We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kendall Frost a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kendall, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?
I certainly wish I had developed my business sooner. I spent my first few years in film making and photography as a freelancer and not a business owner. I found myself working for others rather than working for myself which led to a bit of instability when it came to income and the direction of my craft. As a result my career took more of a corporate route rather than creative.
When the COVID lock down occurred I took that time to reestablish myself as a photographer and start my own business. As a business owner, I can directly control the type of business I engage in, scheduling, and future investments. Had I done this earlier, I certainly believe I would’ve been in a different place as a creative.
Kendall, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Kendall Frost I’m a photographer based in the Washington, DC area. As a native New Yorker I’ve always had a passion for creativity and production which made it an easy decision to major in television production at Howard University. It’s there where I began making short films and comedy sketches. Despite my passion for film making, after graduation my career path went in the direction broadcast engineering and network control.
I stopped shooting, stopped writing, and stopped creating. It wasn’t until 2018 when my friend and fraternity brother asked me to take his graduation photos that I would pick up a camera again. I was rusty and struggled quite a bit. Thankfully designer and creative director Kevin Bouknight is also my friend and fraternity brother. He really helped me get a rhythm during the shoot. Complete transparency, there was some spray and prey involved, but in the end I got the shot.
Almost immediately, my passion for cameras was reignited. I went from shooting inanimate objects, to collaborations and paid gigs in order to explore new creative ventures in attempt to improve. Once the COVID lock down took place, I used it as an opportunity to formalize my business, and solidify my business from a legal standpoint.
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As a photographer and videographer I understand that it takes more than just a camera and a lens to capture the true essence of my clients — my passion for what I do makes up for the rest. I am driven to creating the best images for everyday people and companies. From capturing captivating moments, portrait photography, and automotive photography to editing and consulting,
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
As a photographer I had to unlearn micromanaging my shoots and understand that everything is not going to go perfectly every single time. Being a professional isn’t necessarily the ability to create the perfect scenario, but to have the knowledge and experience to navigate through the less than ideal moments. Especially with portrait sessions and event photography, sometimes it’s better not to interfere too much and let things unfold organically.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Photography can get extremely expensive in the blink of an eye. In order to purchase everything I needed I used a company credit card to make all my purchases, and booked weddings in advance to be sure that finances were taken care of. My first priority was to purchase quality glass so I wouldn’t have to make repeat purchases, and later I upgraded my camera body.
Contact Info:
- Website: thefrostyvision.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefrostyvision/