Today we’d like to introduce you to Belle Bermudez-Tubel.
Hi Belle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Honestly, TuBelle Photography wasn’t the plan. I had a motherhood blog (One Awesome Momma) that I was running for years. In 2019, I realized blogging wasn’t really it for me. Thinking what else I could do, I set my sights on starting a social media consulting business instead since I was able to grow my following for the blog. Only problem: I needed a second “portfolio” to prove I could actually grow more than one following, not just my own.
So photography became the “stepping stone”. I started learning everything I could: the technical stuff, the business side, all of it because I am a go big or go home type of person… with zero intention of sticking around. But the second I started photographing families, something shifted. I fell in love. Hard enough that I scrapped the social media consulting idea completely.
For a while I photographed anything that came my way, honestly, just saying yes to everything. But eventually it became clear: family photography was where my heart actually was. That’s where I planted my flag.
I started as a one-woman team in 2019. By 2022, I brought on my first associate photographer. In 2023, I added TBP Commercial; bringing that same heart-centered approach to small business owners who needed their visuals to finally match their work. In 2024, I officially opened our studio. Today, TuBelle Photography has a team of photographers here in Northern Virginia, with two sides: TBP Family and TBP Commercial.
And this past spring, that same mission made its way north; we launched Harbor & Wild Photography up in New Hampshire’s Seacoast, led by our associate photographer Kiah.
At the core of all of it, though, the thread hasn’t changed since I started the business: I want people to feel seen. Not just photographed… seen. That’s the whole reason why I decided to stick with it, and it’s still why I do this today.
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?
Not even close to smooth, honestly. There have been so many late nights, so many weekends that I didn’t get to enjoy, tons of 3-4 hour nights of sleep… but that’s just part of building something from nothing.
The pandemic didn’t make it easier, either. I had a new baby at home, and I was trying to build a business while the world was falling apart around me. Add in raising three kids, working a full-time job on top of it, and now running three brands… it’s a constant juggle. Some days I feel like I’m barely keeping all the balls in the air, and I’ve made peace with the fact that some days I won’t.
The back end of the business has been its own challenge, too… finding reliable people to help run things behind the scenes has taken a lot of trial and error. And it hasn’t just been on the operations side. I’ve had associate photographers leave in the middle of our busiest season after booking sessions for them, which is about as stressful as it sounds.
But for the most part? I’ve been really blessed to have a family who has been nothing but very supportive of my dream, and a team of women who don’t just do amazing work; they care about our clients the way I do. That team part hasn’t been easy to find, but it’s made all the difference.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At TuBelle Photography, we specialize in family, maternity, newborn, and senior photography; the kind of sessions that capture real life, not just posed smiles. TBP Commercial is the other side of what we do, where we help small business owners get brand and product photography that actually looks like the caliber of work they’re putting out into the world. And up in New Hampshire’s Seacoast, our sister brand Harbor & Wild Photography brings that same heart to families there.
What we’re known for is the experience just as much as the images. I built this business around the belief that people don’t just want to be photographed; they want to feel seen. So every step, from the first inquiry to the moment a gallery lands in someone’s inbox, is designed around that: thoughtful onboarding, real communication, little surprises along the way, not just a transaction that ends when the invoice is paid.
What I’m most proud of isn’t a single image or a session; it’s the fact that families come back, year after year, and refer their friends without me ever having to ask. That kind of trust doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built one honest, well-cared-for client experience at a time.
If I had to name what sets us apart, I’d say it’s this: we don’t just document what things look like. We chase what they feel like: the chaos, the love, the fleeting in-between moments most people forget to slow down for. That’s the difference between a nice photo and one that still makes you cry five years later.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Every single person I’ve worked with has played a role in where this brand is today. This has never been a one-woman show, even in the years it looked like one from the outside.
I owe so much to the continuing education educators I’ve learned from along the way: the people who’ve taught me not just the technical side of photography, but how to actually run this as a business. My family has been endlessly supportive of this dream, cheering me on through the late nights and the chaos of building something new.
My associate photographers are the heartbeat of TBP: they’re the ones out there capturing sessions, representing the brand, making sure every client gets that same TBP experience no matter who’s behind the camera. This year I started training editors to help carry some of that workload with me, which has been a huge step in being able to grow sustainably instead of trying to do it all myself. I’ve also worked with several virtual assistants over the years, all of whom have helped keep the backend of the business running; the stuff clients never see, but that makes everything else possible.
My mini session assistants and contractors deserve so much credit too; they’re the ones making sure our mini session clients have a smooth, easy experience from start to finish, which is no small task when you’re moving fast with back-to-back sessions.
And of course, our clients; I’m endlessly grateful for every family and business owner who’s trusted us with their story. This business doesn’t exist without them.
I also can’t forget my photographer friends, who’ve cheered me on and encouraged me more times than I can count… this industry can feel lonely sometimes, and having people in your corner who genuinely understand the ups and downs makes all the difference. The brands who’ve partnered with us along the way deserve credit too, for trusting us enough to work with us. And of course, our social media audience; the people who’ve followed along, cheered us on, and shown up for this business in ways that go far beyond just double-tapping a post. That kind of support means more than they probably know.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tubellephotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tubellephotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tubellephotography/
