Vendor Spotlight: Frances Beatty Photography
Choosing the right professionals for your wedding is a personal decision and tends to lean on far more than just their portfolios alone. On a wedding day you spend so much time with your vendors, so having a connection with them makes the whole experience so much more enjoyable. We want you to have a chance to get to know your vendors a little better before you make that tough decision on who to choose. We reached out to our wedding professionals on your behalf so you can become better acquainted with them.
MEet Frances - A Georgian Bay wedding photographer
Frances is a portrait and wedding photographer who wears her heart on her sleeve. Born and raised in small town Ontario, Frances grew up with a deep appreciation for nature and wide open spaces. She is happiest when she can be outside, and bonus points if she can be dancing and/or barefoot. She graduated from OCADU with a BFA in photography and seamlessly blends documentary photography with creative portraiture in her work today. Frances has been a full time photographer for almost 5 years, but has been photographing people since she was in highschool, we won’t tell you how long ago that was. She creates evocative images of her clients and believes that photographs should be a window into the past. While she likes to blend into the crowd so she can capture your day naturally as it unfolds, Frances believes that the best way to do that is to engage with you and your guests as a friend. Frances will make you forget you’re having your photo taken, and even maybe let you have a nap on your wedding day. Only one way to find out…
You can find Frances’ website here: Frances Beatty Photography
Make friends with her on social media: @francesbeattyphoto
All photos by Frances Beatty Photography
What's a wedding trend you would like to see?
Weekday weddings. I think weekday weddings are totally underrated right now. As someone who got married on a Thursday, I can tell you it's totally amazing. Especially if you're dreaming of something super small and intimate. Also, bring on more elopements!!!
what is your wind down ritual after a wedding day?
Typically i have about a 2.5-3 hour drive ahead of me after a wedding day, so I usually listen to a podcast (reply all or on being), drink a litre of water and focus on the road, then when I get in, I back up all of my files and do some light stretching as my computer does it's job. Once I'm 100% certain everything is backed up, I snuggle up to my husband, smother him in kisses, read a total of 2 pages of my book and pass out.
If it's a wedding closer to home, I skip the podcast and stare at the stars for a while (once I’ve stopped driving, of course). I do some stretches outside and process the day, then I go in and continue on with my normal routine.
I don't touch my images that night. I like to make sure I'm working on them with fresh eyes.
If we were to come into your office, what would we see? (be honest)
Multiple glasses on my desk. We call this "francesing" in our household. Typically a water glass or two, and a coffee mug, maybe a tea mug as well. On a really hard editing day, I will also have the full teapot on my desk.
My normal office setup is full of inspiration in the form of interesting art, lots and lots of art books (mostly historical photography books, a lot of women photographers), vintage photographs, many cameras (mostly film cameras), and notebooks to keep my ideas in. I have multiple keyboards and a whole lotta hard drives. I also have a ton of plants in my space. I really like being surrounded by nature at all times if I can help it. Ha! This makes it sound like it would look like a bomb went off on it, but it’s actually pretty neat especially at the end of the day when I wrap things up.
What would your theme song be?
Currently my theme song is Nobody Speak by DJ Shadow.
I'm not sure it's my theme song in that it represents me, but it is a song that gets me in the right headspace for work. I listen to it on the way to every single shoot. I have a full playlist that I listen to on the way to every shoot. It's like having a trigger that tells my brain "ok. time to come out of your shell and get creative. time to work". I like routines like that.
What is your current obsession?
TNG! I just started watching Star Trek The Next Generation with my husband and I’m HOOKED! Can’t miss Papa Picard time.
What is your current favourite local business in Georgian Bay?
This is hard. My first instinct is to write Coffin Ridge, for so many reasons, but I feel like I'm being biased by choosing Coffin Ridge. I am married to the cider maker, afterall.
Ok. I'll also say Good Family Farm. We had some sausages from them recently and holy hannah were they tasty. They went extremely well with the Coffin Ridge cider. ;)
what is the best present you have ever received? Why?
Oy. Hard choice! Again, I'm choosing two because I hate picking favourites.
