Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky & Summer Whitton.
Hi Becky & Summer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Our story began on a beach in Maui, where Summer and I met nine years ago. He had just moved to the island from Washington state with 1 suitcase and his camera, seeking sunny skies and new adventures. Yes, his name is Summer. His brother’s name is Sunshine. True story. I had also just moved to Maui from Missouri, excited for warm weather and sandy toes, but most of all looking to heal. Scar tissue from seven abdominal surgeries after a car accident, had left me in chronic, daily pain. After trying what felt like EVERYTHING with little or no relief, I decided I would learn to be happy in spite of the pain. So, I moved to Maui, because in my mind, tropical paradise = happiness. You follow my logic, right? Well, a few short weeks after moving to Maui, I booked a snorkel cruise for myself and some friends. That morning, my boat was cancelled and I was moved to the Teralani, the same boat Summer was scheduled to go on. I believe it was fate. He was not shy about introducing himself and of course took pictures to document the day. We were fast friends and within a few months I was smitten. He wasn’t phased by my scars or the slower pace I kept because of chronic pain. I fell in love with his kindness, positive attitude and contagious laughter. His passion for photography was also contagious. We have been taking photos together ever since that day and were married in May 2015. Somewhere between starting a business and falling in love, I quit hurting. The physical pain I had been in for years, just went away.
Maybe it was the warm weather and frequent dips in the ocean or possibly the extra vitamin D I’ve been soaking up. Summer believes it was love. Paulo Coelho says, “Willpower alone cannot transform you. Love can.” It sounds trite, but maybe love does heal all things. When Summer and I met, I was a massage therapist and professional photography was not even on my radar as far as careers go. However, when I saw how talented Summer was, I knew it could be an amazing career and I could help him with the business side of things. I started making lists and dove into learning how to start and run a successful photography business. We were the perfect team. Once we got going and starting booking a few gigs, Summer thought it would be fun if I shot along side him. I wasn’t sure at first, but we got a second camera and he started teaching me the basics. Oh my goodness, I fell in LOVE with photography. It was a little over a year before we both quit our day jobs and were doing photography full time. After a few years of loving life in Maui, we decided we wanted to spend more time with family and put down some roots by buying a house. We knew we wanted to live near beautiful beaches and warm weather while enjoying a lower cost of living, so we decided on the Bradenton-Sarasota area of Florida.
We’ve been here almost four years now and we love it! We started a new photography business here in Florida, while maintaining the one in Maui. We have some wonderful photographers on Maui that do all the shooting now, while we still do the booking, editing and social media. Summer and I are very fortunate to be working together in a career that we love that allows couples and families to retain beautiful memories through our art. Photography has changed a lot over the years as technology advances, but the mission has remained the same, capturing a moment in time, so that when viewed the memories rush back. Summer likes to call us “the memory keepers.”
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?
Running our business on Maui from Florida has been a challenge. The five to six hour time change being one of the biggest. I often take calls at 11pm or midnight. And of course, the covid-19 shut downs have presented a lot of challenges, especially for our Maui business as Hawaii was closed for 9 months.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We are a husband and wife photography team specializing in weddings and portraits. Summer is a master of light. He uses a combination of off camera lighting in relationship to natural lighting to create truly unique images. Because of this, he can create amazing images in even the hardest lighting situations. He loves color and his photos are vivid and bright. I (Becky) use natural light and a zoom lens while offering light instruction to help couples and families fall into natural looking poses. We are able to offer two unique styles, dramatic & colorful AND light & airy. Together, we create a photographic collection full of variety while bringing a fun, happy presence to each session.
What are your plans for the future?
We are considering expanding our team here in Florida to add more photographers the same way we did in Maui. Also, Summer just finished writing his first book! It’s a science fiction novel called Earth 7. It will be available on amazon late March. We are so excited!
Contact Info:
- Email: becky@loveandstylephotography.com
- Website: https://loveandstylephotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveandstylephotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveandstylephotography
Image Credits
Love and Style Photography Becky & Summer Whitton
