Beti Duke was born  in Havana, Cuba and emigrated to the United States in 1961 after the Cuban revolution. She grew up in Miami and attended Florida International University, where she received a degree in Special Education. She taught at Vanguard Academy in Coconut Grove before leaving  the hectic city life and moving to the Keys in 1982 with her husband John, where they raised their two daughters. There, Beti started a cooperative pre-school and Kindergarten on Big Pine Key and later taught at Sugarloaf elementary school before deciding to return to school herself.

Creative photography courses at the Florida Keys Community College in 1995 had her totally hooked—she spent endless hours in the photo lab developing film and just as many capturing the images that surrounded her. Inspired by Clyde Butcher, whose photographs depict the beauty of the Everglades and the pristine environments of Florida. Beti draws her energy from nature’s beauty. I want to share the beauty of the Florida Keys and surrounding environment—where ever it may be--- for all to enjoy and appreciate, she says. She works in both black & white and color, and her subjects often consist of vibrant tropical fruits and flowers, stunning sunsets, seascapes and  endless clouds. A macro & wide - angle lens helps accentuate the details, textures and beauty that these things hold.

Beti also travels, with camera & zoom lens in hand , capturing the essence of different cultures and people in their daily life. I want the audience to empathize with the people and scenes, whether an old woman begging in Mexico or another carrying textiles to market on  top of her head, she says. The Dream Catcher Schooner and the Aida are also often the focus of her photographs, both used in their sail training adventures, especially when anchored off the clear waters of the Florida Keys and Bahamas.

Beti now lives in Little Torch Key with her husband John.