1. Kodak instant camera. Joel gave it to me on our first valentines together. He knew I loved instant cameras and found this vintage one in a shop. You can't get film for it anymore, but it was a camera my mom told me all about when I was a kid and I had always wanted one. (Joel didn't know that part) He handmade a valentine and put it in the camera where the film cartridge should go, so when I moved the crank, the valentine came out. I still have both the valentine and the camera.
2. Pointer Sisters on vinyl. There was a record my mom and sisters and I used to dance to on a daily basis. You know the album... with "Jump" and "I'm so excited". Well, when we got older the vinyl "disappeared". I looked for it from that moment on. I wanted it in my house on vinyl so I could continue to dance to it as an adult. When I was shooting a wedding for one of my all-time favourite DJs, we were taking turns putting vinyl on while he got ready. I chose Pointer Sisters and told him the story, and about how I had been hunting for that record for ages with no luck. A year or so later, I got a package in the mail with no name attached. Mint condition. Vinyl. Pointer Sisters. I listened to it on repeat for days before discovering it was Rich Sweet who sent it to me.
Tell us about a creative piece you worked on that you're extremely proud of.
I created a full portrait series that was exhibited at the Lincoln Centre in NYC, as my second solo show. Later on that same series was chosen to be displayed on a billboard in Time Square. So I can proudly say that my name has been up in lights in Time Square, and my best friend can say her face was on a billboard.
Favourite ice cream flavour?
Mint Chocolate Chip. Always and forever
What is your superhero power?
Hugging.
What is something strange or interesting people would never know just by looking at you?
I was a gold medalist figure skater. Synchro mostly. (I'm pretty sure Ashley and I competed against each other at some point as teenagers before we knew each other)
Tell us about your all time favourite wedding.
It's a wedding I'm not allowed to share images from, which makes it that much more special. I was hired on the week of the wedding (!!), it was a Sunday and a backyard wedding. They got married on their property, with their friends and family gathered around, sitting on blankets on the ground. Picnic style. The ceremony was so intimate and beautiful. What followed was the most joyful event. They had a bbq pit that had been going for at least a day ahead of time, and everyone sat on blankets or on the ground and chatted and laughed. The food was amazing. All homemade by friends and family. I went for a walk in the woods with my couple, we dunked our feet in the stream. I cried. a lot! Then they had a dance party like no other. All under the stars. The bride eventually took the stage and sang with her family. She had switched to a simpler dress and a jean jacket. Everyone danced well into the night, and when people started to leave they only had to stumble back to their tents.
This was my third wedding of the weekend and I was toast, but I could not convince myself to leave. At the end of the night, I stood under the stars and just drank in the joy of the day. Everything was so simple, so full of love, so joyful. That experience certainly played a role in how we planned our wedding.
What was the biggest blooper you've ever experienced at a wedding?
I have most definitely face planted during a ceremony. My laces got caught on the eyelet of my other boot and I tripped myself. It was on my 2 year anniversary and I was embarrassed beyond embarrassed. Either no one noticed, or they were far too kind to say anything.
Favourite snack on a wedding day?
Oh goodness. I'll eat anything on a wedding day. I'm a hungry lady when I run around all day. I usually have some sort of nut and water on the drive home.
What is the most common compliment you get from your couples after working with you?
That I feel far more like a friend than a vendor. They never feel like they’re having their photo taken and they often forget I’m even there. I love that. I want them to have an amazing experience and remember THAT not being part of a photoshoot. That’s not what weddings are for, IMHO.
Who would win in a fight - Taco or Pizza?
Taco
Pineapple on pizza - OMG Yes oR EW?
OMG YES
The Office - British or American?
British
What is currently inspiring yoU?
Music and dance. I have been making a point to dance every single day. It brings me joy and I find movement so inspiring.
What creative project are you working on right now
I don't always feel like creating when I'm bottom dwelling. I've got lots of ideas, and they keep coming, but I'm not really at the creation stage. I'd much rather wait so I can collaborate with others. I have been working on a very simple self-portrait polaroid series with my husband during this time. One shot a day. It’s been a challenge for so many reasons (mostly technical), and I’ve been enjoying being forced to be creative at least once a day. To flex those muscles.
