We were lucky to catch up with Raven Kendall recently and have shared our conversation below.
Raven, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I keep my creativity alive by not limiting myself to one genre of photography, you’re constantly told in this industry that you have to have a “niche” but I don’t believe that. I believe that limiting yourself to one thing restricts your growth as a creative which limits your potential. I personally do a little bit of everything ranging from portraits, weddings, concerts, to comedy and more. With me being so opened to trying out any genre, I feel it’s helped me grow as a creative tremendously. It’s not only allowed me to figure out what I like and don’t like but what makes me happy and what motivates me to be the best creative possible. I do a ton of passion projects, things that mean a lot to me and drive me both creatively and personally like body positivity, inclusiveness, diversity, etc…
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a Portrait, Comedy, Concert, and Wedding Photographer based in Orange County, California. My photography is all about not only helping people document a special time in their lives but also helping them find their confidence/see themselves in a different light. I want my work to inspire, motivate, and most importantly help people. I love bringing light to important topics as well like human rights, mental health, body positivity, diversity, etc… to open up that conversation that needs to be had.
2024 is going to be a huge year for my career, I have a ton of things in the works that I wish I could share but at this time cannot unfortunately. What I can say is, I will be diving more into concerts and comedy directly for artists and comedians which I cannot wait for!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The first biggest area of knowledge would be really learning your camera. You don’t need an expensive body to be a great photographer but what you do need is to know your camera and it’s limits/abilities! Second would be composition, composition can make or break a photo so learning it and how to frame a photo correctly is a huge thing.
Third would be lighting, lighting is one of the most important things because it’s what makes a photo. If you have bad lighting, you have a bad image.
My best advice for these is to not only get outside and shoot but to spend time learning online, YouTube is a great resource and gives a ton of free lessons/information to help you grow and learn!
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Absolutely! I love working with/collaborating with folks in the industry. I’m opened to collaborating with pretty much anyone as long as our visions align! You could be a fellow photographer, a tattoo artist, a small business owner, an artist, etc… The best way to connect with me is to send me a dm on instagram!
Contact Info:
- Website: kendallgrovephoto.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kendallgrovephoto
- Other: tiktok handle @kendallgrovephoto
