May 14, 2025 • 33 mins
What happens when tourism expertise meets a passion for pageants and photography? Something magical, as Krishna Goodwin demonstrates in this captivating conversation about professional imagery, personal branding, and finding your true path.
Krishna pulls back the curtain on her journey from Sullivan County Tourism Director to sought-after photographer, revealing how her husband's hobby unexpectedly launched her into a specialized career capturing stunning headshots for pageant contestants and professionals alike. With remarkable emotional intelligence and 30 years of pageant experience, Krishna has developed an uncanny ability to identify and minimize insecurities, helping clients present their best, authentic selves to the world.
"We look in the mirror and see something different than maybe what everybody else sees," Krishna explains, sharing her philosophy that exceptional photography isn't just technical skill—it's understanding people. Through her work with beauty queens, realtors, and corporate professionals, she demonstrates why professional headshots matter more than ever in our digital-first world, where first impressions often happen before you walk through the door.
Beyond photography techniques, Krishna offers wisdom about career pivots, finding mentors, and embracing discomfort as a pathway to growth. Her faith-centered approach to business—"When I gave my business to God, it brings me the clients He wants me to have"—provides a refreshing perspective on professional success that prioritizes meaning over volume.
Ready to upgrade from backyard selfies to images that truly represent your personal brand? Listen now and discover why Krishna believes your headshot is more than just a photo—it's your calling card to the world.
To help you to navigate the home buying and mortgage process, Jonathan & Steve are currently licensed in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia, contact us today at 423-491-5405 or visit www.jonathanandsteve.com.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is Benchmark Happenings, brought to you by
Jonathan and Steve fromBenchmark Home Loans.
Northeast Tennessee, johnsonCity, kingsport, bristol, the
Tri-Cities One of the mostbeautiful places in the country
to live.
Tons of great things to do andawesome local businesses.
(00:22):
And on this show you'll findout why people are dying to move
to Northeast Tennessee.
And on the way we'll havediscussions about mortgages and
we'll interview people in thereal estate industry.
It's what we do.
This is Benchmark Happenings,brought to you by Benchmark Home
Loans and now your host,christine Reed.
(00:43):
And now your host, christineReed.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Welcome back everybody to another episode of
Benchmark Happenings, and todaythe star of our show is Krishna
Goodwin.
So Krishna, woo-hoo, that'sexactly right.
I am so excited to have youhere today.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I am excited to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
We've tried to do this what?
For about a year now.
It's well, it's been too long.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I was starting to feel a little bit of heartbreak,
Thinking I didn't want to comein.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
I'm like I just don't know.
I just I've got to get thisfantastic photographer.
You're letting me hold the dog,so you know.
So, fantastic photographer,You're letting me hold the dog.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
So you know that's.
When you told me I could holdthe dog, I was like, OK, I'll
come.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yes, yes, brody.
So Brody is our little dog,he's the well, I'm not going to
say the love of my life becauseSteve's going to listen to this.
He might be like no, steve,honey, if you're listening, you
are the love of my life.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Brody is the best dog in the whole world, the dog
love of your life, the dog loveof my life, see, see.
Yes, I have two of those athome as well.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I tell you, it's nothing like having a dog.
Is there, there's nothing likehaving a dog.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
We could just make this about the dogs.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Well, you know what I have?
I've had people here from theHumane Society and we talk about
animals and things like that,because I am just a dog lover,
me too, me too.
So what kind of dogs do youhave?
I have two Cocker Spaniels.
Oh, my goodness, I'm on myfourth and fifth one.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
And then I also have a cat, a Dale cat, a big old fat
cat it's what I call her.
And then we have a lab that wekind of inherited.
We had two of them when wemoved into our house and one of
them passed away sadly about ayear ago, and then we've got one
left.
But our neighbors take care ofMacy sometimes, so we have joint
custody, joint custody of thelab.
(02:37):
There you go.
Well, it works out.
It works out.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
So, krista, thank you for being here today that was a
crazy introduction we had.
It's okay, it's okay so.
Uh.
So, krista, you um, and I'veknown you for many years many
you and your husband both.
But you have done professionalheadshots for me and for my
husband and you are justprobably one of the best
(03:02):
photographers professionalphotographers out there but know
, headshots is one thing butreally your niche of what you
love is beauty pageants.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
It is.
It's pageant event photography.
Pageantheadshotscom.
Pageanteventphotographycom.
All underneath the GoodwinPhotography banner.
I guess you could say Goodwinphotography banner.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
I guess you could say and really that started because
I have always loved pageantsand always been involved in
pageants for probably 30 yearsnow.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
I used to have a Miss America prelim and then I
stopped doing that and just kindof started in the photography
business because of my husbandactually.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Okay, so what did?
Jim was so we were trying.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
I was working in tourism, I was the director of
tourism for the Sullivan CountyTourism Department.
Okay, First and only Years ago,when we first met and got
married and I was doing abrochure for all the historical
things that were in downtownBlountville Excuse me, sure, for
(04:05):
all the historical things thatwere in downtown Blountville and
we needed some photography donefor the Deer Inn.
And so I was like you know what?
I think my husband could dothat Because he had always loved
photography.
He had loved photography sincehigh school.
And so he came down and didthat.
And then there was a guy thatwas also helping out with that,
(04:26):
who did wedding photography, andhe told me he said, hey, I'm
looking for somebody to secondshoot for me.
Do you know of anybody?
And I was like, yeah, myhusband would probably love that
.
So I went home, asked him.
He was like, absolutely, youknow he could do it on his time
off because he, you know, at thetime he worked at the DA's
office, and so he started doingit, interned with him for about
a year and then started doingwagon photography on his own and
(04:49):
I started going with him.
I didn't know what I was doing.
I didn't know what I was doing.
But I started going with himand then I was like, well, we
can take pictures of my titleholders, and so I would get
behind him and I would tell thegirls how to move and all this
kind of stuff.
And then finally I just saidyou're just going to have to
show me how to do this, and sokind of.
The rest is history.
And then when he becamecriminal court judge in Sullivan
(05:09):
County he couldn't really dothe photography anymore.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Oh yeah, Super busy.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
He still helps me sometimes with the pageant stuff
.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
You can put him down if you want to Put Brody down?
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Brody was getting Brody was getting anxious.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
He was like that is enough love for one day.
I'm done with you.
I'm going to go over here andsit for a little bit.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I think he wants his mom is what he wants, but but
yeah, so I mean kind of the restis history really.
Um, as far as that's concerned,I uh, I just I've always just
I've, I've loved learning aboutthe craft.
I've loved learning what it isthat and, I guess, knowing what
pageant girls wanted because ofbeing around them so much that I
(05:50):
kind of knew you know littleidiosyncrasies about women.
I mean, we, let's just face it,we look in the mirror and we
see something different thanmaybe what everybody else sees.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
That is so true.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
And you get it in your head.
Oh well, my eyes aren't this,or my lips aren't this, or my
nose isn't this, or my faceisn't this, and so I can usually
pinpoint.
I pretty much know what herinsecurity is going to be,
because she's looking in themirror and she's seeing that.
I see it as something that'sbeautiful about her, but she
(06:24):
probably doesn't like that, andso I just kind of think about
that, and so I try to minimizewhatever that is, if that makes
sense.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yes, oh yeah, absolutely.
And so now do you so your lovefor pageants and doing this
photography?
So do you primarily, do you goto a lot of the pageants, krista
, or is it just people who arecompeting?
They call you or reach out andsay hey, I need some headshots.
A little bit of both, actually.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
A little bit of both.
I do pageant photography.
Where I'll go to the pageants?
There's a big one that's goingon in Kingsport, at Meadowview,
this summer, mrs International,and so I started working with
them last year.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Mrs.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
International.
They have a Mrs, a teen and aMiss division and so I will go
there and I'll shoot.
I've got a staff that I'll comein with me and they'll work
with me and I'll shoot thatpageant.
Some of those girls I do seethey'll contact me to get
headshots done, which I doheadshots in my studio, at my
house.
So it's a little mixture ofboth, you know, and then that
(07:28):
way I'm able to meet the girls,you know, I'm able to meet the
contestants and the women.
I mean sometimes we're talkingabout little, you know, six,
seven, eight years old, andsometimes we're talking about 28
, 29 year old.
They're married.
So yeah, so both of them, them,that's a little mixture of both.
I don't typically set up doingheadshots at the pageant, okay,
but I will do the eventphotography and then if they
(07:49):
want to book a session, I'dprefer to do it at my studio.
But I have like when I camehere and I did your stuff,
you're all stuff yeah, yes, thatwas so fun, so I've been to
your studio a couple of timesfor headshots, and I just love
the magic that you can performon that.
Well, I have to give part creditto the hair and makeup artist
(08:12):
too.
So you know, I work a lot withShamel McKenzie, and so I have
to give her a little shout outthere.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
We love Shamel.
We do love Shamel, and we'retrying to get her on the podcast
too.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
We're going to get her on the podcast Eventually.
Yes, yes, yeah, it will happen,it will happen, it will happen.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
But yeah, she does do a fantastic job, phenomenal,
yeah.
And then she's done makeup andhair for me, just for me going
to an event.
I reached out to her.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, I think you actually came to the house one
time just to get, because I'lllet her do that.
Sometimes she'll book people inand I'll just let her use my
glam room.
That's what she calls it myglam room.
And I will let her do that.
She'll do people that way, so Imeet a lot of people that way
too, and I'll meet a lot ofprofessional women who are also
getting headshots done, becauseI do the professional side as
(08:59):
well.
If you want a little bit moreof a glam professional headshot
and a lot of women, do you knowrealtors and some of your?
I just did somebody the otherday that was a pharmaceutical
sales rep.
Yes, and so you know someprofessional women.
They want you know, if you wantglam headshot, I'm your gal.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Well, I'll tell you the last headshot you did for me
I think it was a couple ofyears ago.
I probably need to do anupdated one.
But I think it was a couple ofyears ago.
I probably need to do anupdated one, but I loved it and
I use that on my company websitefor, you know, for my work and
and they, they always want to dothese headshots at sales
meetings and they want us to usethose and I'm like, and I
(09:40):
refuse, I'm like, no, I paid tohave this professional headshot.
This is the one you will usefor me.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I had a gentleman that works for a large company
in West Tennessee and he had hisshot done and he actually sent
it to me to fix the backgroundand retouch him a little bit.
And he says every time he goesthrough and uses his little
badge people ask him wait aminute, your headshot looks
different than everybody else's.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Like 100% better, yeah, well, yeah, that is
awesome.
So, and you know, and I canjust tell Chris and working with
you, you love what you do, I do.
And so I bet you don't feellike you ever work, do you?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
You don't.
You really don't, because youknow what's the old saying Turn
your passion into a professionand you'll never work a day in
your life.
And I think that's true.
But I think when God calls youto do something, if you follow
that, you're not going to bebogged down in the stress.
(10:41):
You're doing what you love, Iknow.
When we found our house, youknow we came here and you guys
were our mortgage company and Ijust remember because we had
been around other realtors andother you know in that field and
I just felt such a sense withSteve that he loved what he did.
(11:04):
He loved putting people intotheir homes and figuring out the
right place for them.
You know to go, you could justsee the excitement, and so I
feel the same way about what Ido.
I feel the same way I you knowto go, you could just see the
excitement and so I feel thesame way about what I do.
I feel the same way I like Iwant to be able to give that
girl that great headshot thatwhen she walks into that pageant
interview that she knows thatshe can compete with anybody
(11:27):
else.
Same thing with the businessheadshot that when they put that
shot there they know thatthat's their calling card and
you know those real estate booksthat they used to sell all the
time that they don't do thoseanymore.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
I wish they did those .
Speaker 3 (11:42):
They don't do those anymore, but a lot of times I
would flip through those and youlook at those headshots and the
person that that that you see,that you know that looks like I
don't know that looksprofessional.
Um, you kind of gravitate tothat person.
Yes, and the headshot is yourcalling card.
(12:02):
It really is.
And if you look at that and youknow I don't know, it just does
I don't know if it does andit's it's you know everything
that we do.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
You know it's all about it's your image, it's your
image and it's excellence.
And so that having aprofessional headshot, whatever
your role, is your job, havingthat that you can put on
LinkedIn, on a social media page, to your company on your resume
(12:34):
.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
It's your brand.
It is your brand, it is yourcalling card.
It is the first impression, iswhat it is, and when you look at
those things and that firstimpression looks really good and
you want that first impressionto look really good.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
I mean, anybody can go take their cell phone in the
backyard and take a picture, andI've seen many, many of those I
have to.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
That's not what we do .
No, and I custom curateeverybody that I do.
That's the one thing that I do.
I'm not I'm not using AI tomake you look different than you
look.
I am custom curating, in that Iam retouching your headshot.
That's going to look like you.
It's the glam version of you,but it's going to look like you,
right, because I do thinkthat's important.
(13:20):
And sometimes I take a littlebit longer than other people,
but that's because I'm makingsure that all the I's are dotted
and all the T's are crossed,and I want it to be what you
want it to be.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yeah, well, and they're beautiful and I'll tell
you it's so hard to pick yourheadshot.
I mean, because what I loveabout what you do is you provide
everything that you need.
You know hair, makeup, you do aconsult, you tell people what
(13:51):
colors to wear, what type ofjewelry, because you know what
is actually going to photographthe best.
And then you have backdrops ifyou do it in your own studio,
and it's the comfort levelbecause, I mean, some people may
not feel comfortable gettingtheir picture taken A lot of
people don't and it's amazinghow a lot of women are.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
You know.
They'll sit down in front of meand they'll say to me well, now
tell me what to do, because Idon't know and I'm like, I got
you.
I got you, you know, and I thinkit's also just about having
that relationship with thatperson, you know, and bringing
out.
A lot of times I'll havesomebody put their first outfit
on that's maybe not, and wemight just do it in a t-shirt,
because I want them to getcomfortable in front of me,
(14:34):
because I do try to encourage,you know.
I tell people you look great,you look beautiful.
Oh, yes, I like that.
Keep that, because I want thatperson to leave that experience
going.
Wow, I just feel like a billionbucks, you know, and that's
what I want to have happen.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
And that's every time I've been.
That's exactly how I left.
I feel like a million bucksjust tickled to death.
Love, the overall experienceand everything.
And then you actually came hereto benchmark and did headshots
for the entire staff.
That was a fun day.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
That was a fun day.
I enjoyed that day.
A staff.
That was a fun day.
That was a fun day.
I enjoyed that day a lot.
