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

Hi Kristin, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I used to have the worst work-life balance!

I’ll admit, the more my business grew, the more I put it ahead of my family. I’d eat, sleep, and breath work. I knew emails could wait and sessions didn’t have to be edited right away, but I still felt like I would be a failure if I didn’t do those things right away.

But over time, I continued to grow no matter if I responded to an inquiry within 3 minutes or 3 days, or I sent out sneak peeks in 24 hours or an entire gallery in 2 weeks. My family is the most important thing to me and I work as hard as I do for them, but they deserve my attention too.

Instead of working 7 days a week, I now only shoot Thursdays – Sundays, and I will only edit during the weekdays. The rest of the time is spent with my family and friends. My business has continued to bloom and I have found a work life balance that gives me and my family normalcy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When I started my photography business, I actually never had any intention of doing weddings. We’re a military family so I knew we’d be moving a lot; I just couldn’t commit to wedding contracts.

Until I had a couple who refused to take “no” for an answer!

I had shot their proposal and they insisted I do their wedding; I was very clear that weddings weren’t my forte’ … I’d never done one before so I would be way out of my element. They didn’t care. Well, it was just the push I needed!

The wedding was absolutely beautiful; everything I could have asked for for my first one. When it was over, I got into my car and started to cry. I called my husband in tears and I just sobbed, “I want to do this for the rest of my life!”

I spent a little too much money upgrading my gear, investing in my education, and before I knew it, the inquiries began to flow!

I knew I got lucky with how my wedding photography story turned out; I would never recommend getting into the industry this way. But I was fortunate enough to have a couple who believed in me, a gallery they loved, and an iron gut to take it on in the first place.

The biggest challenge? Well, we’re military and we move! Luckily I have built a good reputation, a great portfolio, and an even better customer base because I can now proudly say that I am a travel wedding photographer based out of two states (Arizona & Oklahoma) and an international wedding photographer too!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The best thing about Arizona is that you can hop in the car and drive three hours north and see the beautiful red rocks of Sedona, or just an hour south you hit the grasslands of Sonoita. The scenery is unreal no matter where you go!

When you visit Arizona, a road trip makes the most sense! From flowing rivers to the dry desert, snow-covered mountains to tree-covered hills, Arizona is absolutely stunning!

Not to mention, no matter what city you’re in, Arizona has the best Mexican food!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Apart from my husband Brandon who supports me in everything I want to do, I have an amazing team that works for me. This team is comprised of a group of fabulous wedding photographers and videographers in their own right, but more importantly, they’re a group of my friends who believe in my business model and what I stand for. We associate and second shoot for one another, mentor and teach each other, and support and refer each other’s businesses! Che, Tori, Timothy, Steven, Evan, Cameron, Jen, and Aaron …. everything that my business is is because of them.

Website: https://www.kristinbendigophotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinbendigophotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristinBendigoPhotography

Other: https://www.kristinbendigophotography.com/blog

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.