Meet Wendy Hunter | Photographer

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

Hi Wendy, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Passion is everything for me. When I find something I enjoy and am passionate about I tend to jump full force into it and try to learn as much as I can to be successful. I have had this happen with the three things I love dearly which are snowboarding, mountain biking and most importantly photography. I started my photography career as many do, a Momtographer! I loved taking pictures of my children competing in sports. I expanded to taking pictures of all the kids competing and I realized that I absolutely loved capturing people, especially children, being amazing and pushing their limits. Capturing a skier or snowboarder in a competition completely inverted in the air is a rush! Photographing them helps me be in that amazing moment with them and allows them to share that moment with others.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started my photography business this past summer. I was a little bit terrified to do it because I had zero knowledge about how to start a business. I knew my work as a photographer was too good to be given away for free and I deserved to be paid for the countless hours I was putting into it. My children are both competitive snowboarders and I had been taking photos of their USASA events for years. Last year, my work was at a completely other level than it had been in the past. What helped me take the next step was being offered a job as a USASA Nationals photographer. I was finally getting paid and I was getting recognized as a high level photographer. It felt absolutely amazing! When I started the process of actually starting a business in Arizona I did a ton of internet research and talking to my mentor. I learned quickly that there are a lot of businesses online who are trying to scare you into thinking you need their help to start your business. The more I learned, I figured out that I could do it myself and save myself a lot of start up money. The things that seemed so scary have been actually quite easy once I got them done. So don’t be afraid to go for it if you are thinking about starting your own business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take my friend to hit the runs at Snowbowl, but beware so is everyone else in Arizona! If you are headed to Snowbowl you have to stop by Ski Haus and get all geared up from the amazing crew that works there. After a fun day at the mountain we would head to Fratelli’s for some delicious pizza and then head downtown to the Pay N Take for a beer. That would be a great day!

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 success in photography is 100% tied to my Dad. He loved photography and did it as a hobby. I was a self proclaimed “auto girl” with photography and happy to stay there. We both would be at my children’s events photographing and would share our pictures with each other, his work was always better but then his camera’s were way nicer! Then one day, out of the blue, we found out my dad had cancer and one month later he passed away. From that moment on, I knew I NEEDED to know more about photography. I wanted to use his amazing camera’s and make him proud. The only thing was, I had NO idea how to use them at all. It took me an entire year to learn how to work his Nikon D7000 and I wasn’t great. When Covid hit it offered me the opportunity I needed. All that extra free time I put into practicing my photography and ferociously reading photography books. There were many frustrating moments but I persevered and was amazed to see my progress. Then with the help of my friend and mentor, Michelle of Michelle Badger Photography, I made the leap to a camera my dad had just bought months before he passed away, the Nikon D750. With Michelle’s advice, I purchased a 70-200mm f2.8 lens and had everything I need to take my photography to the next level. I now love to shoot sports photography as well as portraiture. It has been a long journey but I know my dad has been with me through it all.

Website: https://wendy-hunter-photography-llc.client-gallery.com

Instagram: wendyhunterphotography