Today we’d like to introduce you to Raven Kendall.
Raven, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, my childhood was far from easy; while it shaped me into the woman I am today, it was very traumatic for me and hard to navigate. Despite the many times I didn’t think I’d make it, I persevered through and, thankfully was able to build a beautiful life for myself with an amazing career in Photography/Entertainment. I’ve been doing photography professionally for three years now. At first, I was just photographing hockey games as a hobby, then Covid hit, and I got laid off due to my profession at the time being in the Hospitality/Tourism field, I worked at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. I started doing photography a lot more to pass time as we were in lockdown; I realized that I wasn’t the only one who cherished photos; a lot of other people did, too. With how bad Covid was getting, I started offering to take photos of my friends, family, etc… (of course, following guidelines), which turned into me getting recommended to other people. At the time, tomorrow was definitely not promised, and everyone deserved to have updated photos that they could always have/look back on. This made me realize how much I truly loved photography, Fast forward to October of 2020, restrictions had eased up, and I traveled to California to visit a family friend. I fell in love with California and realized the opportunities were more than what my small town offered, but convinced myself it wasn’t a good idea to move across the country in the middle of a pandemic. A week into my visit, I received a call that my grandmother, who was practically my mom had gotten worse/contracted Covid and wasn’t expected to make it. I immediately flew home to be with her. I landed on October 14th, went straight to her nursing home, and said my final goodbyes. I just barely made it in time as she passed the very next day on October 15th. Her death hit me extremely hard as we were very close, and she raised me/was my mom. It made me realize that life is not something you should take for granted, so I decided to pack my things up and move to California to pursue photography. Three years later, I don’t regret moving here at all. It’s been a lot of work, but the opportunities I’ve had here are endless and have helped me advance my career tremendously in such a short amount of time. I’ve been published over 50+ times, including front/back cover, exhibited in galleries, and had featured photographer spreads both in the USA and Internationally. I’ve became a well-known Portrait, Event, Comedy, and Concert Photographer/Videographer. I was on a popular TikTok Comedy Tour for over a year as their tour photographer/content creator, and I’ve worked with a ton of other creators as well as comedians, actors/actresses, influencers, etc… It’s been an insanely wild and challenging journey, but I’m thankful for every bit of it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not haha; all good things come with trials/tribulations. One of the biggest struggles has been being a young woman in the photography/entertainment industry, you constantly have to work four times as hard to prove yourself, and even then, people still doubt you because you’re young and a woman.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a Professional Portrait, Event, Concert, and Comedy Photographer. I’m known for a few things, like doing a little bit of everything as I believe that niching down would limit my creativity, and that’s something I never want to do. I always want to be able to push myself and learn new things. I’m also well known for being a part of a popular TikTok Comedy Tour as their Tour Photographer and also working with other TikTok Creators, Comedians, and Actors/Actresses. I’m most proud of how far I’ve come in three short years; I never imagined I’d be where I am/working with who I am only being three years in.
What sets me apart from others is my ability to accommodate more than one niche, I can provide clients with a wide range of options such as any kind of portraits (families, couples, maternity, seniors, magazines, etc…) and any kind of events (concerts, weddings, comedy, corporate, birthday parties, etc…)
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
My favorite podcast is “Oh Shoot!” with Cassidy Lynne and “Called to Create” with Hannah McLane; they both give such great advice, tips, a ton of educational information and really helps me be a better photographer.
Contact Info:
- Website: kendallgrovephoto.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kendallgrovephoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/kendallgrovephoto
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raven-kendall-11b7a2209/
- Twitter: twitter.com/ravenkphoto
Image Credits
Rae Ann Photography
