasn’t worth the result. Had I not mustered up the courage to take a solo adventure to Europe, I would never have captured what would become my favorite images ever personally captured. Risks are a vital component of self-evolution.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/rebeccalpowell