That was a fun day, yes.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
And you had a lot of folks here that just they
weren't used to having theirpicture made.
They were uncomfortable, butyou had everybody laughing,
cracking up, cracking up and andI think it's just like your
(15:38):
emotional intelligence withgetting people to kind of loosen
up their personality can comethrough.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
You have to, you have to um, you know that's, that's
really part of it because, again, especially I think women,
women sometimes can beuncomfortable in front of the
camera.
I know, I am know, even when myhusband takes my headshots, you
know, he knows, but he knows meand it's getting to know that
person.
You get to know them and you getto know what it is kind of that
makes them tick Right, and thenyou're able to you know, or you
(16:03):
just have a conversation aboutsomething else that has nothing
to do with the fact that they'regetting their headshot made,
take a few clicks and then juststart talking to them about
their dog or about their kids,and then that way it gets their
mind stopping what I'm doing.
It's kind of like going to thedoctor and getting blood drawn.
We talked about that upstairs.
Talk to me about something else, so I'm not focused on this.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
We'll take care of that later.
We're going to get that takencare of, I promise you.
So I have connections.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it
.
But um, now everybody's gonnabe like what are they talking
about?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
we're not gonna tell you no, no, no, you can ask us
when you see us out in publicthat's right but um so, krista,
I know that you kind of pickedthis up, and so is there any
additional training andeducation and things that you do
to perfect your craft, you know, as a photographer?
Because I mean, I mean, isthere like licensing or
(17:02):
accreditation?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
there's not even really licensing and there is
some accreditation to becomelike a professional photographer
, if you did like landscape andfine arts and stuff like that.
But I personally think a lot ofthat is more for the other
photographers to go oh, you're aCRM or something, and I don't
even know what those are.
My biggest thing is just seeing, kind of keeping in touch with
(17:24):
what's going on in the industryand seeing, okay, what's this
new technique that they're using, Kind of like the makeup
artists do with different thingsand doing makeup differently
depending.
So there's not really any ofthat, other than you know what a
lot of trial and error.
Okay, I want to use my strobesand I want to do something
different, or I want to light itdifferently, and sometimes it's
(17:45):
just a matter of, you know,going and positioning the lights
in different places, placesdepending on what you want.
But I do a lot of through B&Hand a lot of times Paul Buff,
they'll send things and I'llwatch those tutorials and things
like that and be like, oh,that's really cool.
But because of what I do, it iskind of so niche in this, it's
(18:07):
just headshots that, unless I'mbranching out into doing some
modeling stuff and I do a littlebit of that too with the
pageant girls.
I've kind of narrowed my nichedown to.
I know I have to adjust mycamera for different lighting
situations as far as naturallight coming in, but I like
shooting in natural light.
(18:28):
I do think that that gives a.
It gives the most organic, Iguess, representation of that
person.
So I raise my garage door up andyes, and I've been in that
garage.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
when it's like 20 degrees outside, I give you a
heater though, yeah, you do geta heater, but beauty is pain.
Yes, I can attest to that.
It's a lot of work.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I was shooting the Virginia USA and Virginia teen
USA girls yesterday and it hadbeen so warm last week.
Yeah, it was like 85 degrees,and then it was like what?
60 degrees yesterday and it wasprobably 55 in the garage and I
was just like I'm so sorry andfor me it was comfortable, but
they were freezing, they arefreezing, they had chicken skin.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
So I told them.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
I said it's fine, they won't, the camera won't
pick up the chicken skin.
But they were like can you editout my chicken skin?
I was like go stand by theheater.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
It'll be okay.
It'll be okay it is.
It is just I've noticed that Iremember years ago, when I did
my first professional headshotwith you, I remember telling my
manager at the time, you know,hey, this is my professional
headshot, this is what.
She couldn't believe it.
And I said, well, I said, youknow, we need to invest in
(19:50):
ourselves, as you know, career,whatever it is.
But now I've noticed, you know,that was probably Kristen.
That was probably back in 2005or something.
I mean, it was the first one.
It was a long time ago.
And well, when did y'all buyyour house?
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Let me see.
No this was.
It would have probably been2014 then, because we we moved
in we moved into the house in2014.
So before that I had threedifferent studios in Johnson
City.
So I started out with a studioin downtown Jonesboro actually,
then moved to a studio inJohnson City on Boone Street,
then moved to a studio indowntown Johnson City across
(20:25):
from Freiburg's, right, next toMail, Stamps and Coins.
I had a studio there for years,and when I was doing wedding
photography, it was importantfor me to have that type of a
location.
I wasn't one that was going tomeet my clients at Starbucks or
Panera.
And I know a lot of people dothat, and there's nothing wrong
with that If that's what worksfor you, absolutely, but for me
it was important for me to havethat space.
But once I transitioned to justpretty much doing headshots, I
(20:51):
knew I didn't need that.
And transition to just prettypretty much doing headshots, I
knew I didn't need that, and sowhen then?
Speaker 2 (20:56):
when we moved into that house.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
It was perfect because it worked for that.
But, excuse me, so yeah, Iguess that was probably 2014,.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
But that's been 11 years ago, yeah, and I've had
two more since then, but I'venoticed, you see, that more and
more people investing inthemselves getting these
professional headshots.
I just think it's a, like yousaid, it's a brand, just we need
(21:22):
that this day and age.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Well, I think it's important for somebody to do the
things that they feel goodabout, to make you know.
It's whether you're goingshopping to get something you
know new because you want tomake yourself feel good.
I'm not encouraging going outhere and spending, spending,
spending, spending every day,but you know everybody feel you
want to feel good about yourself.
You know what you're wearingand and and.
So if you can project that tothe world with a photo of
(21:52):
yourself, you know, and it's funto put a new photo out there
and people say, oh my gosh, youlook so great.
You look so great, you look sogreat Because of Krishna.
Well, no, no, I will steal thisfrom Shamel.
After God and your parents,I'll take some credit.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Yeah, there you go, god and your parents.
I love that.
And that sounds like so Shamel.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
It is she does, because she'll always say well,
after God and your parents, butit is yeah, yeah, so after God,
parents and Shamel, then I'lltake credit, then comes.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Krishna.
So what advice would you giveto young folks, krishna, that
might be interested inphotography or you know how
would you advise, like, a youngperson, on a career path?
Speaker 3 (22:43):
I say get with somebody who is willing to open
up and be a mentor to you.
Okay, you know, if they've gota camera and I've done that with
a couple of my friends who arekind of venturing on in
Nashville particularly she's amakeup artist and she also is
doing a few headshots now andyou know she'll call me up and
she'll ask me differentquestions Find somebody that's
(23:03):
willing, open and willing tohelp you.
And you know, just go and evenif you're just holding, holding,
uh, you know, doing some behindthe scenes with your phone and
and so you can watch them and Iand you know, and and
participating like that, thatwould be what I would tell young
people, you know, um, andthere's, there's a lot of
education on youtube.
There's a lot of education onYouTube.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
There is a lot of education on YouTube, but
nothing takes the place of justreal life experience.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Nothing takes the place, nothing will ever take
the place of real lifeexperience because, there are
things that happen to me in thestudio and in the setting and
I'm like, yeah, I'm not going todo that again or, oh, I've got
to pivot.
Nothing will ever take theplace of real life experience.
And if a young person can goand they can find a mentor,
(23:52):
that's going to mentor them andhelp them, because you know,
everybody's on a trajectory, ona path to be better At least I
am, I mean.
