Conversations with Miranda Bakewell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Miranda Bakewell.

Hi Miranda, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It’s funny because my story 100% started off as the typical “momtographer” journey haha. In 2018, shortly after my first son was born, my husband got me my first canon Rebel DSLR. I had absolutely zero knowledge of how to use it so YouTube became my best friend. I started off just practicing taking pictures of my baby to document his first milestones. After a couple of weeks or so I started practicing creative portraiture with my sister and that’s really when things really began to shift. Photography became more than just snapping photos of my kids and was turning into a fiery passion for me. Soon after, people started asking me if I would photograph their events and portrait sessions! This included a wedding after only shooting for six weeks! I honestly could not believe anyone was actually willing to hire me to do the thing I found I loved more than I could ever imagine. I knew I was going to take this seriously and began putting my all into practicing my craft. I was blessed enough to have a mother-in-law who let me borrow her 6DMKII which allowed me to feel confident shooting for money. I saved up every penny I made and began investing in my little homegrown business. I previously worked in the corporate world as a retail manager for many years so I feel like I was able to take my prior business knowledge and skip a lot of steps and get right into building a brand. In 2018, I barely knew how to turn my camera on. It’s still hard for to believe that just two years later in the middle of a pandemic, The Desert Rubie was born!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly no. I actually suffered from crippling anxiety when it came to shooting sessions, especially in the beginning. I would literally have trouble sleeping for days before a session. The entire car ride would consist of a lot of deep breaths and sweaty palms. I was terrified of not knowing what I was doing and for me to completely embarrass myself during a session! Especially family sessions where you need to be able to direct people and keep the flow the entire time. I wondered if that fear would ever go away or if I should just quit. I’m so glad I pushed on and if there are any newbies reading this that have ever felt this way, it DOES get better! Today, I still struggle with feelings of imposter syndrome or the constant need to compare myself to other’s journeys which is something I think every artist with goals struggles with. I’m trying to practice gratitude and patience to get through it. The road is not easy but it’s worth it!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in motherhood and creative portraiture! I have the biggest passion and respect for capturing motherhood and get so much joy out of every single maternity session I capture. One thing that sets me apart from others in my area is the fact that I have an insane addiction to buying high-end gowns for my client closet haha! I have an ever-growing collection with around 60 dresses for all my mamas to help them feel and look their absolute best! My goal is to be anything but basic. I want to be EXTRA always, lol. I want every maternity I do to look like it belongs in a magazine. I also really love sitting down and coming up with creative concepts. I enjoy composites and retouching and one day would love to shoot editorials for fashion magazines.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Man, that’s a hard one. I think it’s just the freedom I had to be a child. Riding my bike with my friends around town and not being scared. Going swimming at my grandma’s house. Learning how to code during the Myspace years, hahaha…. kidding!!

Contact Info:

• Website: Thedesertrubie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedesertrubie
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDesertRubie

Image Credits
Profile image by- Kiara Daniel @withlove.kdlens