In your search for a great family photographer in our area, chances are you’ve heard of Beth Fletcher. Beth, this week’s Valpo Spotlight has been dazzling families with her timeless work since her business opened in 2008. What started out as a hobby of capturing moments with her children turned into not only a successful career for Beth, but a passion. What makes Fletcher’s work stand out is that her end goal is for each family to receive an irreplaceable piece of art when they work with her. She prides herself on continuing to improve her skills as an artist and to ensure that every detail is taken care of when a family hires her.
“This has been one of my greatest honors to work with families, it’s something that I have never taken for granted” says Fletcher.
If you’ve ever worked with Fletcher than you know first-hand how detail oriented she is. The minute you walk in her studio you are taken care of, there are toys for the children, and an atmosphere that puts your mind at ease while you relax and enjoy your session. As for her newborn sessions, she takes care of every single aspect of the day even down to the diaper changes. At her mini sessions, Fletcher not only designs the most beautiful backdrops, but even as you wait your turn you feel as though you’re a part of something special. Her holiday mini sessions are a delight with Christmas music playing and hot cocoa to keep you warm. Fletcher says that one of the things she believes in is speed, “it’s one thing that makes a huge difference between myself and other photographers. I can get my clients in and out. I work quickly and the end goal is for them to be thrilled with how fun and easy the session was for them.”
Fletcher’s work doesn’t end there though, in addition to photographing families she also offers workshops where she will show you how to use your specific DSLR camera. Her classes are normally two days where she will cover technique, basics, shutter speed, finding the best light, mastering focus, and many other aspects such as captivating your subject. The workshops are small, consisting of only four students at a time so that Fletcher can work directly with each attendee. You can find her upcoming workshops at http://bethfletcherphotography.bigcartel.com/category/mastering-manual. “At this point I’ve worked with literally every camera out there, so I can take their camera for them and show them how to use it. I also will run workshops after for those who have attended workshops and have a Facebook group for attendees. I love seeing what those people who have taken my workshops are capturing now."
Outside of work Fletcher is a busy Mom to Anna 13, Noah 12, Eli 6, Clara almost 5, and her twins Jake and James. Fletcher is a huge supporter of the March of Dimes, in the past four years she has raised over $20,000 for the organization in memory of her twins Jake and James and in honor of her children Anna and Noah who spent time in the NICU after birth. When Porter opened its NICU a few years ago the March of Dimes donated a rocking chair honoring Jake and James that parents are able to enjoy. Fletcher has also been a sponsor and a participant in the much loved Listen to Your Mother show here in town.
Fletcher says, “I feel like a spokesperson for Valpo! I have clients who I’ve shared about our city with that come in from Chicago and stay the weekend because they love it so much. The fact that we can have this community in this climate that year round still feels like you’re always part of something says a lot about the city we live in”. Beth says that she loves all of the restaurants, the shops, the diversity, and the activities that Valpo has to offer, but most important to her are the small businesses. “Small businesses are big for me. They are something I utilize, I shop at, I don’t even think about shopping online. I think about what store can I go to in order to help that person.” She also says that she, “loves the diversity, that there is something to do all the time, and the restaurants. We love coming downtown, I get the feeling of Chicago in a different and better way. Valpo just feels like a really great home to me.”
For more about Beth Fletcher Photography please go to:
http://blog.bethfletcherphotography.com
or find her on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/BethFletcherPhotography