Meet Bethany Pendleton

We were lucky to catch up with Bethany Pendleton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Bethany , thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?
Starting a photography business you always hear people question if you are truly ready to launch. Whenever I launched I had a friend at the time start rumors about me and my business. This pushed me to keep going and to strive for more despite the negativity. These rumors made me question my value within the photography community.

I had to overcome imposter syndrome and believe that I am good enough. I have learned that people will always judge another person’s credibility for anything.

I want to thank my church community for uplifting me during that time and telling me to keep going despite the viewpoints that were being spread about me. Haters and Nay-sayers should not have a grasp on people to the point that they question their why and career goals.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Hello everyone! I am Bethany Pendleton.

I am a photographer based in Clovis, NM. I specialize in military, portraits, families, and seniors. We are a military family and recently relocated from Florida. When I am not behind the camera, I am currently a full-time graduate student pursuing my Master’s in Public Administration: Healthcare Management.

Photography is my creative outlet and I have been actively involved in the art for the past ten years. When I launched we were stationed in Florida, but recently moved because of my husband’s job. It has been hard to relocate away from family and to keep clientele in a new location. Many people are not familiar with me and I am just now slowly starting to get known within the community.

Moving has made me grow and accept challenges that I never thought of after a launch.

My brand for the longest time has had some military influence. From 2019-2022, I primarily photographed the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. It was not until recently that I had started back with portrait photography. I love the military, but I also love people. Photographing people has made an impact on me. People come to you with stories and moments that they want to capture forever. I am grateful for every person and family I get the opportunity to photograph.

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?
Church Photography: Without my church involved in my journey, I don’t know where I would be today. Photographing for a church made me think about situations on the fly. Without this I would expect ideal settings at all times and would not have grown.

Education: Whether this is related to your career or future career education is so important. I keep up with education in photography and my future career. Without education we will never grow to reach our truest potential.

Aviation: Aviation has made a big impact on me. It has lead people to know who I am. The reality is I am more than just a picture of a plane. I want to inspire others to support our men and women that protect our country daily. This can be showcasing military families on my website, to telling a story about the importance of their jobs.

Always trust the process, not everything is going to go as planned and that is okay. If we had success right away, none of us would continue to strive for more.

How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal client is someone who wants to go with the flow during a session. I can have poses picked out ahead of time, but I love seeing clients comfortable in their own skin. Some of the best photos are from people having fun at a session. When they act like I am not there the best photos are captured.

Contact Info:

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