Meet Rebekah Hedges | Full-time Photographer & Podcaster

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebekah Hedges and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebekah, how do you think about risk?
Taking risks is a big factor in the way life’s unfolded for me. I’ve been given so many different job opportunities, from working as a Crime/Events Reporter to teaching English in Tianjin, China. Each opportunity had a lot of risk involved, especially buying a one way ticket overseas for a dream job. Yet every career move allowed me to explore what was really my ultimate passion, which led me to my career in full-time photography! Deep down sharing my voice through the powerful medium of photography had always been my way of sharing joy in the world.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
BekahTheHedge Photo’s motto is “Strike a Pose. Share a Story. Spread Joy,” so my brand is built on joy and inclusivity. The amount of fun I have behind the camera helps bring out the best in people when they are in front of the camera! My favorite thing about my art is that it’s raw and showcases the intrinsic beauty that everyone has. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to take each moment as it comes. There shouldn’t be a rush when it comes to making quality art!

Most of my work is natural and my editing is very true to life, very film-like. I believe that everyone is a model and I love capturing unique people and stories. I learned photography in 2013 at Pine Cove Camps as a camp portrait photographer. Learning in this fast-paced environment shaped my candid and motion-filled style. I feel as if I’m always learning more about light even 9 years into my craft. Recently I’ve begun photographing with the film cameras I’ve collected, particularly my grandfather’s Minolta. But I’m proud to say my first camera was a Bugs Bunny iZone camera I got in 2001.

If someone had told me the challenges that would thrown my way in 2021 I wouldn’t have believed them. Right after taking the leap into running my business full-time I was unfortunately scammed, my car broke down and I got Covid. Simply surviving last year was a huge success. The main way I was able to overcome these challenges was having supportive family and friends and therapy. I’m a huge advocate for taking care of your mental health. Leaving the corporate world has allowed me the freedom to truly take care of myself, mind body and spirit. I’m stronger for it! There were some amazing highlights I was interviewed on a podcast, featured in my first in-person gallery in Alabama and in total I booked 20 photoshoots and 5 weddings! I’m super proud of what I was able to accomplish in my first year full-time. It all wouldn’t have been possible without my amazing clientele.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a big foodie, so I’m a sucker for any hole-in-the wall places to eat. I’m known to stop through a random pupuseria or taqueria. Anytime someone has never been to Dallas I love to take them to the Dallas Museum of Art, check out the views from the Helen Hunt Bridge and a rooftop bar in Deep Ellum. Now that I live in the Carrollton area there are so many amazing authentic Korean and Chinese food places to try near the H-mart! So you can catch us eating KBBQ and watching a concert to support a musician friend out in Denton.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
After making my leap into full-time freelance photography I made several calls, which I called the “Thank you Tour” to individuals who had encouraged me along the way. Firstly I’m lucky to have my parents and siblings as an incredible support system. Sarah, my sister and fellow podcaster of our podcast ‘Sister Sibs’, also runs her own business Perfectly Uncommon Weddings and is a massive support to me. Dr. Marquita Smith, Laura Skaggs and Tony Daussat were three people who have been instrumental in my success and cheerleaders for me in life. Dr. Smith who was my college advisor and now life-long mentor who taught me journalism and how to be a strong woman. Mrs. Skaggs is a wonderful woman and mother figure to me who has been a strong spiritual encouragement in my life. Tony was the co-worker who truly help me do the math and encouraged me to finally leave my last corporate job to pursue my dream career in photography!

Website: https://www.bekahthehedgephotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bekahthehedgephoto/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bekahthehedgephotography

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bekah_thehedge

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bekahthehedgephoto

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/missrebekahhh

Other: Sister Sibs Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fp7FQL9FaHxeDZk5TBNdm?si=ba03340fa3b64919

Image Credits
All images by Rebekah Hedges of BekahTheHedge Photography