Many of us have defining moments in our lives. It was as a little girl that Brandy Smith had one such defining moment: realizing the authentic beauty and fragility of everyday life. Life is, after all, filled with them, these moments both significant and seemingly less than significant are what make up one’s lifetime. It was as a young girl that she realized her own life’s moments were frozen in her memory, much the same way as a series of still images on a film roll. With this realization her awareness was awakened to the knowledge that she observed these still images happening all around her: in the people she cared about, relationships they shared, nature and structures that made up her world.
As a young girl, Brandy observed this world around her. What she believed most beautiful about life were the relationships between people and the places they loved; the people and places of their hearts. A desire to preserve this beauty in order to keep a tangible memory for later was ignited within her. This desire would eventually become fueled by a passion when she held her first real camera. Suddenly she had the catalyst which enabled her to capture life’s moments as she had always seen them: happening in a series of still images. In her hands she now possessed a way to pause life as it was happening before her eyes and also to allow others to see the beauty of life in the same way she always has.
After countless hours of training and mentorships with other professional photographers, Brandy humbly began her photography business, from the living room of her small two-bedroom home, in 2004. Word quickly spread of her talent as a photographer as well as her patience in working with children of all ages, attention to detail, dedication to quality, and uncanny ability to put people at ease in front of the camera lens. It was common practice for clients to stay long after their session had ended; sharing in conversation, and often times cookies and coffee, while children played in the next room. “Building relationships with my clients has always been important to me,” Brandy admits, “I am capturing intimate moments of their lives, doing so naturally creates a connection that doesn’t just end when I turn off the camera.”
In 2013 babyBea™ Photography was born when Brandy decided to expand her photography business by going back to her roots and photographing newborns, this time in the hospital setting. As a mother to three daughters, it is not surprising that the bond between mother and child is one especially dear to her heart. “These first moments with baby pass by so quickly for new parents and inevitably become a blur; I want them to have the ability to relive all the emotion and beauty that comes with welcoming their child to this world.”