Meet Kendra Rubalcaba | Portrait Photographer Specializing in Family Photography

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kendra Rubalcaba and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kendra, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born and raised in Massachusetts. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. My grandfather taught me how to read and always had a camera in his hands. He was a big influence on both my careers. I became a teacher and taught special education for 22 years but I always had a camera with me. I documented the kids in my classroom throughout the year and at the end of each year I would make a scrapbook and later a slideshow. I loved seeing the kids growth throughout the year and the kids loved seeing themselves, too. Outside of the classroom I was often documenting family and friends. In 2017 I had so many people asking me to take family pictures that I started my business. I have evolved tremendously over the last seven years by educating myself, networking, and meeting good mentors.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I taught special education for 22 years. Teaching was my first passion. I poured my heart and soul into my teaching career. My relationships with students, parents, and teachers were important in helping to shape who I am today. Watching my students grow and become strong was rewarding. Throughout my years, I carried a camera in the classroom. I documented my student’s growth and realized that photography was just as much a passion as teaching.

My experience as a teacher and the relationships I developed over the years, help me today as a family photographer. I absolutely love taking pictures of kids and families. I welcome all types of families including non-traditional families, families with special needs, LGBTQ+ families, and families with unique situations.

Because of my experience with special education, I am passionate about documenting families with special needs. I believe families with children with special needs are under represented and deserve more. They deserve to have family photos just as any other family. Families that need accommodations have communicated that they worry about doing family photos for a number of reasons. One reason is worrying that the photographer won’t understand their child. My clients meet me and are at ease after our sessions. Our sessions are comfortable, safe, and provide a sense of security. My clients feel confident and self assured after our sessions. I am patient and can provide accommodations such as no time limit, safe space, meet and greet before the first session, etc. When they receive their galleries, they love them and have beautiful family photos to look back on and hang on their walls.

I have learned many lessons on my business journey. The photography part and the relationships with clients just came naturally to me but I still had a lot to learn. I have grown in my photography and have become more creative, more confident, and more understanding of my style and editing. I hired a mentor, I went to many in person workshops, and practiced my photography with family, friends, and styled shoots.

When I first started, the business part was challenging. Well, it still is some days! Learning how to run a business was new to me. I took several online workshops and classes to learn pricing, taxes, organization, marketing, etc. I am currently continuing my learning journey by taking online workshops. I learned lessons on professionalism such as using a management system and creating contracts for clients.

I want the world to know that my brand is for everyone. I am your everyday photographer that believes in you. I believe every family deserves family photos. I am here for you from the beginning and will be there for all of your milestones. You are important, you deserve to feel confident through photography, you deserve to preserve and create memories, and you deserve to show the world who you are through pictures.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Mesa and I am a huge fan of downtown Mesa. I love to support local business and downtown Mesa has some of the best. My husband and I are down there at least once a week. Oro is our favorite brewery. When we go to Oro we often order from Worth Takeaway, a local fresh sandwich shop. We have so many favorites in Downtown Mesa that we could have a different place to eat every day of the week. Visit in Spring and we will be going to Spring training games for sure!

Hiking is my favorite activity, even in summer! Early sunrise hikes are still a little warm but beautiful. The first trail I take visitors on is Jacob’s Crosscut at Lost Dutchman. It is a fairly easy trail with a great view of the Superstitions. Yoga is my other favorite exercise and I would definitely bring a friend to the Yoga Spot in Gilbert for a calm and relaxing experience.

Downtown Phoenix has so much to do. We would definitely bring visitors to a Suns game or a D-Backs game. A local brewery tour would be on the list. There are some great breweries in downtown Phoenix we would be visiting like Greenwood Brewing and AZ Wilderness.

We have many favorites to show any of our visitors including a few day trips up North as well. If our friends visit, they better come often because there isn’t enough time to show them everything in one weekend.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family, especially my sisters and sister-in-law deserve a shoutout. I have been taking pictures of their kids since they were born. They were always my biggest fans and encouraged me to start a business. My teacher friends who have been my clients since the very beginning helped me get to where I am today. They believed in me from the start and are still my dedicated clients today. Since I was a teacher, I have many teacher clients who have helped my business grow by referring me to their friends and family. I am forever grateful to the teaching community. My husband has been by my side encouraging me all the way.

Website: https://kendraleeimagery.com

Instagram: @kendraleeimagery

Linkedin: Kendra Rubalcaba

Facebook: @kendraleeimagery

Image Credits
Brand Picture – Sara Bee Bishop Photography

Family Photos – Kendra Lee Imagery