Hi, I'm Erica · the story between us

You are the storykeeper.
Let me teach you to see like one.

One-on-one mentoring for the people closest to the kids — parents, teachers, camp staff, daycare providers. I’ll give you the skills to photograph the everyday and keep the story — to name what you’ve always been.

Click Pro Certified
15+ Years Behind the Camera
Mentoring Online, Anywhere
Parents · Teachers · Camps · Daycares

Real progress, one
conversation at a time

No lecture halls, no gear lists. We meet over video, look at your own photos of your own kids, and I show you exactly what to change next time you pick up the camera.

Step one

Tell me where you're stuck

Grab the free guide or book a session and send me a handful of your photos. I look at what you're already doing and where the story is getting lost.

Step two

We meet, we look, we fix

On a video call we go through your images together — light, angle, timing, intention. You leave with a short, specific plan for the very next shoot.

Step three

You practice, I stay close

You shoot with new eyes. Send the results, get feedback, keep going. Ongoing packages keep that loop running until it's second nature.

A picture is worth a thousand words. But which thousand? Choosing them is the whole art.

These are mine. I'll teach you to make yours.

A storykeeper story
In a single frame

I don't open my own doors anymore

The boys fall into formation the second we leave the house — one on the door, one scanning the room. I'm the client. The precious cargo. I've never been so managed, or so loved.

Erica Smith

Photographer, teacher,
multipotentialite

I picked up a camera to document the beautiful chaos of raising three kids. I didn't want to forget a single moment. I also wanted receipts — because parenthood is nothing like the books I devoured. Nothing.

I taught myself exposure, white balance, and focus the hard way — years of muscle memory so I could be fast enough to catch the fleeting stuff. The micro expressions. The messes that become memories. Today you don't have to do any of that. Modern cameras — even your phone on auto — handle the technical side. What they can't do is see the story. That's the part I teach.

Now I mentor the people who are around kids the most — parents, teachers, camp counselors, daycare providers — anyone with a good reason to photograph them. My whole story is the proof: you don't need to become a professional. You just need someone to show you how to see.

15+
Years
Click
Pro Certified
1:1
Online Mentoring

Start tonight:
5 Steps to Better Photos

A jargon-free guide with practice assignments you can try today — no special equipment, just any camera and 15 minutes. The fastest way to see what mentoring feels like before you book.

The guide is being finished now — drop your email and you'll be first to get it.

A free guide by Erica Smith
5 Steps to Take Better Pictures of the Kids in Your Care
Using just your phone
1 Get Low
2 Back Up, Then Back Up Again
3 Use the Rule of Thirds
4 Look for the Light
5 Tweaking Is Not Cheating

Mentoring for every
step of the journey

Start small with a single session or a photo review, go deeper with ongoing mentorship, or learn at your own pace. Every option is built for people photographing the kids in their care.

Try it out

Photo Review

Send a set of your photos and get an honest, encouraging video critique you can rewatch any time.
  • Up to 15 photos reviewed
  • 10–15 min recorded video critique
  • Three things to try next
$45 / review
Book a review
Go deeper

Ongoing Mentorship

A multi-session package for real, lasting change — with feedback between every call.
  • Four 60-min sessions over 8 weeks
  • Unlimited photo feedback between calls
  • Custom practice assignments
  • Best value per session
$340 / package
Start mentorship

Also available: self-paced video course (in progress) and small-group workshops & cohorts for teams, camps & daycares. Ask about group rates →

Ready to take photos you'll
actually want to keep?

Book a session, request a photo review, or ask about group workshops for your camp, classroom, or daycare. The free guide is the easiest place to start.

Email  hello@becomeastorykeeper.com
Based in  Austin, Texas
Mentoring  online, anywhere