It’s that time of year where we’re all reflecting: both looking backwards and thinking of what lies ahead. I’ve had this website up now for nearly a year, and my first blog post ever was my Best of 2017 photo post. Look how far we’ve come! I am happy to say that I’ve been fortunate to photograph many important things this year, and hope I am able to carve out even more time next year for creative projects.

I’ll start my Best of 2018 post out with a few photos of one of my best friends, Lacey, and her finance (now husband) Kyle during their engagement session from January, and then a photo of them dancing at their wedding this November. 2018 has truly felt like their year to me, as I photographed many moments along the leading up to their big day.

On the dance floor at Trinity Tree Farm.

Live Music

Live Music continues to be my biggest passion besides photography. I can’t get enough concerts throughout a year. I don’t photograph all of them, but I usually want to capture a moment from each show, if I can. Here’s a few favorites form the shows I was able to photograph:

The Dr., John Maus, earlier this month in Seattle.

The intimacy of Lucy Rose’s set at The Sunset still lingers whenever I see this photo.

U.S. Girls had an incredible album this year, and a stellar KEXP performance as well.

I learned about the Vaporwave and Synthwave music genres this year and scoped out Waveshapper at a Seattle venue I’ve never been to before.

LUH (Lost Under Heaven) completely wooed me….(wu-ed me?) at the High Dive.

The best live show I think I ever have seen John Maus perform, at Coney Island in NYC, a few days before my 30th bday.

Noel Brass Jr. performing some soulgaze songs at the Waveform: Music and Tech event.

Neko Case performing a few songs off of her 2018 release to an private crowd at KEXP’s gathering space.

Shame putting us in our place at KEXP’s gathering space.

John Maus at KEXP in January, masterfully getting the sound just right. This might be my absolute favorite photo of the year, and it is one of the few that was featured in the art gallery at KEXP in the Fall of 2018.

Geneva Jacuzzi opening for John Maus at Coeny Island was something I could not have imagined. I will never forget this performance in and outside of a bubble!!

Portraits of Musicians

Most of my music portraits come as a result of shooting sessions at KEXP 90.3fm. I’m hoping to extend this further next year by reaching out more to musicians for collaborations myself.

Portraits with Friends

I had quite a few friends and family visit in Seattle this year, and I took trips to NYC and Minnesota to do my fair share of visiting myself. I am so lucky to photograph moments with the people in my life that I love and want to document forever. It has been a blast photographing people impromptu and in sessions.

Frances visiting Seattle (my mom’s best friend).

My niece Quetitia visiting Seattle and hanging out at Gasworks Park.

A new thing I tried in 2018 was using items (like prisms) to add effects on my photos in camera.

One of my best friends, Ashley (Pepper the DJ to others).

Holiday photos with Rina and Travis inspired me to make this composition. Purple and Yellow - Vikings colors!

Rina, Travis, and I basically got kicked out of the Volunteer Park Conservatory for this shot.

My friend Justin at Cathedral Park in Portland, OR.

Found a patch of a fantasy world while shooting Christmas Card photos with Melissa and Jonathan at Greenlake.

I really want to shoot more family sessions next year after shooting with my friend Shannon and her lovely family. They were a joy to work with - smiles all around!

I shot a couple of of senior photos this year including this favorite of my session with Rianna in Snohomish.

Lee tagged along to the Living Computer Museum and it was definitely his thing!

One of my favorite simple portraits of my friend Molly at Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis.

My best friend Angela at the Dream Machine in NYC.

My friend and coworker Chelsea at the Seattle Design Festival 2018.

My friend and coworker Colleen at the Seattle Design Festival 2018.

Angela and Justin in Portland, OR, at BarBar.

My friend and talented artist John Behr. I always joke that Josh Tillman created his stage identity, Father John Misty, after being inspired by this buddy John, because, well, they knew each other back in the day.

My friends at my Halloween party - Nate posing for the camera here.

One more shot of Angela at the Dream Machine in NYC.

A little friend I made on a random farm in Minnesota. Cats are people too!

Scenery

I live in beautiful Seattle, and was fortunate enough to do some traveling again this year. I love road trips and am super pleased to have gotten to road trip to Minnesota, which got its own full post here, as well as visit the East coast, which got its own post here.

The Great Plains on the way home from Minnesota.

The Strawberry Fields memorial at Central Park, NYC.

My sister Shayna taking in the Devil’s Tower, WY.

Events

One of my main goals for 2018 was to attend and shoot more events around Seattle. I shot a few things in the synthesizer community here, including a Patchwerks meetup and the Waveform: Music and Tech Event. I also shot a few light events like the Luminata Festival, Lusio Lights, and checked out Enchant Seattle as well (supposedly the largest Christmas Lights maze in America?). I also shot an event hosted at the Seattle Aquarium as a part of the INTA reception (a worldwide conference regarding Trademarks). Finally, I shot photos of the annual KEXP Record Fair, and also checked out the Seattle Design Festival with some friends.

Knobsenschitt put on by Patchwerks in Seattle - a synth lover’s meetup!

Waveform: Music and Tech Event at the Living Computers Museum and Labs.

Lusio Lights at the Volunteer Park Conservatory.

Chelsea and Colleen at the Seattle Design Festival at Occidental Park.

Fin

When I was going to create this post, I didn’t think I’d have quite as much to share here as I did in my first “Best of the Year” list…but I have surprised myself. I really adore the photos I’ve posted here and as proud of them as I am, I just feel humbled to be able to capture such beautiful things.

For 2019, I have a few new goals, which I’ve touched on above. I have a new project on the horizon that I’ve been debating for sometime - hopefully that will be revealed shortly. I also have goals to photograph more music-focused projects on my own, as well as trying to conceptualize more portrait shoots instead of just heading out in the daylight and figuring out portraits on a whim (which don’t get me wrong, that is very fun!). I may reach out to aspiring models in the area who are on board to try funkier stuff, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of that - and of course, I want to photograph more people I love in the new year.

At the end of the day, I just want to take epic photos. Thanks for reading along and supporting my work!

Love,

Bebe

Best of 2019 / December 29, 2019 by Bebe Besch

Live Music

Portraits of Musicians

Portraits with Friends

Scenery

Events

Best of 2018 / December 30, 2018 by Bebe Besch

Live Music

Portraits of Musicians

Portraits with Friends

Scenery

Events

Fin