Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Bezek.
Hi Amy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Through My Lens: The Story Behind Amy Bezek Photography
Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, there was always a camera nearby.
My mother documented everything. Birthdays, holidays, family gatherings, and even ordinary days that might have seemed unimportant at the time. Today, I can still find those old Polaroids tucked away in boxes throughout her house, each one carefully labeled with a marker identifying who was in the portrait and the date it was taken. Those photographs became our family’s history book.
Looking back, I realize that’s where it all began.
As a child, I was drawn to every form of art I could get my hands on. I loved drawing, sketching, painting, music, and photography. Creativity was never just a hobby. It was how I saw the world. Like my mother, I always had a camera with me. Even then, I was fascinated by the idea of freezing a moment in time.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I became involved in the underground hardcore and punk rock music scene. No matter where I went, my camera came with me. I spent countless nights photographing bands, crowds, and the raw energy that filled those venues. I wasn’t thinking about a career at the time. I simply loved documenting life as it unfolded around me.
Everything changed when I took photography in high school.
This was long before digital cameras. We shot on film, developed negatives in the darkroom, and watched images slowly appear on paper under the glow of a safelight. It felt like magic. I was mesmerized by the entire process. The idea that a blank sheet of paper could transform into a photograph captured by a camera completely captivated me.
Even today, in our fast-paced digital world, I still think about those moments in the darkroom. Photography has become faster and more efficient, but there was something truly magical about the analog process. It taught patience, craftsmanship, and appreciation for the art form.
Although photography had captured my heart, my career path initially led me in several different directions. I studied architectural engineering, interior design, recording engineering, and broadcasting communications. Over the years, I worked in a variety of industries, often advancing into management positions. Every experience taught me valuable lessons about leadership, business, communication, and problem-solving.
In 2004, everything came full circle when I joined The Picture People, one of the largest portrait photography companies in the country at the time, with locations in malls throughout the United States.
It was there that I learned how photography could become more than a passion. It could become a profession.
I started in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, later transferring to Scranton and then to Bridgewater Commons Mall in New Jersey. Throughout my time with the company, I traveled extensively and received intensive training in photography, sales, marketing, profit and loss management, customer service, and business operations.
We photographed exclusively on film using Mamiya RB67 medium format cameras, producing nine exposures per roll of 120 film. Every frame mattered. We were trained to capture every expression, every interaction, and every important moment. We were also trained to shoot to sell, understanding not only how to create great portraits but also how to run a successful photography business. That experience shaped the photographer and business owner I would later become.
I am incredibly grateful for everything I learned during those years.
Eventually, however, I realized I wanted more creative freedom. The work was highly structured and repetitive, and I found myself longing to create something of my own.
In 2010, I took a leap of faith.
Armed with one camera, one lens, and an unwavering determination to succeed, I launched my own photography business.
The early years were far from easy.
I built my business one client at a time while transforming my home into a working studio. My living room became an office. My dining room became a photography studio. Bedrooms filled with props and backdrops. Mannequins occupied corners of the kitchen. Every available space became part of the dream.
On June 10, 2014, I officially became AB Photography LLC.
As the years passed, I continued to grow, learn, and evolve. Then came 2020.
Like many small business owners, the COVID-19 pandemic forced me to stop and rethink everything. During that time, I rebranded and officially became Amy Bezek Photography LLC, creating a brand that reflected both my work and my personal vision.
In 2021, I found a commercial property that could become the photography studio I had always envisioned. It felt like the next chapter of a dream I had been building for years.
Then life took an unexpected turn.
Just before signing the sales agreement, I was diagnosed with breast cancer after being misdiagnosed for nearly a year. I remember questioning whether I should move forward with the purchase at all. I didn’t know what the next several months would bring, how treatment would affect me, or what the future would look like.
Despite the uncertainty, I decided to move forward.
Within weeks, I was at Fox Chase Cancer Center undergoing a lumpectomy to remove the tumor from my right breast. While navigating chemotherapy, radiation treatments, medications, and countless medical appointments, construction on the building moved forward as well.
At the same time, inflation caused construction costs to skyrocket. What had originally been estimated at $250,000 grew to nearly $550,000. There were moments when I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish the building. There were moments when I questioned how much more I could handle physically, emotionally, and financially.
As a photographer, documenting life has always been second nature to me. During chemotherapy and radiation treatments, I created a series of self-portraits documenting my own cancer journey. For most of my career, I had been telling other people’s stories through photography. Cancer challenged me to turn the camera on myself.
Those images documented the reality of treatment, the uncertainty, the strength, the fear, and the hope that existed throughout that chapter of my life. Looking back, they remain some of the most meaningful photographs I have ever created.
Giving up was never an option.
I applied for grants, searched for solutions, and kept moving forward one day at a time. My passion for photography and my determination to build something meaningful carried me through one of the most difficult periods of my life.
On November 17, 2023, that dream became reality.
Amy Bezek Photography officially opened its doors at 1231 Wyoming Avenue in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania.
Standing inside the completed studio during the grand opening was one of the most emotional moments of my life. After years of hard work, uncertainty, cancer treatments, construction challenges, and financial obstacles, I was finally welcoming clients into a space built from passion, perseverance, and purpose.
The building also became home to another organization close to my heart.
