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David Beckham Photography Studio
For 17 years, 6 Lockville Rd. in Olde Village was known as the building that housed David Beckham Photography. It was a space where stories were framed, milestones were celebrated and connections were made.
When Beckham had to make the difficult decision to close his studio this past March after suffering a stroke in 2024, the loss was felt across the entire Pickerington community. But as Beckham and his wife, Shelly, closed the doors to that chapter, they left behind not only his notable artistic legacy, but also a gift to the community that carried on his dedication to creativity, connection and generosity.
Passion, purpose, photography
David and Shelly Beckham
Beckham wasn’t always a photographer. In fact, he had two careers – a project engineer and a youth pastor – before pursuing his lifelong passion.
“I’ve always wanted to be a photographer, and I don’t know what led me to it, other than it looked like fun,” says Beckham.
Beckham had photographed as a hobby and unofficially shot sports events, but knew that sports photography wasn’t for him. It wasn’t until he and Shelly moved to Pickerington in 1994 that he discovered the growing demand for high school senior photos and found himself inspired by local pioneers such as Kent Smith and Larry Peters.
“I started learning from other professionals until I (learned) what makes a good portrait, and what seniors want,” says Beckham. “I joined Professional Photographers of Ohio and Professional Photographers of America, and they have all kinds of information on running businesses, and how to do different things, and it worked out for me.”
Eventually, Beckham opened his own studio in November of 2008 and went on to earn Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman degrees. From the beginning, he hosted workshops there for other photographers, motivated by his love for teaching, which was fostered during his time as a youth pastor.
“People would come from all over Ohio and then other states to learn from me. Then I got asked to teach at Professional Photographers of Ohio events. From there, I put my name in the hat to teach at the national one,” he says.
After that, Beckham’s reputation in the industry skyrocketed. Throughout his career, he spoke several times not only at the PPA Convention, but also on other national stages such as at ShutterFest, ImagingUSA, Sync Portrait Photography Conference and the Mastermind Event. He also served as the president of PPO for four years.
Over the years, Beckham’s photos have been published in more than 20 nationally printed publications – including the cover of PPA Magazine – earning him many awards, including one of the most prestigious PPA awards, the Grand Imaging Award for High School Senior Portraiture. His work also earned him a Top 10 photo in the 2016 PPA Grand Imaging Awards Senior Category and a three-year run in Senior Style Guide’s Hot 100 list.
Although Beckham’s list of awards is extensive, he says photography was never about the accolades. It was about giving clients a way to see themselves as those who love them see them: perfectly beautiful.
“That’s what I want them to see when they look at a photo I took of them, it’s flawless,” says Beckham.
One moment that has stuck with Beckham over the years that reflected the epitome of his mission was a young client sharing with him that she ‘never felt more beautiful in her life’ than when he took her photos.
David Beckham
Senior portraits taken by Beckham.
More to the picture
David and Shelly Beckham
Beyond teaching others and capturing the best in his clients, Beckham’s lens has always been a service vehicle. Long after his hobby turned into a thriving career, he still shot many individuals, groups and organizations for little-to-no cost.
Oftentimes, Beckham would take free senior banner photos and put on “media days” for the high school sports teams, as well as take free cast and crew headshots for the schools’ theatre troupes. He also enjoyed curating fundraising content and shooting for nonprofits, such as The Butterfly Project, and organizing donation-driven events such as pictures with Santa during Village holiday celebrations.
One of the most impactful ways Beckham used his work to give back was by hosting fashion shows to raise money for homeless people and local food pantries. At times, Beckham and his team would travel to cook for homeless people themselves.
"All ships rise in a storm." - Beckham's reference to the famous aphorism, "A rising tide lifts all boats."
“When I was doing that (fundraising) with my model (team), I would tell them ‘Your donation is twofold,’” says Beckham. “One, it buys the food, but two, it gives the kids an opportunity to give back and do something more than what they normally would be doing.”
Shelly says he was always willing to help – whether that meant something big, such as fundraising, or something small, such as restoring old photos for the elderly.
Even when Beckham shut the doors to his studio, he and Shelly found a way to make the most of its closing by turning it into a gift for the community. Almost all the building’s contents were donated in some way or another, with holiday decorations given to the city; furniture donated to local furniture banks; and other props, costumes, shoes and accessories given to the high school theatre departments. The rest went to Goodwill.
The couple also made an effort to reach out to every single client whose photograph hung on the studio walls – allowing every photo to find its way back to its owner rather than be thrown away.
Professional Photographers of Ohio
Framing the future
By focusing both his camera and career on generosity, Beckham has left an indelible mark on Pickerington and the photography community alike – one that extends far beyond portraits and awards. Despite closing his studio, his impact is still felt in the way he’s given back, from fundraising to teaching and inspiring fellow photographers.
Though his recovery journey has been challenging, Beckham hopes to return to photography in the future in a way that continues to educate, collaborate and uplift others.
“I didn’t do everything for money,” he says, “I did it for the friends.”
Ella Jay is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ejay@cityscenemediagroup.com.
