Kendal Paley shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Kendal, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I totally agree. I was nominated this year for the “Rising Star” and “Best Photographer” awards for the 2026 Vendors Choice Awards here in Kansas City. This was so cool for me because the nominations come from other wedding and event vendors in the industry. To know that there are other business owners in the wedding and events industry who think so highly of me was a really proud moment. I have two little kids so I laugh every day. Kids say the most hilarious things.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the owner of Kendal Banks Photography, a Kansas City wedding photography studio. I photograph weddings and elopements for couples who are there for the love, fun and party of the day. Couples who want to really experience their wedding day. Memory and emotion are so deeply intertwined. The more deeply you experience your day, the more you remember it. My goal is for my couples to look at my work and feel the warmth of the love, excitement and laughter from that moment in time.
Outside of weddings, I also work with cool moms and fun families. My family photography values connection over anything else. A session with me might look like making sunday morning pancakes, walking the dog through your neighborhood hand in hand or hanging out in the backyard and playing bubbles. The goal is not to show perfection but to enjoy being together and documenting the moment that you’re in.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
Definitely my mom. She has such a great work ethic and if she’s going to do something, it’s going to be amazing. She doesn’t let failure or fear stop her from trying something new. When I was in highschool she left her career in tech to open restaurants and watching her make that massive shift, and do it so successfully, was a huge inspiration for me when opening my own small business.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
I honestly love that the 90’s and early 00’s are having such a throwback moment. If the Spice Girls go on tour I will pay all of my money to go. One thing I was thinking about recently was how music videos aren’t a huge thing in the way they used to be. When I grew up, MTV and VH1 were how you heard new music. There were so many shows that were either all music videos or they were about the production/release of new music videos. I think that should be a thing again.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
100%. I’m a real ‘heart on my sleeve’ type of person so I don’t think it’s possible for me to show up as anything other than my real self. What you see is what you get: a kind of nerdy, silly, romantic who swears (and cries) maybe too much. I can’t ask my clients to be vulnerable and real in front of my camera and then show up as something I’m not. Authenticity is so important to me because it’s what allows us to document the feeling of the moment. The feelings and love and connection that you share with your people. I can’t take emotional and honest imagery for others if I’m trying to hide parts of myself.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Yes, I absolutely love my job and believe wholeheartedly that it’s the best job in the world. I get to celebrate love in a ton of different forms and spend my days surrounded by it.. How could you not be excited about that? Of course there are things in my business that I dread doing (I’m looking at you taxes) but I have truly created my dream job and I don’t think my excitement for it will ever wear off.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kendalbanksphotography.com
- Instagram: @kendalbanksphoto (https://www.instagram.com/kendalbanksphoto/?hl=en)
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Kendal-Banks-Photography/61580160191055/
- Other: Pinterest: https://pin.it/60eeR20lk
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kendalbanksphoto?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Image Credits
Images: Kendal Banks Photography
Headshot: Leah Evans Photography
