We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kendall Roclord. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kendall below.
Kendall, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I’ve excelled in several art forms. I’ve come to realize that the areas I’m afraid I’m lacking in are never obvious to anyone else but myself.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I had been making a living for 25 years as a musician/composer in the film industry. When I had my first child I wanted professional photographs of him. I realized I didn’t like the usual cliché photos that were being offered in the local photo studios. I had a vision of what I wanted to see; I just needed to learn how to work a camera. I bought one of the best Canon film cameras at the time and started to learn the basics. I quickly became obsessed and went back to college to study photography. All I could think about was photography. I was bugging other parents to let me photograph their kids as well as my own. At some point I decided that there was an empty niche that needed to be filled so I began to formulate a plan to open my own studio. I searched the Pasadena area for the perfect space; someplace that felt less like a retail store and more like an artist’s studio. Eventually I found the perfect spot in the Playhouse District of Pasadena and signed a lease.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
First, I practiced my art non-stop to get solid technical skills in photography. Next, I knew that I had a natural ability to connect with all kinds of people of all ages and backgrounds. Most importantly, I had learned from my previous career that I would never follow the latest trends or pay the slightest attention to what other photographs were doing. I was determined to always try to realize my own vision.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
Neither of my parents had any artistic background. However, they saw natural creativity in me and always supported and encouraged my own experimentation in all the different arts I explored.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roclord.com
Image Credits
Kendall Roclord
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