Meet Kendall Wheeler | Photographer

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

Hi Kendall, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
About 5 years ago in Denver, I was working a corporate job in Finance. It was a solid company with great people but knew something was missing. Growing up around cameras (dad was a documentary filmmaker/photographer), I naturally gravitated towards photography as a creative outlet. Like with any passion, I became obsessed. What started as 4am wake up calls to shoot sunrise in Colorado soon transformed into moving to Southern California and working with incredible brands/individuals in the health/wellness and fashion space.

There’s a lot of gaps to fill in here but the point I want to highlight is that I never began this journey in order to make money. It was a way to push and express myself visually. I believe that when you find the thing you’re willing to pour all your time/energy into, the business will follow. It wasn’t until at least 2 years after learning the ins/outs of a digital camera that others began to take notice. My first job was a $100 gig to snap a few family portraits at the beach shortly after moving to San Diego. Soon that job led me to a handful of referrals and I was off to the races. After a handful of small gigs, it became obvious that I wanted to expand this hobby into something bigger while continuing to work a 9-5 gig (in Finance). In 2020, I decided to take it from a hobby to a business..because why not gamble on yourself when you’ve found that thing you’re willing to put more time into than anything else?

While I’m not a full time photographer at the moment, I’ve found a healthy balance between corporate and creative work and plan to grow photography into my main income stream in the near term.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m nearly 6 years into this journey since first picking up a camera and it is pretty mind blowing how my style has evolved. Living in Colorado, I was naturally drawn to landscape photography (on my dorky canon t6i). Part way into discovering my love for photography, I began to experiment with incorporating people into my images and once I moved to Southern California, it opened a whole new world of scenery and people to capture. My main sources of inspiration have really been my environment and other talented artists I continue to discover in the process.

The game changer for me was discovering film photography. I never understood the appeal until I picked up a point n shoot camera in 2020 to play around with. There’s something about the colors and textures that just gives you a different feeling. That coupled with the slower process really felt right to me. In the last year or so, I’ve really enjoyed adding some retro themes to my work but in a way that’s not too forced. I know the word nostalgia gets overused but at the end of the day, I want to make timeless work that evokes emotion and film is what’s allowed me to achieve this. Lately, I’ve been shooting more editorial work on film and it’s been really fun to work with a team for once (MUA, stylist, assistants ect.) There’s so many variables with these shoots and it’s amazing to see it all come together.

Creating anything from thin air is so hard at times and I have so much respect for anyone who puts their work out there. For me, it’s all about trying new things and staying curious. At the end of the day, there’s no right or wrong..just growth.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m only one year into LA and feel like I’ve hardly scratched the surface. If I’m hosting for the week, it’s likely a mix of beach visits, coffee shops, running routes, rooftop bars and anything else with a great view in the area. I honestly love the retro architecture of the city so driving around is super fun.

Favorite sightseeing
-The Getty (by far the most stunning architecture)
-Point Dume, Malibu at sunrise/sunset (hiking trails/beaches)
-Manhattan Beach Pier

Favorite food/coffee
-coffee: Mill Cross (Culver City) or Verve (WeHo)
-hotel bar: The Shay (Culver City, rooftop)
-breakfast burrito: Egg Tuck

Favorite weekly activity
-Venice Run Club (best way to meet other rad people in the area)
-Trade Post (Mar Vista or Fairfax)
-Bob’s Big Boy Classic Car Show (every Friday if you like cars and diners)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There’s tons of people and books/resources to credit but there’s two that come to mind off the top of my head. One, would be Tim Ferris with his legendary podcast along with his book, The Four Hour Work Week. His interviews and writing opened me up to creating a healthy work/life outside the cubicle but in an entrepreneurial way. If you want a blueprint for lifestyle design and making an impact with your business, then I can’t recommend Tim’s work enough.

The other shoutout would be my good friend/mentor Julian Martin, who’s an incredible photographer based in Los Angeles. We were connected through a mutual friend years back and he’s really taken me under his wing by bringing me into some of his larger production shoots to help assist. Seeing how a real professional manages a big budget shoot from start to finish is invaluable. If there’s a shortcut in the industry..it’s finding people like Julian. I think it’s important to be a giver and not just a taker in relationships like this (even if it’s buying them coffee or offering your time).

Website: https://www.kenwheelerphotography.com/

Instagram: @kenwheel