Daily Inspiration: Meet Betsy McCue-Gibson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Betsy McCue-Gibson. 

Hi Betsy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I began my photography business in 2005, focusing on storytelling through unscripted moments, primarily through weddings and families. Back in 2019, I transitioned my business away from weddings to family life documentaries (a day in the life approach). A woman stumbled upon my old wedding work and insisted I was her person for Boudoir even though I didn’t have a Boudoir portfolio at the time (although to be fair, I had photographed hundreds of brides and women…I just hadn’t thought of it that way!). 

It was definitely out of my comfort zone but said yes because I’m always up for a new challenge. She was so convinced that I was convinced! We had an amazing collaboration and her transformation inspired me. It helped her face this new challenging chapter in her life with a whole new confidence, perception of herself, and reinforced her belief that she could do anything. That’s a big part of the reason I fell IN LOVE with this work instantly. It felt like everything else had been preparing me for this work. It simply lit my soul ON FIRE! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I shot over 250 weddings with my late husband. When he unexpectedly passed away in 2016, I lost my life partner AND my business partner. I knew I loved photography and that it was my purpose, but I had to find a new way to do it—away from living in the shadows of the past. Friends told me that clarity would come through personal photo projects, so I packed up my bag and put myself on sabbatical, traveling abroad for almost a year to find my voice and spend time working on myself in a new venue. I did a Kickstarter to support this crazy adventure through selling artwork I created as I traveled. People were SO supportive—it was amazing and transformative! I shot street photography in 9 different countries and it was life-giving. It taught me to be in the present and breathe into a moment until that moment became the next moment. There was no past. There was no future. Just the present. This changed my perspective on everything. 

I wanted to share these lessons I learned traveling through a unique and deep client experience that helps people embrace their own hero’s journey. I dug in deep and redefined my business as a solo artist, Betsy McCue Pictures. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
After my own journey as a phoenix rising from the ashes, I understand what it is to rebuild your identity while discovering how to be confident and comfortable in your own skin after losing everything that I thought defined me. 

As a Boudoir photographer, I have the incredible honor of diving deep with my clients in a unique self-love journey. Boudoir changed my relationship with myself and my body in so many ways. You’ll dig deep in this process to help you take inventory of what’s made you who you are, honors who are at this present moment, and helps you move the needle a little bit closer to the person you’re working on becoming. The unique GRIT&GRACE experience encourages you to strip away (literally and figuratively) the roles and preconceptions you carry to get in touch with yourself and all the amazing things that make you YOU—from the inside out. We bring this all to the surface through emotive work that shows you what the rest of the world sees every day. It doesn’t get more vulnerable than this, but I promise you will learn to see and celebrate the wholeness of your unique beauty, inside and out, in this process! 

What makes you happy?
My experiences help me deeply relate with women going through their own self-love journey. It’s been a true gift to turn all of that I lived into something I can use to help lift other women up! 

There is always light—even in the darkest times—if you keep your eyes open and shift your perspective. 

I love spending a Sunday afternoon rambling down country dirt roads, absorbing the amazing nature of Michigan, while listening to bluegrass music with my husband, windows down, and our dog in the back seat. Being in nature always grounds me in the joy that can be found in the smallest details, the way light shows us that so differently each day, and somehow it all helps me feel more connected with myself.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.betsymccuepictures.com/boudoir
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betsymccuepictures/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook..com/betsymccuepictures/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCixI7gyJIkRDBHPYkOfq9DQ
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/betsy-mccue-pictures-kalamazoo

Hair and Makeup credits
Makeupyourpower
Kelsey LaVergne