And so if they can find thatperson that can help them to
grow because isn't that whatwe're supposed to be doing
anyway?
Is to helping other people grow, helping other people grow and
helping other people become thebest version of themselves.
(24:13):
And that's why I got intopageantry in the first place,
because I wanted to see theseyoung women reaching their
dreams, because I was doing whatI loved at the time.
Who knew that I was going to bemoved into the pageant headshot
arena?
But I was doing what I loved inmarketing and tourism.
And so you know, and I waslucky enough to have some of
those mentors myself.
So you know, when you find yourmentor, that would be my
(24:35):
biggest advice.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
And I just hear you know from everybody that I bring
in who are.
They're all entrepreneurs.
I love the story because thestory that you tell it's, it's
always.
It's never a straight line.
It's peaks and valleys, lots ofchanges, just like you
mentioned earlier.
Sometimes we have to beflexible, we have to be willing
(24:57):
to pivot.
This may not be working out,but I think what's important is
finding those people around youwilling to mentor.
But I also think that if you'regoing to do that, any young
person out there, you have to behumble and willing to listen.
And you know sometimes thingsmight hurt.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
But you know, sometimes with you know a little
bit of pain, comes growth inour life I have always found
that when I'm sitting in thatvalley, I have always found that
I'm down in that valley.
But you know what?
Or you know, maybe I lost thejob, or maybe you know I was
trying to get to be a sponsor ofthis and they didn't want that.
(25:39):
Something else always opens thedoor.
A different door always opens,you know, and, and you know, god
will say maybe yes, maybe no,not right now.
And I've heard from many pageantgirls that will say to me and
actually just one yesterday hadsaid if I had won this title
(26:00):
back two years ago when I triedto do it, I wouldn't have been
ready for it, because at thetime she said I would have been
16, you know, and she said Ijust I wouldn't have been ready
for it and I just that reallyresonated with me yesterday and
I've heard that before.
But just to hear that againright there, because I said now
you did this a couple of yearsago.
She said yeah, and she said Ididn't do it last year I think,
(26:22):
as it was her, maybe her senioryear, but she just said she said
I wouldn't have been ready.
And I mean that's wisdom and fora young person, for somebody
you know, 18 years old to havethat self?
yes, and so I was just thatimpressed me greatly that she
understood that and I think itis.
But I find too that when I'm inthose things I just have to sit
(26:45):
back and it's hard.
It's hard to sit back and it'ssometimes hard to listen to.
This is yes, no, and not rightnow.
Sometimes that not right now,you want that, yes, and so it's
hard sometimes, but we still,and I think life is just going
to be that way, Life is justgoing to be that way, Life is
just going to be, but hopefully,hopefully, you know you, you've
(27:10):
, you can see the light at theend of the tunnel, so to speak.
I guess.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Absolutely.
Yeah, I think that's great andI just I think that we all need
to realize that.
You know life is, it does haveits peaks and valleys.
It does.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
It does and and you know I will say this, I have
been like everybody else has youcan.
You can sit there and you canum, you can wallow in the, the
valley of life, right in thevalley of life.
(27:48):
Or you can say you know what,because of this I'm going.
I know that something better iscoming.
I know that I'm here and I'muncomfortable, because how many
times have you beenuncomfortable and then you go
back and look at that and youcan see all the lesson in the
uncomfortability.
So I think sometimes God doesmake us uncomfortable because he
wants us to focus more on himand what we need to be doing for
him.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Put our eyes up where they belong, not down, Not down
, but look up.
And it is, you know.
I think about agriculture.
You know why do we prune treesand things like that?
It's to bring more growth, andthat's the same thing with our
lives.
We are being pruned andsometimes it's not comfortable,
(28:33):
but it causes us to grow and,like you said, to depend on
Jesus, Because without Him he'sour hope Absolutely, and I love
the fact that you are very vocalabout that.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Chris, absolutely, when I gave my business to God
and said this is not yours, thisis not mine, this is yours.
It brings me the clients thathe wants me to have, and it's
not just everybody, because I'mnot right for everybody, and
that's fun, right.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Well, yeah, we're all everybody's so different.
Yeah absolutely, you know, andyou're getting the people that
that you're going to mesh withand work out with, and it's
going to be a great experienceon both ends, you know which is
beautiful, and I don't, and Idon't, I don't care to share my
faith with somebody.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
I don't mind to do that at all Because, quite
frankly, I want people to knowthat I am a Christian.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
That's what we're called to do, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
I want people to know that that's who I am.
Yes, I have fun Christians canhave fun too but I do.
I want people to know thatthat's you know, that's who I am
, and that I want people to knowthat that's who I am and that's
who my husband is.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Yes, and we're very thankful for Judge Goodwin.
He is a wonderful judge.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
I had to throw his name out there.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Well, he is a good man he is, and he actually came
and spoke at our TennesseeNurses Association and did some
information sharing with us afew years ago.
Okay, so I always appreciatedhim doing that he's funny too.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
He is funny, he's very good.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
He's very dry and I love dry.
I love that.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
I'm not as dry as he is.
I wish I could be that way, buthe's funny.
He also tells really bad dadjokes.
I mean, we don't have children,as you know.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Well, you have dogs, we have dogs, we have fur babies
, yes.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
But he tells some really bad dad jokes.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
We've got to get him and Steve together.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Oh no, that's dad jokes right there.
But no, we do, we do.
Steve tells some jokes.
When we came in, I think thelast time I was here, he told
some pretty bad dad jokes.
I was like, oh, I'm surroundedwith men who tell dad jokes yeah
, he's, he's well and you haveto.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
We have to give credit to darvis reed uh,
steve's daddy, yes so is thatwhere it comes from?
That's where it comes from isall those bad dad jokes and he
tells them over and over andhe'll be telling a story and
he's like now, have you heardthis before?
I'm like no, darvis, I haven't,because I just you know, know,
yeah, but you have.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
But you still just yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
But he's there on an honor flight this weekend, the
Appalachian Highlands HonorFlight, okay, going to DC, going
to Washington DC, and they'llbe back on Sunday, so it was
just awesome.
I'm so thankful we have acountry that honors the veterans
.
Absolutely, you know, butanyway, we digress Are you.
Add.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
A little bit.
Okay, me too, I think so.
Yeah yeah, we started outtalking about dogs, we ended up
talking about my husband, yourhusband and the honor flight.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
And we've covered it all.
We've included Jesus in there.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Even Jesus, I mean, why not?
Speaker 2 (31:43):
But that's what it's supposed to be about, though?
Yes, absolutely that's whatit's about.
It's about, well, krista, sotell our listeners how they can
get in touch with you forprofessional headshots,
pageantry shots, um venues,events.
Uh, krista, good one.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
So yeah, I I yeah, I don't do events.
I don't do anything unless it'spageant related pageant related
events.
Pageant related events I willdo those.
Um, that's pageant eventphotographycom, okay.
If you want headshots, it'spageant headshotscom, and
professional headshots isgoodwin photographycom.
You can get to everything justby going to goodwin
(32:15):
photographycom.
Okay, but I also have those twourls as well, so okay awesome.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
All right, chris now.
Well, thank you for being heretoday.
Well, thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
I had a blast Me too.
Thanks for letting me hang outwith Brody there, oh yeah, he's
yeah he's he's, he's perfect.
What can?
