Creative, bold and beautiful are all things that come to mind when looking through talented fashion photographer, Becca Teal Batista's work. Whether she’s shooting a commercial fashion editorial or portraits, all of her photos seem to tell a wonderfully curated visual story resulting in quite striking photographs. It’s no surprise this Southern California based beach babe discovered her love of photography at such an early age.
Becca first began her photography career as a child; producing elaborate photo shoots with her siblings and other neighborhood children. She’d use the clothing she acquired while competing in beauty pageants to style them. She continued to pursue her love of photography throughout high school and eventually went on to attend the prestigious Brooks Institute of Photography. After graduating in 2007, she moved to New York where she worked as a lighting technician and photographer’s assistant. It was there; she first got a taste of working in the editorial and advertising industries, eventually becoming an expert in lighting and retouching.
After a few years in New York, Batista returned to her hometown of San Diego where she started a portrait studio with fellow Brooks graduate and friend, Jenny Siegwart. From then on, she’s been shooting for an array San Diego and Los Angeles brands including Child of Wild, Issa de Mar, BLNDN, and Mimi and Lu. In addition, she shoots regularly for publications like Modern Luxury, San Diego Magazine and InTandem. When she’s not out shooting, Becca likes to spend her days out on the water with her surfer husband Thiago and their dog Bastien.
Read more about Becca, her latest obsessions, and beauty picks below. And, peep her portfolio here, we highly recommend it!
My style in 3 words…Californian in New York - does 4 words count? ;)
My nicknames are…Becca, Baby and Boba
My drugstore must-have is…The African black soap by Shea Moisture. They carry it at CVS!
My last purchase was…A pair of black patent leather “shooting boots” from Zara. I like to go into shoots like I’m going into battle. My aim for my shooting wardrobe is a little comfort with a lot of style.
My top 3 make-up bag essentials are…I’m a naturalist these days, but I have at least 5 essentials always. My makeup bag always has Kopari Coconut Melt, tinted moisturizer by Laura Mercier, Perfecting Illuminator by Sonia Kashuk, a brow pencil by Anastasia and a shea lip balm by Pixi in Ripe Raspberry for a stained pink lip.
My beauty secret is…Water, sleep and daily sunscreen. Luckily for me I usually only have to get up to an alarm clock about once a month. Other than that I can casually roll out of bed around 8am. I usually start my day with a huge glass of room temperature water with sliced lemon and just continue to refill that throughout the day. I also cover my body, post-shower, with coconut oil by Kopari. I spend a ton of time in the sun so I’m all about hats and sunscreen (even on my hands) to help slow the roll on that early aging.
I smell like…I am a fairly anti-perfume these days because of all of the added chemicals, so I probably smell like a mix coconut oil and rose water.
I keep in shape by…I run an 8mile loop around Mission Bay about once weekly with my cousin, which is both my therapy and keeps me young. I also mix in kickboxing and spin for the other 4 days of the week. I get plenty of squats in while shooting. I should probably get back into my yoga routine as well because the stretching and meditation is good for everything.
My de-stress trick is…To be honest, I need to work on this de-stress thing. My friend opened a Kundalini meditation and yoga studio nearby, so I would like to get into that. I married a surfer, so anytime I spend in the water with him or at the beach is always a cleansing and calming time for me.
My secret talent is…Only my close friends and family know this about me, but I can sing! When I was younger I knew without a doubt that I would grow up to be a pop singer, but I hit my teen years and picked up a camera instead and that dream went to the back burners.
My first celebrity crush was…Oh, JTT and Devon Sawa!
The music artist who always gets me dancing is…Probably because I want to be her, Beyoncé! But, I also love Daft Punk, David Bowie and Brazilian music from the 1960s.
My fashion icon is…My fashion icon is my Grandmother Shirley. She grew up in the days of Hollywood Glamour and is always done to the nines, but always knows how to “dress down” with a crisp button down men’s shirt and cropped, tailored pants with flats. Her style has always been iconic to me.
My guilty pleasure is…I love Netflix right now! I am so happy to see the larger studios and networks being challenged with what Netflix has created with all of these independently funded shows like Stranger Things, The Get Down and Orange is the New Black. There is so much talent in that world right now!
Right now, I’m obsessed with…Listening to podcasts while I edit at my computer. I usually go through phases with what I am into and what inspires me. Right now I love listening to Marc Maron on WTF Podcast. Mark sits down, mostly with fellow comedians like Kristen Wigg, Billy Crystal, and David Spade. I am so inspired hearing about their stories and how they ended up in stand up and comedy. To me, like in any art, if you just let your life guide you and you are open to yourself, it just kind of comes to you. This concept is so cool to me.
My favorite website is…I love Leandra Medine and Man Repeller. She is killing it and she’s so fucking funny.
My favorite TV show is…I just finished The Get Down on Netlflix. It was created by Baz Luhrmann and is set in the South Bronx in the late 1970s. It basically is a disco dream, the story is so beautiful and it is so well produced, I tell everyone to watch it.
When I have some free time, I…Whenever I have a free Saturday, my husband Thiago and our dog Bastian are most likely out on our Miami Vice era speedboat. We spend most of our free time on or in the ocean.
For breakfast, I always have…I am a big avocado toast kind of gal. My go to breakfast is room temperature lemon water, a large coffee and a sourdough toast with avaocado, tomato, salt and pepper.
My favorite restaurant is…My favorite restaurant is a local spot called Fish Attack. They have the freshest fish around and the setting so laid back and far from stuffy, which I like in a sushi spot. Thiago and I can be spotted on their patio at least once a week with our dog, Bastian.
My ultimate travel destination is…My husband and I are planning a trip to Bali next year, which I have been looking forward to for years now. I am all about tropical vacations with dense culture and especially the $5 a day massages.
In my career, I am most proud of…I am most proud of the steady growth that I’ve had. I have learned a ton in the 10 years of working in the industry and am excited about what the next 10 hold for me. I think it’s going to be great. I am so ready to get in with the big boys and show them what I’ve got up my sleeves.
The best advice I’ve ever received is…My family was always so supportive of letting me do what inspires me and allowing me to take the “difficult” career path of becoming a photographer. They never doubted me. So, I would say the best advice I ever received was from my family and my high school photography teacher to just fucking go for it and follow my passion. I haven’t looked back since and am so happy to spend every day doing what I love and to be able to create every day.
As a photographer, I’ve learned…As a photographer I’ve learned that consistency is key. It has taken me this long to refine my visual style and it has continues to evolve and to be fine tuned, but the general style has remained consistent. I think that’s important to having a voice as a creative. Clients want to know what they’re going to get and they definitely know what quality and voice I offer in my work.
My goal in life is…My goal in life is to live happily and fully. I am a hungry girl. I love to experience with eyes wide open, a camera in hand and a smile on my face. It’s pretty simple.