Rebecca is a playful and easy-going family photographer in beautiful Portland, Oregon. She runs Becca Jean Photography from her home office, amongst piles of dirty dishes and the sounds of her prank-loving kids. Rebecca is passionate about capturing the joy, love and unique dynamic of each family she has the privilege of working with. She has the rare ability to see the positivity in each situation and notices beauty where others struggle to find it. Rebecca applies this mindset to all aspects of life, including her business, where she has dedicated herself to growing as an artist and finds true fulfillment in helping others achieve the same.

We are so happy to welcome Rebecca to our Unraveled Expert Artists! We cannot wait to watch her bring more beautiful images to life. Her work embodies all the best emotions of joy and love with beautiful tones, highlighted by the dreamiest warm sun.

For more inspiration from Rebecca:

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Here is Rebecca, Unraveled…

What inspired your art?

When I was a teenager, I had a point and shoot and photographed my sister and her friends in an abandoned, half burned down house up the road. We would do all these themed shoots with tons of posing, it was pretty hilarious. Then I went to school for photography and graphic design, where I took classes on studio photography with real models and studio lighting. And now I do the complete opposite! Once I had babies, I wanted to document their lives and that lead into photographing families. I was still doing more posed sessions at first, but I slowly realized that all the photos I loved the most were the real moments, not the fake smiles. I discovered that there were actually people out there who wanted that and it was a huge turning point in my business! What inspires me now is connection, color, movement, light, and joy.

What do you shoot with? Camera body and favorite lens?

I recently got the Canon EOS R and I'm loving it! Typically I will bring my Canon EF 35mm 1.4L ii and Canon RF 85mm 1.2 L to every session, along with a Lensbaby (Either the Sol45 or Edge 50). I also have a Sigma 20mm 1.4 that I rarely bring along because it doesn't fit in my bag but it is beautiful, too.

What other ways do you express your creativity?

I love to crochet! I used to do it so much that I had to start an Etsy shop so I could sell some of it. But then my wrist decided it didn't like it anymore, so I have to be careful and not do it too often. Sometimes I still crochet things for my client closet, though.

How do you de-stress at the end of the day?

If it's cool enough outside, you'll find me sipping wine in my Jacuzzi with my husband. And if I'm not there, I'm watching reality TV (The Bachelor, anyone?) or romantic comedies on my couch, again with a glass of wine!

What kind of music do you listen to while editing?

I'm all over the place with music. I grew up listening to country, so often I'll be listening to Dan + Shay or Rascall Flatts, but other times I want something more fun so I'll put on some Meghan Trainor or Panic! at the Disco. And then other times, I just want to mellow out with some modern folk music like Oh Honey or Us the Duo or get nostalgic with Tears For Fears. See? All over the place.

What is your favorite book?

Tough one! Do I go with my favorite romance novel or my favorite business book? How about both! I'm a big reader when it comes to romance, so it's hard to even pick a favorite but I really love books by Sophie Kinsella because she so hilarious. And for business, the absolute best book I've ever read (or listened to on Audible) is Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller. It's amazing, you should go read it right now.

Name one movie that inspires you.

Well, I know its a TV show but I love Handmaid's Tale. The filming is excellent and they use composition, color and light beautifully. I've been interested in video lately and just watching movies and TV shows or other photographer's family films can be super inspiring. Watching movies can really spark some great ideas for both photography and video!

What has been the most difficult part of your creative journey?

Figuring out my style and what I bring to the table has been a slow process, as well as having the courage to raise my prices and believe that I am worth it. Every year I get a little braver.

Who is one of your favorite photographers?

Just one? Erin Brandt of The Leo Loves. Her ability to capture joy is a large factor in why I fell in love with lifestyle photography!

How do you handle self doubt or creative slumps?

Ah, self-doubt is evil, isn't it? It creeps in at the worst times and tells us our work isn't good enough or points out all the things we could have done better. I think it's good to recognize that and then turn it into a positive. Yes, I could have done this and this better, but I love the imperfections of what I created. And now I know what I'd like to do different next time. No one else can create what I have because they aren't me! That's what you have to tell yourself. And for creative slumps, I like to challenge myself. Most recently, I joined a 30 days with Lensbaby challenge, so I am taking at least one photo a day using one of my Lensbaby's and it has really pushed me to try new things (like photographing objects rather than people, which I rarely do!).

What is your favorite course or lesson at unraveled?

Your Beautiful Story: embracing offbeat artistry + everyday moments with Angie Rethwisch. She is so creative and uses all sorts of different items and techniques. It's very inspiring.

What is your favorite pizza topping?

Bacon!!

What is your most favorite kind of light and why?

Back light during sunset when the sun is super low and golden. I do a lot of location scouting to find the best spots where I can capture that. The warmth and subtle glow that it produces gives me all the warm fuzzies.