Meet Lo Hendrix | elopement and branding photographer

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

Hi Lo, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My first 4 years of being an elopement photographer, I would pack up my entire apartment into a storage unit and load up my car to live in from February through August. This would keep me busy building portfolio and photographing clients small wedding from Utah to Nashville, and Big Sur. Honestly since covid I slowed down a *ton* because I realized after camping in the desert for the summer with no running water or electricity — just some really amazing friends around — that working and working and working wasn’t going to get me anywhere besides massive burnout. I finally put work in my top 5 priorities and not number 1.

Now I have a really healthy work life balance and I’m super open with clients on Instagram when I’m in a creative funk or not feeling my best. Taking things slow and really prioritizing mental health and only taking jobs that I can really get down with has helped my work life balance so much! Now I actually have time for a personal life and dating now that I’m not on the road majority of the year.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
There’s a lot of challenge in photography and the industry, it’s not always nice and you definitely learn to grow thick skin. I started photographing new models at a mother agency back home for test shoots and from there kind of jumped into weddings then to elopements as a niche that I enjoy much more than big traditional weddings. I definitely had to pay my dues to become more, I guess I can say, respected in this industry. Lots of doing odd jobs for free or very discounted starting out which lead to a lot of days eating those packet Raman noodles to make photography work as a career. I dipped my toes into quite a few different aspect of photography and it’s something I continuously evolve with. Right now I really love elopements and branding for small businesses and more editorial fashion.

I found such a spark when I got my hands on my parents old film cameras and Super 8 video cameras – it’s so fun to mix in some nostalgic feels to galleries. Definitely excited to keep finding more cameras at garage sales and add that into my work.

Also, I learned that no matter what, being 100% unapologetically myself on social media and to my clients is the best thing I did for my business. You really can attract your tribe and clients you truly vibe with by doing so. It makes all the difference in the world in my opinion. Being straight up with others is probably what sets me apart. I don’t put up a front and act like I am super professional – I’m a creative. I cuss and I am very open about taking edibles to edit. I worked all of that into my branding and have since worked with the most amazing humans that I genuinely enjoy being around and creating with.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m still pretty new to Orange County so I don’t know all of the really cool spots yet – but I’m a regular at Landers Liquor Bar here in Costa Mesa so I always take friends there that have never been to eat good food and be surrounded by cool people. Malibu to watch for dolphins, Newport Beach for jet skis and paddle boarding in the back bay, drive around Laguna to watch the sunset. And of course I would take them on a 2 day adventure through Big Sur for relaxation and beautiful views then to Joshua Tree to show them all my favorite hidden spots and the apple pie at Natural Sisters Cafe.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Literally everyone who has said something kind about my work, everyone who has invested in photography by booking with me, the lifelong friends I have made that were previous clients, the clients who keep me around to photograph beautiful chapters of their lives from their wedding to pregnancy to building their new business, my family for actually being proud of me for making photography work as a career, and my best gals Jordan and Liz who hype me up any time they can. It’s super humbling and makes my heart flutter to realize how many people are supportive of my craft.

Website: southofindigo.com

Instagram: instagram.com/southofindigo

Other: pinterest.com/southofindigo tiktok.com/@southofindigo

Image Credits
all images linked to instagram.com/southofindigo