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

Hi Erica, what matters most to you?
Treat people better than how you want to be treated. I know the saying goes “Treat people how you want to be treated” and I’m just like… nah. Level up. Treat people so much better than how you want to be treated and somehow it always come back to you with so much love.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a wedding + branding photographer in San Diego! What sets you apart from others? I think the biggest difference between myself and other photographer is: 1) my love of color and 2) the fact that my background is in marketing and thus fueling a more editorial feel to my already colorful and playful imagery. What you are most proud of or excited about? I’m pretty dang proud of just growth in general. There’s always something new to learn, new places to see, new people to meet and I love that my job always gives me introductions to new things. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? I stumbled in to photography, I didn’t go to school for it. I scored this really cool marketing gig right out of college in LA and my job was to create social media ads and campaigns for other brands. Needless to say, the stock photos I provided were not engaging enough for people to click on the ad lol so I started taking photos and creating imagery for the ad campaigns. Apparently I was okay at it because those ads turned into me photographing headshots, headshots turned into families, families turned into engagements and that turned into weddings and next thing I know I’m quitting my full time, full benefits, very great paying marketing job to become a full time wedding and branding photographer. Life is so wild, you never know where it’s going to take you which is totally scary but also so exciting. And let’s be clear, nothing is easy. Everything is simple, but nothing is easy. The best advise I could give is to just roll with it. Your attitude about a situation or circumstance is way more powerful than the actual circumstance. What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way? What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story? It’s never too late to start learning. And create what you want to create, don’t cater to trends or what’s popular, create them. Create what makes you happy and don’t worry about if people are going to like it or not. Your authenticity attracts your people.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In San Diego? Oh I’m definitely crossing the border and dragging them to my favorite seafood spot in Puerto Nuevo Mexico lol. It’s call Villa Ortegas and it is AMAZING. You can get a whole lobster dinner for 4 with alcohol for like $30. But if I’m staying state-side, we have to start the day off with breakfast in North Park and get breakfast at Breakfast Republic, take a stroll through Little Italy, get some ice cream at Salt and Straw, cross over the Coronado bridge and have a beach & shopping day, head to Barrio for tacos and end the day by enjoying the view of the city at a rooftop bar and end it with a bonfire or an outdoor movie.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jessica of Plan Prep Party Arturo of AHR Florals

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Image Credits
SoCal Standard

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