I say he's the love of yourlife, the dog love of your.
I love your life.
I have two of those.
Thank you for having me You'rewelcome.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Thanks, Krishna.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
This has been Benchmark Happenings, brought to
you by Jonathan Tipton andSteve Reed from Benchmark Home
Loans.
Jonathan and Steve areresidential mortgage lenders.
They do home loans in NortheastTennessee and they're not only
licensed in Tennessee butFlorida, georgia, south Carolina
and Virginia.
We hope you've enjoyed the show.
(33:07):
If you did make sure to like,rate and review.
Our passion is NortheastTennessee, so if you have
questions about mortgages, callus at 423-491-5405.
And the website iswwwjonathanandstevecom.
Thanks for being with us andwe'll see you next time on
(33:29):
Benchmark Happenings.
This is Benchmark Happenings, brought to you by
Jonathan and Steve fromBenchmark Home Loans.
Northeast Tennessee, johnsonCity, kingsport, bristol, the
Tri-Cities One of the mostbeautiful places in the country
to live.
Tons of great things to do andawesome local businesses.
(00:22):
And on this show you'll findout why people are dying to move
to Northeast Tennessee.
And on the way we'll havediscussions about mortgages and
we'll interview people in thereal estate industry.
It's what we do.
This is Benchmark Happenings,brought to you by Benchmark Home
Loans and now your host,christine Reed.
(00:43):
And now your host, christineReed.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Welcome back everybody to another episode of
Benchmark Happenings, and todaythe star of our show is Krishna
Goodwin.
So Krishna, woo-hoo, that'sexactly right.
I am so excited to have youhere today.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I am excited to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
We've tried to do this what?
For about a year now.
It's well, it's been too long.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I was starting to feel a little bit of heartbreak,
Thinking I didn't want to comein.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
I'm like I just don't know.
I just I've got to get thisfantastic photographer.
You're letting me hold the dog,so you know.
So, fantastic photographer,You're letting me hold the dog.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
So you know that's.
When you told me I could holdthe dog, I was like, OK, I'll
come.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yes, yes, brody.
So Brody is our little dog,he's the well, I'm not going to
say the love of my life becauseSteve's going to listen to this.
He might be like no, steve,honey, if you're listening, you
are the love of my life.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Brody is the best dog in the whole world, the dog
love of your life, the dog loveof my life, see, see.
Yes, I have two of those athome as well.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I tell you, it's nothing like having a dog.
Is there, there's nothing likehaving a dog.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
We could just make this about the dogs.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Well, you know what I have?
I've had people here from theHumane Society and we talk about
animals and things like that,because I am just a dog lover,
me too, me too.
So what kind of dogs do youhave?
I have two Cocker Spaniels.
Oh, my goodness, I'm on myfourth and fifth one.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
And then I also have a cat, a Dale cat, a big old fat
cat it's what I call her.
And then we have a lab that wekind of inherited.
We had two of them when wemoved into our house and one of
them passed away sadly about ayear ago, and then we've got one
left.
But our neighbors take care ofMacy sometimes, so we have joint
custody, joint custody of thelab.
(02:37):
There you go.
Well, it works out.
It works out.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
So, krista, thank you for being here today that was a
crazy introduction we had.
It's okay, it's okay so.
Uh.
So, krista, you um, and I'veknown you for many years many
you and your husband both.
But you have done professionalheadshots for me and for my
husband and you are justprobably one of the best
(03:02):
photographers professionalphotographers out there but know
, headshots is one thing butreally your niche of what you
love is beauty pageants.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
It is.
It's pageant event photography.
Pageantheadshotscom.
Pageanteventphotographycom.
All underneath the GoodwinPhotography banner.
I guess you could say Goodwinphotography banner.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
I guess you could say and really that started because
I have always loved pageantsand always been involved in
pageants for probably 30 yearsnow.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
I used to have a Miss America prelim and then I
stopped doing that and just kindof started in the photography
business because of my husbandactually.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Okay, so what did?
Jim was so we were trying.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
I was working in tourism, I was the director of
tourism for the Sullivan CountyTourism Department.
Okay, First and only Years ago,when we first met and got
married and I was doing abrochure for all the historical
things that were in downtownBlountville Excuse me, sure, for
(04:05):
all the historical things thatwere in downtown Blountville and
we needed some photography donefor the Deer Inn.
And so I was like you know what?
I think my husband could dothat Because he had always loved
photography.
He had loved photography sincehigh school.
And so he came down and didthat.
And then there was a guy thatwas also helping out with that,
(04:26):
who did wedding photography, andhe told me he said, hey, I'm
looking for somebody to secondshoot for me.
Do you know of anybody?
And I was like, yeah, myhusband would probably love that
.
So I went home, asked him.
He was like, absolutely, youknow he could do it on his time
off because he, you know, at thetime he worked at the DA's
office, and so he started doingit, interned with him for about
a year and then started doingwagon photography on his own and
(04:49):
I started going with him.
I didn't know what I was doing.
I didn't know what I was doing.
But I started going with himand then I was like, well, we
can take pictures of my titleholders, and so I would get
behind him and I would tell thegirls how to move and all this
kind of stuff.
And then finally I just saidyou're just going to have to
show me how to do this, and sokind of.
The rest is history.
And then when he becamecriminal court judge in Sullivan
(05:09):
County he couldn't really dothe photography anymore.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Oh yeah, Super busy.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
He still helps me sometimes with the pageant stuff
.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
You can put him down if you want to Put Brody down?
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Brody was getting Brody was getting anxious.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
He was like that is enough love for one day.
I'm done with you.
I'm going to go over here andsit for a little bit.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I think he wants his mom is what he wants, but but
yeah, so I mean kind of the restis history really.
Um, as far as that's concerned,I uh, I just I've always just
I've, I've loved learning aboutthe craft.
I've loved learning what it isthat and, I guess, knowing what
pageant girls wanted because ofbeing around them so much that I
(05:50):
kind of knew you know littleidiosyncrasies about women.
I mean, we, let's just face it,we look in the mirror and we
see something different thanmaybe what everybody else sees.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
That is so true.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
And you get it in your head.
Oh well, my eyes aren't this,or my lips aren't this, or my
nose isn't this, or my faceisn't this, and so I can usually
pinpoint.
I pretty much know what herinsecurity is going to be,
because she's looking in themirror and she's seeing that.
I see it as something that'sbeautiful about her, but she
(06:24):
probably doesn't like that, andso I just kind of think about
that, and so I try to minimizewhatever that is, if that makes
sense.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yes, oh yeah, absolutely.
And so now do you so your lovefor pageants and doing this
photography?
So do you primarily, do you goto a lot of the pageants, krista
, or is it just people who arecompeting?
They call you or reach out andsay hey, I need some headshots.
A little bit of both, actually.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
A little bit of both.
I do pageant photography.
Where I'll go to the pageants?
There's a big one that's goingon in Kingsport, at Meadowview,
this summer, mrs International,and so I started working with
them last year.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Mrs.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
International.
They have a Mrs, a teen and aMiss division and so I will go
there and I'll shoot.
I've got a staff that I'll comein with me and they'll work
with me and I'll shoot thatpageant.
Some of those girls I do seethey'll contact me to get
headshots done, which I doheadshots in my studio, at my
house.
So it's a little mixture ofboth, you know, and then that
(07:28):
way I'm able to meet the girls,you know, I'm able to meet the
contestants and the women.
