Meet Andrea Blakesberg of Andrea Blakesberg Photography in Boca Raton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Blakesberg.

Andrea, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first picked up a camera when I was 15 and looking for a summer class to take in high school and instantly fell in love. I’ve always been a visual person and the idea of capturing what I saw, the people I was with and creating a visual story of it was the perfect marriage.

I went on to study film in college, but spent as much time in the darkroom editing my pictures as I did focusing on film! Although, I never put down my camera, I never considered it a possible career. It wasn’t until my youngest child was in elementary school that I began to take pictures professionally.

I had gone to work at a yoga studio, and the owner knew my passion for photography and challenged me to set my intention to become a professional photographer. Almost two years ago, I made the decision to take my photography business full-time and could not be happier with my choice.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Any obstacles or challenges I faced were truly ones I put in my own path. When I’ve allowed self-doubt to creep in, or when I’ve forgotten my self-value; those kinds of thoughts have derailed my best intentions. For me, it all boils down to fear… of not being good enough, of not looking my best, but when I hit those walls, I remind myself that I’m providing a one of a kind experience for my clients and producing gorgeous images that they will enjoy for years to come.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I specialize in portrait photography for families, high school seniors and women.

I’m on a mission to remind families to be mindful of their time together. Instead of selfies, I want to capture interaction. Instead of quick cell phone snapshots, I want to capture a moment and help my clients memorialize it for all time. I want families to EXIST in portraits.

I want to photograph the family that plays together, gets loud together and LAUGHS together. Families are loud, chaotic, and messy but ultimately beautiful… and I want to capture that. Families are such a unique entity and like a snowflake, no two are alike.. and yet, there are endless similarities. Because at the end of the day, what makes us happy, what feeds our souls, is the love we give and receive within our family.

And that’s what I strive to capture at every family photo session. The love, the connection and the interaction that is unique to them.

I think I’m known for making people who get anxious in front of a camera become comfortable. And, for people who believe they are not photogenic to end up loving what they see of themselves in my photos and become more confident. Together, we create beautiful images that serve as a reminder of who they are and what they can achieve.

Being a stay at home mom for so many years, gave me an interesting perspective.

During many of my family lifestyle sessions, I notice how many of the moms were fine with having their picture taken if it was for the family photo, but then didn’t want me to take many more of them. They’d complain of not loving the way they looked or the way their clothes now fit… the litany went on and on. They had just hired a professional photographer and yet, they didn’t want to be in the picture. And it dawned on me, I do the same exact thing… I was as bad as my clients!

I enjoy capturing the grandmother who thinks her time has passed, or the mom who has consciously or unconsciously become invisible. I SEE them and I want them to feel seen as well.

Since that “light-bulb” moment, my entire business has shifted from focusing solely on families and high school seniors to focusing on WOMEN!

What were you like growing up?
I’ve always been curious and had a tendency to ask a lot of questions. I loved to get lost in a great story… didn’t matter where the story came from… be it a comic book, a novel, movies, the theater, any place that I could get swept away, was the place I wanted to go hang out. I had a huge imagination and loved to play pretend. Although, we didn’t travel overly much, we did go on family vacations and to this day I have a love of travel.

Contact Info:

• Address: 6835 Giralda Circle, Boca Raton, Florida 33433
• Website: https://www.andreablakesberg.com/
• Phone: 561-213-3155
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreablakesbergphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreablakesbergphotography/

Image Credit:
Andrea Blakesberg

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