We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bethany Pendleton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Bethany thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

My hero first and foremost is my husband. He is active duty Air Force and has served in Afghanistan. He knew I was into photography since I started as a freelancer in 2019. However, he was the person who convinced me to strive for more. Being a military spouse we are faced with the constant stress of if we are moving and if so how soon. Because of this, I knew I wanted a career that I could start in one location, but relocate with if we were to draw orders during an upcoming PCS season.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a Pensacola, FL native, but have recently relocated to a suburb of the area. I got into photography in 2019 after being a substitute teacher and trying to figure out my life after graduation. I have been in some form of photography since high school, but I took a small break when I attended college for Criminology.

Whenever I started in 2019, I primarily took photos of aviation around our area, but I always had an interest in photographing people and events. In 2022, I started volunteering as a photographer for my church and slowly but surely learned that I loved photographing people and other candid moments.

I provide portrait and event photography within the greater Pensacola region. This can be anything from individual, couples, senior, and family photos. Dogs are also allowed at sessions. Events are broad and depend on what the client is needing but can range from corporate to birthday parties. What sets me apart from others is that while others may only shoot and edit with one style, my style has evolved as I have grown as a photographer. My photos from four years ago look completely different than what I have taken currently. I am proud of my client experience. I want my client to enjoy a photo session and not be stressed by it. If they need a minute to breathe we will make time for it. It’s important to have a client be relaxed in a session.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of clients for me has been through word of mouth and Instagram. With this industry I make sure that I make a great impression wherever I go. Whether it is a volunteer job or a paid job being on time matters, even though I tend to show up early. I also make sure I have business cards with me to hand out if needed.

Instagram has helped with reels to boost my following, but not all of my followers are within the local market. I also make sure to geo tag photos and tag locations. This has helped me be re-shared and get my name out there.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Whenever I was getting into photography I began by substitute teaching. This ranged from subbing in kindergarten classrooms to high school. Any grade they had availablity I took. I was scraping just enough to buy the few pieces of equipment to get me into the photography world. When I was not teaching, I was shooting with my camera. This led to me constantly towing my camera with me everywhere. Some days I would take on a class just cause I knew it would get me enough money to get me away from my kit lens. Who knew an aperture speed would make such a difference in photos? Little did I know how great it could be going from a f/3.5 lens to a f/1.8. It made such a drastic difference in my work quality, especially low light situations. Once I got married the idea of going full time became a reality. With my husband’s support I launched. The key takeaway that I noticed was that if you want something bad enough you will work toward obtaining it. You may struggle for a minute, but if the goal is worth it the least you can do is try.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bethanypendletonphotography.mypixieset.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bpendletonphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bpendletonphoto

Image Credits
Katie B. Howard- portrait of me