Purpose in Your Passion
BonaFide Cowboy - Kenzie Holmberg
Photography by Kenzie Holmberg
Magic happens when Kenzie Holmberg picks up her camera. Whether she’s shooting a music video for an up-and-coming country singer, doing still-shoots of models for commercial branding, or documenting the everyday operation of a ranch; she captures the raw and the real.
She’s a one-woman show, showcasing the western lifestyle where it’s taking place – on ranches, at rodeos, in small towns. She pours everything into being authentic with herself and with her clients. She examines her subjects with an artistic eye to portray their transparency and personality. Her clients love her informal approach as she puts them at ease, allowing them to truly be themselves while she films or shoots photos.
“My photography is my heart and soul,” Kenzie said. “I’ve developed a style that’s unique to me. I’ve found a niche in the western lifestyle representing people that stay true to who they are.”
Kenzie first picked up a camera while studying Ag Communications at the University of Wyoming. A class she was taking offered a section on photography; she enjoyed it so much her mom bought her a starter camera with hopes that it would become a hobby she would enjoy.
“I took to it really fast,” she said. “But I had no idea it would turn into a career.”
Ten years later, she’s a successful photographer, videographer, graphic and web designer and offers coaching and workshops to help other photographers. But the road to that success has been filled with trials.
“It hasn’t been easy,” Kenzie said. “I rebranded myself several times. I’ve gone through personal challenges, and I’ve changed directions. I started out in website and graphic design but the bulk of what I do now is photography and music videos. That’s something I never would have imagined.”
Seven years ago, Kenzie was working full-time in Billings, and was dabbling in photography as a side-hustle, when she took a leap of faith hoping to succeed as a freelance photographer. She knew one thing - she wanted to showcase the western lifestyle as authentically as possible.
“I figured out most of what I do by trial and error,” Kenzie said. “I’m not afraid to try something new. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I wanted to be a photographer, but at the same time, I had to make my business sustainable.”
In the beginning she reached out to hundreds of companies that promoted their brands in western magazines and pitched her photography skills. For every “yes” she received, there were dozens of “no’s”. Her perseverance paid off; she’s worked with brands such as Pendelton Whiskey, Ariat and Cinch Jeans, in addition to dozens of others.
“Failures and setbacks can cause people to quit,” Kenzie said, “but for me they’ve been a reason to keep going.”
Taking a course on pricing helped her to determine what to charge to be profitable. She restructured her fees and lost a few clients but also drew a caliber of clientele willing to pay her new prices. Paired with intentional messaging and identifying her ideal client, the trajectory of her career changed - only to be stalled once again.
She moved to Arizona in early 2022 and in six months’ time she broke off her engagement to be married and her best friend died in an accident. Her life felt like it was falling apart.
“Just when things started to go well, my personal life fell apart. I was dealing with some things that made me lose my passion and my business fell apart,” Kenzie said. “Looking back, as hard as it was, I had to figure some things out and maintaining a sustainable income was one of them.”
Getting “back in the saddle,” Kenzie directed her energy on growing her business, BonaFide Cowboy, and staying true to her vision: to capture authentic, genuine and real.
In the same month that she experienced her best month of revenue, she also lost her beloved grandmother. A few months later, a move back to Laramie, which had been on her heart for some time, opened new opportunities for her. With most of her clients already in Wyoming, the timing seemed perfect.
“Great lessons come after the storms,” she continued. “It’s tough when you’re in the middle of it, but once you get through it, that’s where the sunshine and good stuff is.”
Last year, when country artist Chancey Williams asked Kenzie if she’d be interested in filming a video for him, she was suddenly and unexpectedly propelled into the music video industry. She had shot still-photos for Chancey, and he liked her style.
“I told him, sure, I’ll give it a try,” Kenzie laughed. “God has a funny way of surprising me with things that I didn’t have planned.”
The first video she produced for Chancey Williams, “The Ballad of Uncle Don,” stayed at the top of CMT’s 12 Pack for four weeks. She now works continuously with him, often riding with the band on their concert tours, and has produced three additional videos.
“Everybody says life is like a roller coaster,” Kenzie said, “But to me life is like an ocean. There’s always waves - ups and downs, simultaneously. You just try to be prepared for whatever comes along. I used to plan everything in advance and had huge, lofty goals. But I realized sometimes the best things are things that can’t be planned.”
Her photos have an under-exposed appeal, the backgrounds are dark, sometimes mysterious, the subjects natural and unposed, often deep in thought. Her characteristic use of dim lighting sets a moody tone. She finds beauty in ordinary backgrounds and surroundings – a broken-down tractor resting at the edge of a hayfield, rose bushes growing rampantly next to a long-abandoned building. If a picture speaks a thousand words, Kenzie’s provoke deep thought and wonder far beyond the brief moment caught on camera.
We first met Kenzie in 2019 while we were covering a ranch rodeo for our first issue. Because she had a camera and was getting shots we didn’t think we could capture, I approached her and asked if she would be willing to show us her work. She did and we were thrilled! One of those photos is on the cover of our first issue. We’ve come full circle. I have followed her career for the past seven years and recently asked if she’d be interested in coming with me to the interview with Herb and Susan Russell. It was a privilege to see her in action and use her photos in the feature.
“I love what I do because I love to see people’s passion and I try to capture that in my photos and videos,” Kenzie said. “We’re all designed for a purpose, and I feel like I’ve found mine.”
Check out Kenzie’s work at bonafidecowboy.com
Follow her on FB at: BonaFide Cowboy
Instagram: bonafidecowboy