Since 2018, I have served as Vice President of the Street Art Society of NEPA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing public art and murals to communities throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Our volunteer board works to support artists and create meaningful public art projects that inspire connection and community.
Interestingly, my connection to the building began before I ever owned it. During COVID, I contacted the property owners to ask if they would be interested in having a mural painted on the building through the Street Art Society of NEPA. At the time, I never imagined I would eventually purchase the property and move my business there. Looking back, it feels like one of those moments where life quietly points you toward your future before you can see it yourself.
Today, my business looks different than it once did.
Following cancer treatment and the development of lymphedema, I made the difficult decision to step away from weddings and long-duration events. Carrying heavy camera equipment for extended periods was no longer sustainable.
Instead of seeing it as a setback, I saw it as an opportunity to evolve.
Today, I specialize in portrait, commercial, drone, and underwater photography.
I photograph families, children, pets, professionals, entrepreneurs, and businesses of all sizes. I operate a boutique photography studio where clients are guided from their first inquiry through their final portrait installation. Every step of the experience is personalized.
My studio features multiple shooting environments, including the Light Studio, which houses four unique photography spaces, and the Dark Studio, designed for long exposures, creative lighting, and complete light control.
The space has also evolved into a center for creativity, wellness, and community. We host sound baths, meditation events, and gatherings that encourage healing, connection, and personal growth.
Today, I am grateful. Grateful to be alive. Grateful to be cancer-free. Grateful to wake up every day doing work I truly love.
Photography has taken me on an incredible journey, from childhood Polaroids to darkrooms, from film to digital, from a spare room in my home to a commercial studio of my own.
As I look toward the future, my vision continues to grow. I hope to expand my business throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, establish a seasonal presence on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, and eventually spend winters creating portraits and commercial work throughout the Caribbean.
The beauty of photography is that it allows you to tell stories anywhere in the world.
For me, it has never been just about taking portraits.
It has been about preserving memories, celebrating life, overcoming obstacles, and creating something meaningful through the lens of a camera.
After all these years, I still can’t imagine doing anything else.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. There have been plenty of bumps, potholes, construction signs, and detours along the way. Life is constantly changing, and running a business requires the ability to adapt and keep moving forward, even when things don’t go according to plan.
One of the biggest challenges I continue to face is doing everything on my own. As a small business owner, I wear all the hats. I’m the photographer, creative director, editor, marketer, social media manager, bookkeeper, salesperson, customer service representative, and often the maintenance crew too. While I love what I do, managing every aspect of the business can be overwhelming at times.
The early years were especially challenging. Many people don’t realize that building a successful business takes time. There were years of long hours, sacrifices, and reinvesting back into the business rather than taking a paycheck. Success doesn’t happen overnight, and entrepreneurship requires a tremendous amount of patience and persistence.
Of course, there were also larger obstacles, including navigating COVID, purchasing and renovating a commercial property during a period of rising construction costs, and facing a breast cancer diagnosis while building my dream studio. Those experiences tested me in ways I never expected.
Through it all, I have remained determined, adaptable, and optimistic. Every challenge has taught me something valuable and helped shape both the person and business owner I am today. My goal is to continue growing and scaling my business so that I can eventually build a team, allowing me to focus even more on serving my clients, creating, and doing the work I love most.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What I am probably best known for is the experience I provide my clients. I operate a boutique photography studio, which means I guide clients through the entire process from start to finish. From the initial consultation and planning stages to the portrait session itself and the final selection of artwork, I am involved every step of the way.
I also bring a lot of energy into everything I do. Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about photography, creativity, community, and life in general. That positive energy naturally carries into my sessions. I love connecting with people, making them laugh, helping them feel comfortable, and showing them a side of themselves they may not always see. Whether I am photographing a family, a high school senior, a business owner, or a pet, I want the experience to feel fun, relaxed, and memorable.
Many people walk into the studio nervous about being photographed and leave feeling completely different. Seeing that transformation and helping people feel confident in front of the camera is one of my favorite parts of what I do.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
If I had to choose one quality that has contributed most to my success, it would be determination.
Throughout my life and career, there have been many moments when it would have been easier to give up, change direction, or settle for less than what I envisioned. Building a business from the ground up, navigating economic challenges, adapting during COVID, facing a breast cancer diagnosis while purchasing and renovating a commercial property, and continuing to grow through unexpected obstacles all required persistence and determination.
I have never been someone who gives up easily. When challenges arise, I focus on finding solutions and moving forward one step at a time. I believe success is often less about talent and more about consistency, resilience, and the willingness to keep going when things get difficult.
I also believe maintaining a positive mental attitude plays a major role in success. Every situation presents a choice. We can focus on the obstacle, or we can focus on the opportunity to learn, grow, and move forward. Throughout my journey, I have chosen to focus on possibilities rather than limitations.
That determination, combined with passion for what I do, has allowed me to continue building a life and business that I truly love.
Pricing:
- Branding Sessions – $2095
- Underwater Photography – $500/hr
- Families, Maternity, Newborn, High School Seniors and Pets – $350
- Headshots – $350
- Drone Photography – $250/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amybezek.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amybezekphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amybezekphotography/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-bezek-2035b445/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@amybezekphotography
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/amy-bezek-photography-forty-fort
- Other: https://amy-bezek-photography.square.site/