I mean sometimes we're talkingabout little, you know, six,
seven, eight years old, andsometimes we're talking about 28
, 29 year old.
They're married.
So yeah, so both of them, them,that's a little mixture of both.
I don't typically set up doingheadshots at the pageant, okay,
but I will do the eventphotography and then if they
(07:49):
want to book a session, I'dprefer to do it at my studio.
But I have like when I camehere and I did your stuff,
you're all stuff yeah, yes, thatwas so fun, so I've been to
your studio a couple of timesfor headshots, and I just love
the magic that you can performon that.
Well, I have to give part creditto the hair and makeup artist
(08:12):
too.
So you know, I work a lot withShamel McKenzie, and so I have
to give her a little shout outthere.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
We love Shamel.
We do love Shamel, and we'retrying to get her on the podcast
too.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
We're going to get her on the podcast Eventually.
Yes, yes, yeah, it will happen,it will happen, it will happen.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
But yeah, she does do a fantastic job, phenomenal,
yeah.
And then she's done makeup andhair for me, just for me going
to an event.
I reached out to her.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, I think you actually came to the house one
time just to get, because I'lllet her do that.
Sometimes she'll book people inand I'll just let her use my
glam room.
That's what she calls it myglam room.
And I will let her do that.
She'll do people that way, so Imeet a lot of people that way
too, and I'll meet a lot ofprofessional women who are also
getting headshots done, becauseI do the professional side as
(08:59):
well.
If you want a little bit moreof a glam professional headshot
and a lot of women, do you knowrealtors and some of your?
I just did somebody the otherday that was a pharmaceutical
sales rep.
Yes, and so you know someprofessional women.
They want you know, if you wantglam headshot, I'm your gal.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Well, I'll tell you the last headshot you did for me
I think it was a couple ofyears ago.
I probably need to do anupdated one.
But I think it was a couple ofyears ago.
I probably need to do anupdated one, but I loved it and
I use that on my company websitefor, you know, for my work and
and they, they always want to dothese headshots at sales
meetings and they want us to usethose and I'm like, and I
(09:40):
refuse, I'm like, no, I paid tohave this professional headshot.
This is the one you will usefor me.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I had a gentleman that works for a large company
in West Tennessee and he had hisshot done and he actually sent
it to me to fix the backgroundand retouch him a little bit.
And he says every time he goesthrough and uses his little
badge people ask him wait aminute, your headshot looks
different than everybody else's.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Like 100% better, yeah, well, yeah, that is
awesome.
So, and you know, and I canjust tell Chris and working with
you, you love what you do, I do.
And so I bet you don't feellike you ever work, do you?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
You don't.
You really don't, because youknow what's the old saying Turn
your passion into a professionand you'll never work a day in
your life.
And I think that's true.
But I think when God calls youto do something, if you follow
that, you're not going to bebogged down in the stress.
(10:41):
You're doing what you love, Iknow.
When we found our house, youknow we came here and you guys
were our mortgage company and Ijust remember because we had
been around other realtors andother you know in that field and
I just felt such a sense withSteve that he loved what he did.
(11:04):
He loved putting people intotheir homes and figuring out the
right place for them.
You know to go, you could justsee the excitement, and so I
feel the same way about what Ido.
I feel the same way I you knowto go, you could just see the
excitement and so I feel thesame way about what I do.
I feel the same way I like Iwant to be able to give that
girl that great headshot thatwhen she walks into that pageant
interview that she knows thatshe can compete with anybody
(11:27):
else.
Same thing with the businessheadshot that when they put that
shot there they know thatthat's their calling card and
you know those real estate booksthat they used to sell all the
time that they don't do thoseanymore.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
I wish they did those .
Speaker 3 (11:42):
They don't do those anymore, but a lot of times I
would flip through those and youlook at those headshots and the
person that that that you see,that you know that looks like I
don't know that looksprofessional.
Um, you kind of gravitate tothat person.
Yes, and the headshot is yourcalling card.
(12:02):
It really is.
And if you look at that and youknow I don't know, it just does
I don't know if it does andit's it's you know everything
that we do.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
You know it's all about it's your image, it's your
image and it's excellence.
And so that having aprofessional headshot, whatever
your role, is your job, havingthat that you can put on
LinkedIn, on a social media page, to your company on your resume
(12:34):
.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
It's your brand.
It is your brand, it is yourcalling card.
It is the first impression, iswhat it is, and when you look at
those things and that firstimpression looks really good and
you want that first impressionto look really good.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
I mean, anybody can go take their cell phone in the
backyard and take a picture, andI've seen many, many of those I
have to.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
That's not what we do .
No, and I custom curateeverybody that I do.
That's the one thing that I do.
I'm not I'm not using AI tomake you look different than you
look.
I am custom curating, in that Iam retouching your headshot.
That's going to look like you.
It's the glam version of you,but it's going to look like you,
right, because I do thinkthat's important.
(13:20):
And sometimes I take a littlebit longer than other people,
but that's because I'm makingsure that all the I's are dotted
and all the T's are crossed,and I want it to be what you
want it to be.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yeah, well, and they're beautiful and I'll tell
you it's so hard to pick yourheadshot.
I mean, because what I loveabout what you do is you provide
everything that you need.
You know hair, makeup, you do aconsult, you tell people what
(13:51):
colors to wear, what type ofjewelry, because you know what
is actually going to photographthe best.
And then you have backdrops ifyou do it in your own studio,
and it's the comfort levelbecause, I mean, some people may
not feel comfortable gettingtheir picture taken A lot of
people don't and it's amazinghow a lot of women are.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
You know.
They'll sit down in front of meand they'll say to me well, now
tell me what to do, because Idon't know and I'm like, I got
you.
I got you, you know, and I thinkit's also just about having
that relationship with thatperson, you know, and bringing
out.
A lot of times I'll havesomebody put their first outfit
on that's maybe not, and wemight just do it in a t-shirt,
because I want them to getcomfortable in front of me,
(14:34):
because I do try to encourage,you know.
I tell people you look great,you look beautiful.
Oh, yes, I like that.
Keep that, because I want thatperson to leave that experience
going.
Wow, I just feel like a billionbucks, you know, and that's
what I want to have happen.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
And that's every time I've been.
That's exactly how I left.
I feel like a million bucksjust tickled to death.
Love, the overall experienceand everything.
And then you actually came hereto benchmark and did headshots
for the entire staff.
That was a fun day.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
That was a fun day.
I enjoyed that day.
A staff.
That was a fun day.
That was a fun day.
I enjoyed that day a lot.
That was a fun day, yes.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
And you had a lot of folks here that just they
weren't used to having theirpicture made.
They were uncomfortable, butyou had everybody laughing,
cracking up, cracking up and andI think it's just like your
(15:38):
emotional intelligence withgetting people to kind of loosen
up their personality can comethrough.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
You have to, you have to um, you know that's, that's
really part of it because, again, especially I think women,
women sometimes can beuncomfortable in front of the
camera.
I know, I am know, even when myhusband takes my headshots, you
know, he knows, but he knows meand it's getting to know that
person.
You get to know them and you getto know what it is kind of that
makes them tick Right, and thenyou're able to you know, or you
(16:03):
just have a conversation aboutsomething else that has nothing
to do with the fact that they'regetting their headshot made,
take a few clicks and then juststart talking to them about
their dog or about their kids,and then that way it gets their
mind stopping what I'm doing.
