Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristen Benson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kristen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Doing work pro bono tends to be frowned upon in the industry. Many photographers/entrepreneurs will tell you that you should never work for free, which is understandable, but I think it’s something you should do especially when you are first starting out. Most people assume that that means I accept jobs from people who reach out to me and ask if I would work for them for free, but that’s not what I mean.

I occasionally seek out and visit businesses that look interesting and unique, but don’t really have a social media presence. I take some impromptu pictures of their business, post and tag them on my Instagram, send a gallery of 3-20 images for them to use on any and all of their social media pages, and tell them if they ever need photography for their business in the future that I would love to work with them. That way they already have a preview of what my work looks like. Also, in the process, I improve my skills, connect with business owners, add more content to my social media and help out a business that deserves it at the same time.

Doing work pro bono is a great way to network with potential clients while also building your portfolio, your social media presence, and helping your community.

Kristen, 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?

I am an up and coming business photographer traveling back and forth between the Space Coast of FL and Charlotte, NC. While I typically focus on personal branding, candid marketing, event, and pet photography, I am open to doing all types of photography.

Taking candid photos is my specialty and my passion. I love to show people how amazing they look naturally.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being able to do what I love most as my job, bringing my art to life while helping others, and capturing the unique beauty of individuals and places that are worth showing off to the world.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Angie McPherson is not only THE go- to personal branding photographer in the country, possibly in the world. She has been my mentor and my inspiration throughout my process of becoming a personal branding photographer.

Several years ago, I didn’t even know what a personal branding photographer was until I stumbled across one of her behind the scenes videos on YouTube. I was so fascinated by Angie’s process, that I sat there and watched every single video of hers I could find back to back. I remember thinking, wow, I was meant to find these videos and this is what I’m supposed to do with my life.

When working with entrepreneurs, Angie becomes their business bestie and collects as much information as she can from them in order to accurately bring their vision to life.
Learning from her has drastically changed my entrepreneurial thinking. I have implemented all of the things she has taught me into my own business. She helped me become so much more prepared and organized as a business owner and photographer by giving me all the tools to become the go-to personal branding photographer in my area.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kmbeesphotography.com
• Instagram: @kmbeesphotography
• Facebook: @kmbeesphotography
• Other: Tik Tok: @kmbeesphotography

Image Credits
KMBee’s Photography