By Vanessa Tinsley
Born in a small town of 3,000 people, “in the middle of nowhere,” was Andrea Bush. Ripley, West Virginia, is a part of the Appalachian foothills. Andrea is the oldest of her siblings, and has two younger brothers. In 1990, she married John Wheatcraft and became Andrea Wheatcraft, although she usually goes by Annie. In 1992, she moved to Frankfort for a teaching job with children who have special needs at Elkhorn Elementary.
She went on to have two children, Elijah, now 30, and Chloe, now 27. In 2006, she started her photography business, Annie Rose Photography.
Although she had still been utilizing her old 110 camera since she was a teenager, she got a Nikon film camera and started taking pictures of her kids.
“I just fell in love with capturing little people,” Annie said. “It was an extension of my love for preschool and those kids!”
The hardest part of her first year, after taking photos at home for several years, was just gaining confidence and learning new tricks. She did face some challenges with getting a whole family on board, and working with different personalities, but she was always able to make it happen and make her clients happy.
“It is part of you,” she said, “When you create something, it is a big deal to share it with the world.”
What makes her business different from others, could be told to you by many people. She recently posed a question on Facebook asking clients to list three descriptions about her photos. The three main descriptions were about how her images were filled with light, they had a lot of emotion and they were classic photos.
She previously offered free photos for autistic individuals. She did fall and spring photo sessions. The turnout was remarkable.
“Sometimes, there were three of us taking pictures,” she said. “So that told me there was a need out there for that community.”
This has become a huge passion of hers. One time there was an autistic individual whose family was worried that their daughter might not do the photos, because she may not be comfortable. Annie spoke with them and found out that their daughter loved the keyboard. So they discussed bringing the keyboard to the photo shoot. The family brought the electric keyboard with them to Liberty Hall, and set it up. Annie gave their daughter the space she was comfortable with, and captured images that they will treasure forever.
“She played and did her thing and I just stayed back and watched,” Annie said. “We got some great photos!”
When coming to a photo shoot with Annie, you can expect lots of communication ahead of time so she can truly understand what it is that you are trying to capture. She also provides a thorough explanation of what to anticipate the day of.
Some fun facts about Annie are, she absolutely cannot live without her Nikon camera. Her hands know all of the buttons. Her favorite lens is a 85 mm lens that really makes her individual stand out and provides clear definition. She loves anything art. She was taught in kindergarten how to crochet by her grandmother, and is currently working on hand hooked wool rugs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she made almost 200 clothing items. She really looks up to her parents. They gave her confidence and made her feel capable. They were married almost 60 years and both were teachers.
Her future vision for “Annie Rose Photography,” is to follow her passion. She enjoys photographing those with different needs and helping families afford pictures that may not have been able to afford them otherwise. The Legacy she wants to leave behind is for clients to say she cared about them and that she listened.
Her main advice for new business owners, is to not compare yourself to other artists’ work.
“Don’t compare your work to others, and just be you,” Annie said.
Prices vary from $150- $275.
A mini session for 30 minutes with one family, will yield eight to 10 images for the price of $150.
A regular session would last 60 minutes, and could include extended family. Patrons receive 25-plus images, for the price of $275.
Add-ons would include travel over 15 miles outside of Frankfort, and any additional time at $25 each.
For senior photography, a mini session is 30 minutes with one to two outfits. The session will yield eight to 10 images for the price of $150. A regular session would be 60 minutes with two to three outfits an will yield 25 images for the price of $275. Add-ons would include cap and gown, sports portraits, 30 minutes of extra time, or travel 15 or more miles outside of Frankfort.
If you are interested and would like to book a session with Annie, email her at AnnieRosePhoto@gmail.com.