It's kind of like going to thedoctor and getting blood drawn.
We talked about that upstairs.
Talk to me about something else, so I'm not focused on this.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
We'll take care of that later.
We're going to get that takencare of, I promise you.
So I have connections.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it
.
But um, now everybody's gonnabe like what are they talking
about?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
we're not gonna tell you no, no, no, you can ask us
when you see us out in publicthat's right but um so, krista,
I know that you kind of pickedthis up, and so is there any
additional training andeducation and things that you do
to perfect your craft, you know, as a photographer?
Because I mean, I mean, isthere like licensing or
(17:02):
accreditation?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
there's not even really licensing and there is
some accreditation to becomelike a professional photographer
, if you did like landscape andfine arts and stuff like that.
But I personally think a lot ofthat is more for the other
photographers to go oh, you're aCRM or something, and I don't
even know what those are.
My biggest thing is just seeing, kind of keeping in touch with
(17:24):
what's going on in the industryand seeing, okay, what's this
new technique that they're using, Kind of like the makeup
artists do with different thingsand doing makeup differently
depending.
So there's not really any ofthat, other than you know what a
lot of trial and error.
Okay, I want to use my strobesand I want to do something
different, or I want to light itdifferently, and sometimes it's
(17:45):
just a matter of, you know,going and positioning the lights
in different places, placesdepending on what you want.
But I do a lot of through B&Hand a lot of times Paul Buff,
they'll send things and I'llwatch those tutorials and things
like that and be like, oh,that's really cool.
But because of what I do, it iskind of so niche in this, it's
(18:07):
just headshots that, unless I'mbranching out into doing some
modeling stuff and I do a littlebit of that too with the
pageant girls.
I've kind of narrowed my nichedown to.
I know I have to adjust mycamera for different lighting
situations as far as naturallight coming in, but I like
shooting in natural light.
(18:28):
I do think that that gives a.
It gives the most organic, Iguess, representation of that
person.
So I raise my garage door up andyes, and I've been in that
garage.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
when it's like 20 degrees outside, I give you a
heater though, yeah, you do geta heater, but beauty is pain.
Yes, I can attest to that.
It's a lot of work.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I was shooting the Virginia USA and Virginia teen
USA girls yesterday and it hadbeen so warm last week.
Yeah, it was like 85 degrees,and then it was like what?
60 degrees yesterday and it wasprobably 55 in the garage and I
was just like I'm so sorry andfor me it was comfortable, but
they were freezing, they arefreezing, they had chicken skin.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
So I told them.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
I said it's fine, they won't, the camera won't
pick up the chicken skin.
But they were like can you editout my chicken skin?
I was like go stand by theheater.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
It'll be okay.
It'll be okay it is.
It is just I've noticed that Iremember years ago, when I did
my first professional headshotwith you, I remember telling my
manager at the time, you know,hey, this is my professional
headshot, this is what.
She couldn't believe it.
And I said, well, I said, youknow, we need to invest in
(19:50):
ourselves, as you know, career,whatever it is.
But now I've noticed, you know,that was probably Kristen.
That was probably back in 2005or something.
I mean, it was the first one.
It was a long time ago.
And well, when did y'all buyyour house?
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Let me see.
No this was.
It would have probably been2014 then, because we we moved
in we moved into the house in2014.
So before that I had threedifferent studios in Johnson
City.
So I started out with a studioin downtown Jonesboro actually,
then moved to a studio inJohnson City on Boone Street,
then moved to a studio indowntown Johnson City across
(20:25):
from Freiburg's, right, next toMail, Stamps and Coins.
I had a studio there for years,and when I was doing wedding
photography, it was importantfor me to have that type of a
location.
I wasn't one that was going tomeet my clients at Starbucks or
Panera.
And I know a lot of people dothat, and there's nothing wrong
with that If that's what worksfor you, absolutely, but for me
it was important for me to havethat space.
But once I transitioned to justpretty much doing headshots, I
(20:51):
knew I didn't need that.
And transition to just prettypretty much doing headshots, I
knew I didn't need that, and sowhen then?
Speaker 2 (20:56):
when we moved into that house.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
It was perfect because it worked for that.
But, excuse me, so yeah, Iguess that was probably 2014,.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
But that's been 11 years ago, yeah, and I've had
two more since then, but I'venoticed, you see, that more and
more people investing inthemselves getting these
professional headshots.
I just think it's a, like yousaid, it's a brand, just we need
(21:22):
that this day and age.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Well, I think it's important for somebody to do the
things that they feel goodabout, to make you know.
It's whether you're goingshopping to get something you
know new because you want tomake yourself feel good.
I'm not encouraging going outhere and spending, spending,
spending, spending every day,but you know everybody feel you
want to feel good about yourself.
You know what you're wearingand and and.
So if you can project that tothe world with a photo of
(21:52):
yourself, you know, and it's funto put a new photo out there
and people say, oh my gosh, youlook so great.
You look so great, you look sogreat Because of Krishna.
Well, no, no, I will steal thisfrom Shamel.
After God and your parents,I'll take some credit.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Yeah, there you go, god and your parents.
I love that.
And that sounds like so Shamel.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
It is she does, because she'll always say well,
after God and your parents, butit is yeah, yeah, so after God,
parents and Shamel, then I'lltake credit, then comes.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Krishna.
So what advice would you giveto young folks, krishna, that
might be interested inphotography or you know how
would you advise, like, a youngperson, on a career path?
Speaker 3 (22:43):
I say get with somebody who is willing to open
up and be a mentor to you.
Okay, you know, if they've gota camera and I've done that with
a couple of my friends who arekind of venturing on in
Nashville particularly she's amakeup artist and she also is
doing a few headshots now andyou know she'll call me up and
she'll ask me differentquestions Find somebody that's
(23:03):
willing, open and willing tohelp you.
And you know, just go and evenif you're just holding, holding,
uh, you know, doing some behindthe scenes with your phone and
and so you can watch them and Iand you know, and and
participating like that, thatwould be what I would tell young
people, you know, um, andthere's, there's a lot of
education on youtube.
There's a lot of education onYouTube.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
There is a lot of education on YouTube, but
nothing takes the place of justreal life experience.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Nothing takes the place, nothing will ever take
the place of real lifeexperience because, there are
things that happen to me in thestudio and in the setting and
I'm like, yeah, I'm not going todo that again or, oh, I've got
to pivot.
Nothing will ever take theplace of real life experience.
And if a young person can goand they can find a mentor,
(23:52):
that's going to mentor them andhelp them, because you know,
everybody's on a trajectory, ona path to be better At least I
am, I mean.
And so if they can find thatperson that can help them to
grow because isn't that whatwe're supposed to be doing
anyway?
Is to helping other people grow, helping other people grow and
helping other people become thebest version of themselves.
(24:13):
And that's why I got intopageantry in the first place,
because I wanted to see theseyoung women reaching their
dreams, because I was doing whatI loved at the time.
Who knew that I was going to bemoved into the pageant headshot
arena?
But I was doing what I loved inmarketing and tourism.
And so you know, and I waslucky enough to have some of
those mentors myself.
So you know, when you find yourmentor, that would be my
(24:35):
biggest advice.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
And I just hear you know from everybody that I bring
in who are.
They're all entrepreneurs.
I love the story because thestory that you tell it's, it's
always.
