New Member Closeup (Elizabeth Campbell Photography)

New Member Closeup

Elizabeth Campbell Photography is owned by Beth Campbell, who moved to Middlebury with her family in October, 2020.

In a nutshell, what is ECP?

ECP is my photography company, consisting of me, the primary photographer, my main assistant, Cathy (who is also my sister), and a small team of second assistants. I am an architectural, interior, food and lifestyle photographer, specializing in the hospitality industry. I have photographed over 250 properties in the past fifteen years. I provide service nationwide, but a nice number of my clients are here in New England, and specifically Vermont! Basin Harbor Club, The Woodstock Inn and Resort, The Equinox, The Omni Mt. Washington, and the Bar Harbor Inn are some examples of the larger resort type properties I work with, and The Deer Brook Inn, The West Hill House, and The Chadwick Inn are examples of smaller properties. Locally, I’ve worked with the Swift House, The Middlebury Inn, the (former) Inn on the Green, Robert Frost Mountain Cabins, Lake Bomoseen Lodge and Taproom, and the Middlebury Snowbowl.

How did ECP come about and get to where it is now?

My grandfather and father were serious shutterbugs and I learned a lot from them growing up.After studying art and architectural history in college (College of Wooster) and grad school (UMass Amherst), I attended a year-long photography program at the Hallmark School of Photography, then worked in the photo studios of the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After pursuing a fine art/gallery direction for a while (my work was in the original Frog Hollow Galleries in the early 2000’s!), I decided to change course and explore architectural and interior photography, targeting the hospitality industry. I started attending lodging association conferences and began to build my client base. Hospitality is a relatively small industry, and I offer a very specialized service, so my business has grown mainly through client referrals, networking and speaking engagements at many of the conferences.

BETH CAMPBELL

New Member Closeup

Beth Campbell at a photo shoot for the Woodstock Inn & Resort (Woodstock VT),

What’s your favorite thing to photograph?

My favorite thing to shoot is probably food. I love working with a chef who has created a beautiful plate, finding the right angle, deciding how to light it, and what accessories will work (napkins, side dishes, silverware, etc.). It’s fun to collaborate with someone who cares about the details and perfection of the dish and the shot as much as I do! I also really like creating a still life scene with multiple elements, such as a charcuterie board with all of the fixings, a bottle of wine, poured glasses, candles, flowers, a stack of plates, etc. Photographing a big, beautiful dining room or lobby is always fun and challenging. I also really enjoy taking lifestyle and activity shots!

Tell us about your family and life in Middlebury.

My husband Steve, our 8th grade son and I relocated to Middlebury from upstate New York in the fall of 2020, built a house and moved into our new home May 2022. We are thoroughly enjoying the quality of life here, being near family, and the inclusive, welcoming nature of this community. We have jumped right in and I am a member of the Congregational church and the Porter Hospital Auxiliary Board, Steve plays hockey, and we all ski, hike, bike, and play tennis.

What are your hopes for your business in this community?

Most of my work involves traveling to lodging properties, however I would love to start building relationships and working with local businesses such as restaurants, retail, and commercial spaces. I hope to start working with architects, designers, builders and realtors as well. Food and product photography are a specialty of mine that I feel will appeal to local businesses.

New Member Closeup

What is the best part of your job?

So many things! The opportunity to travel to so many wonderful places is probably the best part. It never gets old and my sister and I always love a road trip. We try to make time on either end of the shoot to explore and enjoy the area. I often return to properties many times as they refresh, renovate, and rebrand. I get to know my clients well and develop long term professional and personal relationships with them, which is great. One of my favorite parts of the job is the client’s reaction when they first see the image I’m working on. I use a system called Cam-Ranger and it allows me to work “live” on my iPad and showing that first shot to the client that way is always fun.

Captain Nickels Inn in Searsport, ME. Photo by Beth Campbell Basin Harbor Club, Vergennes, VT. Photo by Beth Campbell

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Probably helping people understand the benefits of and returns on investing in professional photography. That, and being away from home week after week during my busy season. I usually miss my son’s birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and our anniversary!

What are the plans for the future of ECP?

While I love almost everything about my work now, I would like to bring in more product and food photography work that I could create in my own studio. I hope to work on a cookbook soon! I think it would also be good for me to get back to creating fine art again which would provide a nice balance between my commercial and creative work.