Bea Butjar-Barath: Building a Photography Business Beyond the Camera
Angela Adams talks to Bea Butjar-Barath
Angela Adams FSWPP Grand Master Photographer talks to Bea Butjar-Barath
What started with a desire to photograph her children and build a career that offered greater flexibility around family life has grown into something considerably bigger.
Bea Butjar-Barath began her photography career as a portrait photographer. Today, her work encompasses photography, professional printing, bespoke framing, studio hire and education through Artsy Image in Colchester, Essex.
Her journey is an interesting example of how a photography business can evolve when a photographer follows their interests and looks beyond the camera.
From photographing her children to building a business
For Bea, photography began with her children.
“I wanted to have flexibility around raising my children and to have beautiful photos of them as they grew,” she explains.
She studied for a photography degree while on maternity leave with her second child, combining her education with family life.
Ten years on, that initial ambition has developed into a much broader creative business.
Bea originally founded Artsy Image as a portrait photography business, specialising mainly in children’s photography. But she quickly discovered another passion.
“I very quickly realised that I was in love with photo printing.”
That discovery would ultimately influence the direction of the entire business.
Finding opportunities beyond photography
One of the most interesting aspects of Bea’s story is that she didn’t remain focused solely on photographing clients.
Income from her photography business was reinvested into developing the wider business, and over the years Artsy Image moved locations twice.
The latest move created an opportunity to bring several aspects of the photographic industry together.
The Colchester space incorporates professional photography studios, teaching areas, printing and framing facilities, a gallery space and a coffee lounge.
For photographers, the aim is to provide more than simply somewhere to take photographs.
The space can be used for studio hire, viewing sessions, education, exhibitions and other creative activities.
Bea also runs workshops designed to help photographers develop their businesses, alongside photography education.
A passion for light
Although her business interests have expanded considerably, photography remains at the heart of what Bea does.
She prefers working with supplementary lighting rather than relying solely on natural light.
“I love playing with light,” she says.
A significant influence on her approach was photographer and mentor Damian McGillicuddy, whose mentoring programme Bea attended for around five years.
The experience taught her not only about creating images but also about the importance of quality and running a business within a creative industry.
That combination of creative and commercial thinking has clearly influenced the way she has developed Artsy Image.
Working with children and young models
As a photographer, Bea continues to work mainly with children and has also worked with child modelling agencies, creating portfolio images.
Her clients come through a combination of her website and social media, particularly Instagram.
But photography now forms only part of her professional activity.
The wider Artsy Image business provides photographers with access to studio facilities, printing, framing, education and other services.
For Bea, this diversification brings both opportunities and challenges.
“I run two businesses in tandem — the framing and the photography studio; it can be difficult to find a good balance.”
That balance is a familiar challenge for many photographers who expand their businesses beyond taking photographs.
Building a photography business doesn’t necessarily mean buying more equipment
Bea’s advice to photographers starting out is refreshingly straightforward.
“Magic doesn’t happen in a day, but hard work pays off in the long term.”
She also warns photographers against continually buying new equipment simply because something newer has appeared on the market.
“You don’t need new kit all the time to run a successful business.”
For photographers trying to establish themselves, that can be an important lesson.
A new camera might improve certain aspects of your photography, but it won’t automatically create a successful business.
Understanding your clients, developing your skills, delivering a good service and building a sustainable business are likely to have a much greater long-term impact.
A photograph with a personal story
Asked about her favourite photograph from her portfolio, Bea finds it difficult to choose.
However, she particularly loves photographs in which she has knitted the clothes worn by the children.
The reason is deeply personal.
Her mother taught her to knit when she was young, and her mother is no longer with her.
Those photographs therefore represent more than successful portraits. They connect Bea’s professional work with her family history and memories of her mother.
It’s a good reminder of why personal projects and creative decisions can become so meaningful to photographers.
The importance of the right people
Bea credits Damian McGillicuddy as the person who made the biggest difference to her photographic career.
His mentoring helped her understand the importance of quality and taught her how to approach photography as a business as well as a creative pursuit.
But she also highlights the wider photographic community.
“Not everyone wants to help you, but this industry is full of lovely, amazing people.”
Her advice is to surround yourself with people who want to help you grow.
For photographers working independently, that can be particularly important. Photography can sometimes be an isolated profession, and having access to mentors, colleagues and other photographers can provide encouragement, knowledge and new perspectives.
Turning ideas into reality
If there’s one obstacle Bea continues to wrestle with, it’s time management.
She describes having “trillions of ideas” in her head and says the challenge is turning them into reality.
Her solution is simple, if not always easy:
Slow down and work on one thing at a time, step by step.
It’s advice that applies to almost any creative business.
Ideas are easy to generate. Turning them into something sustainable requires planning, prioritisation and persistence.
Looking to the future
Bea’s original goal was relatively simple: create a photography career that would give her flexibility while raising her children.
A decade later, that career has evolved into a much broader creative business.
The story of Artsy Image demonstrates one possible route for photographers who want to develop beyond simply selling individual photography sessions.
Printing, framing, studio hire and education may not be the right direction for every photographer, but the underlying lesson is universal:
A photography business doesn’t have to remain the same throughout your career.
Your interests can change. Your skills can develop. New opportunities can appear.
The challenge is recognising those opportunities and deciding which ones are worth pursuing.
For Bea, following her interest in printing ultimately helped shape a much larger vision for her photography business.
And that journey is far from finished.
About Bea Butjar-Barath
Bea Butjar-Barath is a professional photographer and the founder of Artsy Image in Colchester, Essex.
Her work includes children’s and portrait photography, while Artsy Image provides photography studio hire, professional printing, framing, workshops and creative facilities.
Website: artsyimagestudios.co.uk
Instagram: @ArtsyImageGallery