It's never a straight line.
It's peaks and valleys, lots ofchanges, just like you
mentioned earlier.
Sometimes we have to beflexible, we have to be willing
(24:57):
to pivot.
This may not be working out,but I think what's important is
finding those people around youwilling to mentor.
But I also think that if you'regoing to do that, any young
person out there, you have to behumble and willing to listen.
And you know sometimes thingsmight hurt.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
But you know, sometimes with you know a little
bit of pain, comes growth inour life I have always found
that when I'm sitting in thatvalley, I have always found that
I'm down in that valley.
But you know what?
Or you know, maybe I lost thejob, or maybe you know I was
trying to get to be a sponsor ofthis and they didn't want that.
(25:39):
Something else always opens thedoor.
A different door always opens,you know, and, and you know, god
will say maybe yes, maybe no,not right now.
And I've heard from many pageantgirls that will say to me and
actually just one yesterday hadsaid if I had won this title
(26:00):
back two years ago when I triedto do it, I wouldn't have been
ready for it, because at thetime she said I would have been
16, you know, and she said Ijust I wouldn't have been ready
for it and I just that reallyresonated with me yesterday and
I've heard that before.
But just to hear that againright there, because I said now
you did this a couple of yearsago.
She said yeah, and she said Ididn't do it last year I think,
(26:22):
as it was her, maybe her senioryear, but she just said she said
I wouldn't have been ready.
And I mean that's wisdom and fora young person, for somebody
you know, 18 years old to havethat self?
yes, and so I was just thatimpressed me greatly that she
understood that and I think itis.
But I find too that when I'm inthose things I just have to sit
(26:45):
back and it's hard.
It's hard to sit back and it'ssometimes hard to listen to.
This is yes, no, and not rightnow.
Sometimes that not right now,you want that, yes, and so it's
hard sometimes, but we still,and I think life is just going
to be that way, Life is justgoing to be that way, Life is
just going to be, but hopefully,hopefully, you know you, you've
(27:10):
, you can see the light at theend of the tunnel, so to speak.
I guess.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Absolutely.
Yeah, I think that's great andI just I think that we all need
to realize that.
You know life is, it does haveits peaks and valleys.
It does.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
It does and and you know I will say this, I have
been like everybody else has youcan.
You can sit there and you canum, you can wallow in the, the
valley of life, right in thevalley of life.
(27:48):
Or you can say you know what,because of this I'm going.
I know that something better iscoming.
I know that I'm here and I'muncomfortable, because how many
times have you beenuncomfortable and then you go
back and look at that and youcan see all the lesson in the
uncomfortability.
So I think sometimes God doesmake us uncomfortable because he
wants us to focus more on himand what we need to be doing for
him.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Put our eyes up where they belong, not down, Not down
, but look up.
And it is, you know.
I think about agriculture.
You know why do we prune treesand things like that?
It's to bring more growth, andthat's the same thing with our
lives.
We are being pruned andsometimes it's not comfortable,
(28:33):
but it causes us to grow and,like you said, to depend on
Jesus, Because without Him he'sour hope Absolutely, and I love
the fact that you are very vocalabout that.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Chris, absolutely, when I gave my business to God
and said this is not yours, thisis not mine, this is yours.
It brings me the clients thathe wants me to have, and it's
not just everybody, because I'mnot right for everybody, and
that's fun, right.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Well, yeah, we're all everybody's so different.
Yeah absolutely, you know, andyou're getting the people that
that you're going to mesh withand work out with, and it's
going to be a great experienceon both ends, you know which is
beautiful, and I don't, and Idon't, I don't care to share my
faith with somebody.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
I don't mind to do that at all Because, quite
frankly, I want people to knowthat I am a Christian.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
That's what we're called to do, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
I want people to know that that's who I am.
Yes, I have fun Christians canhave fun too but I do.
I want people to know thatthat's you know, that's who I am
, and that I want people to knowthat that's who I am and that's
who my husband is.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Yes, and we're very thankful for Judge Goodwin.
He is a wonderful judge.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
I had to throw his name out there.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Well, he is a good man he is, and he actually came
and spoke at our TennesseeNurses Association and did some
information sharing with us afew years ago.
Okay, so I always appreciatedhim doing that he's funny too.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
He is funny, he's very good.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
He's very dry and I love dry.
I love that.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
I'm not as dry as he is.
I wish I could be that way, buthe's funny.
He also tells really bad dadjokes.
I mean, we don't have children,as you know.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Well, you have dogs, we have dogs, we have fur babies
, yes.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
But he tells some really bad dad jokes.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
We've got to get him and Steve together.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Oh no, that's dad jokes right there.
But no, we do, we do.
Steve tells some jokes.
When we came in, I think thelast time I was here, he told
some pretty bad dad jokes.
I was like, oh, I'm surroundedwith men who tell dad jokes yeah
, he's, he's well and you haveto.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
We have to give credit to darvis reed uh,
steve's daddy, yes so is thatwhere it comes from?
That's where it comes from isall those bad dad jokes and he
tells them over and over andhe'll be telling a story and
he's like now, have you heardthis before?
I'm like no, darvis, I haven't,because I just you know, know,
yeah, but you have.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
But you still just yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
But he's there on an honor flight this weekend, the
Appalachian Highlands HonorFlight, okay, going to DC, going
to Washington DC, and they'llbe back on Sunday, so it was
just awesome.
I'm so thankful we have acountry that honors the veterans
.
Absolutely, you know, butanyway, we digress Are you.
Add.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
A little bit.
Okay, me too, I think so.
Yeah yeah, we started outtalking about dogs, we ended up
talking about my husband, yourhusband and the honor flight.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
And we've covered it all.
We've included Jesus in there.
Speaker 3 (31:42):
Even Jesus, I mean, why not?
Speaker 2 (31:43):
But that's what it's supposed to be about, though?
Yes, absolutely that's whatit's about.
It's about, well, krista, sotell our listeners how they can
get in touch with you forprofessional headshots,
pageantry shots, um venues,events.
Uh, krista, good one.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
So yeah, I I yeah, I don't do events.
I don't do anything unless it'spageant related pageant related
events.
Pageant related events I willdo those.
Um, that's pageant eventphotographycom, okay.
If you want headshots, it'spageant headshotscom, and
professional headshots isgoodwin photographycom.
You can get to everything justby going to goodwin
(32:15):
photographycom.
Okay, but I also have those twourls as well, so okay awesome.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
All right, chris now.
Well, thank you for being heretoday.
Well, thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
I had a blast Me too.
Thanks for letting me hang outwith Brody there, oh yeah, he's
yeah he's he's, he's perfect.
What can?
I say he's the love of yourlife, the dog love of your.
I love your life.
I have two of those.
Thank you for having me You'rewelcome.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Thanks, Krishna.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
This has been Benchmark Happenings, brought to
you by Jonathan Tipton andSteve Reed from Benchmark Home
Loans.
Jonathan and Steve areresidential mortgage lenders.
They do home loans in NortheastTennessee and they're not only
licensed in Tennessee butFlorida, georgia, south Carolina
and Virginia.
We hope you've enjoyed the show.
(33:07):
If you did make sure to like,rate and review.
Our passion is NortheastTennessee, so if you have
questions about mortgages, callus at 423-491-5405.
And the website iswwwjonathanandstevecom.
Thanks for being with us andwe'll see you next time on
(33:29):
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