Meet Kendra Martin | Wedding & Portrait Photographer

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

Hi Kendra, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success/success of my brand is being true to me and the type of photography I love. There is a lot of noise out there and so often I can get trapped in the caparison game and what everyone else is doing. At the end of the day though I know that those that hire me hire me do so because of who I am, what I stand for and the experience/images they receive. I have never been one to go with trends or do what all the other photographers are doing. I have stayed true to the types of images I want my clients to pass down for years to come.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a wedding & portrait photographer that serves the southeast and beyond. My work is for those that want to look back at their images from their wedding weekend or portrait session and remember exactly what the day looked like and felt like. I grew up with a camera in my hand, took black & white film classes in high school and then just dabbled with photography in college. When I got married and had a not so fun photography experience I decided that this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to give couples the experience and images that we didn’t get and I think that sets me apart from others because I had this experience. I am where I am today with a lot of years of hard work. Second shooting and assisting at weddings for free. I wanted to learn everything I could and get really good at my craft. I have continued to learn and grow and push myself to be better than my last wedding every single time. It’s been a long/slow growth for me as I’ve grown my business but I truly believe that is why I am where I am today. I have a foundation that is strong and a true passion for what I do and for the art I create and deliver to my clients. These last 16 years have been a lot of ups and downs. Great days and really hard days. I’ve learned that it’s okay to to mess up and when I do own the mistakes, make it right and do better the next time. I’ve learned that it’s okay to evolve and grow and change directions in what I want to document. I’ve learned that it’s a process and to enjoy each step of that process. I would love for the world to know that I truly love what I do. When you see me getting excited on a phone call, wedding day, etc.. that’s me truly loving this “job” that I get to do. It is an honor for me every time I pick up my camera to document whomever is in front of it.

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 love this little city I call home. If my best friend was visiting Spartanburg I’d for sure take her to wander around downtown and all the little shops & galleries. We’d for sure stop for ice cream at Spill the Beans (love the nutella/brownie mix). We’d get lunch probably at converse deli and dinner at The Kennedy!! The next day we’d start our day at Mon Amie where we’d get the Betty’s Crepe before heading to the farmer’s market and then out on one of Spartanburgs MANY amazing trails. We’d end the evening in our back yard around the fire pit!! On Sunday we’d start with a slow morning probably at the Skillet and then to one of Spartanburg’s Little Theatre or Children’s Theatre or Ballet Spartanburg’s productions at the Chapman Center.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my husband Gary who has supported me & encouraged me from day one.

Website: https://kendramartinphotography.com/

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

Image Credits
Photos of ME – are by Julia Fay Photography (these are the ones where I have computer in hands and camera in hands) All the work are images by myself – Kendra Martin Photography