Q&A Beyond the Lens with Eady Beth Photography

By Stacey Walters

Over the years, Georgia native and destination photographer Eady Connally Osborne, MBA ’ 20 has improved her craft and moved her work forward, seeing the beauty in everything around her and falling in love by creating something purposeful, proving there is more to photography than just taking pictures.

Q: Why did you pursue your MBA at UPIKE, and what was most beneficial about the online program?

A: I first came to UPIKE on a softball scholarship in 2013. In my junior year, I had a career-ending injury and ended up moving back home to Georgia and graduating from Kennesaw State University with a degree in marketing. I loved my time at UPIKE so much that I went back in 2018 to be a graduate assistant for the softball team and get my MBA in entrepreneurship. The online program was great because it gave me the flexibility to do all the other things I was doing. I graduated in 2020.

Q: At Eady Beth Photography, what type of photography do you specialize in?

A: I market myself as a destination photographer who specializes in weddings and couples. My secondary market would be seniors and families. I especially love being a part of such special moments and capturing them for people to look back on forever.

I love the intimacy and intention behind destination weddings and elopements. I have gotten to travel to so many incredible places! I travel at least once monthly to take pictures. Most of that business comes from word of mouth or Instagram. I have had the opportunity to travel to Italy, Greece, Jamaica, Sedona, Las Vegas, Grand Tetons, Glacier National Park, Colorado, California, Florida, Salt Flats, Yellowstone and many other places!

Q: What qualities do you think a successful photographer needs?

A: Hard work, willingness to learn, good communication skills, being able to put yourself out there and practice, practice, practice. There is no such thing as an overnight success. To be great, you have to put in the work and do it consistently. I’ve realized that the key to growth as an artist is never to be complacent with your work. This mindset gave me the confidence to create progressively better work year after year.

Q: When did you realize that photography was the career you wanted to pursue?

A: I have always loved art and being creative but I never thought it would be a career. My journey of becoming an artist began in 2018 while working in a boutique doing their marketing and using a small camera for their social media. I had no idea what I was doing, but I loved it. After I left the boutique, I missed taking pictures, so I bought myself a camera and lens. I began taking pictures as a hobby and made a Facebook and Instagram page showing some of my work. Eventually, people started requesting to pay me to take their pictures. I moved back to Georgia while finishing my MBA and began perfecting my photography skills. My schedule filled up quickly, and by August 2020, it finally hit me that I didn’t have time for another job. My photography was my full-time job.

Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring photographer?

To succeed in this industry, you must stay true to yourself. No one can do it better than you can. Being unique and authentic is the one determining factor that will make your work stand out from the rest. Your only competition is yourself, so be the best you can be. Do not waste your energy focusing on someone else’s dreams. Go out and conquer your own.

Q: What is the most valuable thing you have learned by starting your own business and how has your MBA assisted in shaping how you operate?

A: I CAN do it. Initially, I experienced self-doubt, and owning my own business was just a dream and not a reality. UPIKE’s MBA program gave me the tools and confidence to believe in myself and challenged me to see it through. I always knew I wanted to be my own boss. The program helped me explore my creative side and believe in the ideas to become successful and find a harmonious balance.