Meet This Week's Guest Judge: Rebeccah Parks!

Take a few moments to enjoy the photography and words of our guest judge, Rebeccah of Rebeccah Parks Photography!


THEME: INVINCIBLE SUMMER

“My dear,

In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.
In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.
In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.
I realized, through it all, that…
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.

Truly yours,

Albert Camus”

Me: My name is Rebeccah Parks and I’m a Minneapolis based family and fine art photographer. When not working with clients, I draw my inspiration from 8 year old daughter as well as the vibrant city of Minneapolis and all it has to offer. I have been a photographer for five years and have both loved and hated the journey. Photography has been the most humbling and uplifting endeavor I have undertaken next to being a mother and, much like my journey as a mother, I wish I would have not hurried through it quite so much at times.

So anxious to potty train my daughter; so anxious to master manual exposure; so anxious to teach her the ABCs; so anxious to get my name out there; so anxious to get her through kindergarten; so anxious to book clients and grow my business.

So much haste.

So little time spent savoring it all.

I undertook a #100_summerdays project this summer and, while I didn’t make it all the way to 100, I found something I didn’t even realize I missed: the joy of capturing my daughter. Her, in all her goofy, perfect imperfection glory, basking by the pool and staying up late into the night.
So that’s who I am, right now. A business woman, finding her joy again and holding onto those last bits of an invincible summer.

The rest: I shoot with a Canon MarkIII, 35L and 135L lenses and an old Elan II film camera that, if loaded, is usually loaded with black & white film. I shoot my personal work 100% with my 35L and clients I split 50/50 between the two. I would probably sell my husband before I ever part with my 35, but don’t tell him I said that.
My passion for photography started where so many did, with wanting to capture my own child as she grew up and, over time, I would say that continues to be me motivation. I also love capturing that for clients so they can hold onto those memories. For that reason, the dream shoot that I would love to capture some day would be a childhood long progression of one family; photographing them from maternity to newborn and then every year all the way up until the baby turned 18. Or until the baby had a baby of their own! The history that would be woven into something like that would be truly humbling.

And the million dollar question eh, what do I wish someone had told me when I was first starting out as a photographer? That you’ll suck. You’ll really, really suck. And then you’ll get better and think you’re amazing. But really, you’ll still pretty much suck. And then finally – after years and years of shooting and editing and classes and learning, you’ll come to this place where you love the images you create and it doesn’t matter anymore if anyone thinks you suck. Because it’s not about being the best photographer ever, it’s about enjoying the riding and capturing photos along the way that you’ll back on in 50 years and get choked up over.



Name: Rebeccah Parks
Rebeccah Parks Photography, www.rebeccahparksphotography.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebeccahparksphotography