Today we’d like to introduce you to Layne Kennedy.
Hi Layne, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I really had no choice becoming a photographer.
The lessons started as a 6 year old at the California State Fair. Seeing a Fair vendor selling tiny “spy cameras” and 20 rolls of miniature film included, I saw nothing less than a great adventure waiting for me. My Dad did everything he could to talk me out of buying it and wasting all my savings of $5. After all, in 1963, that was a lot of money.
Well, determined then as I am now. I bought it. I spent days wandering the neighborhood taking spy pix of everything I could find. Dogs, mailboxes, friends, & fences. After a week, we dropped the twenty rolls of film off at the PhotoMat kiosk eagerly awaiting the treasure chest of amazing photos. Turns out Dad was right. Not a single frame turned out. I got conned. Tough lesson indeed.
Many years later, my High School in Alaska had a photography Class. I took it. Soon, I was developing my own film in the darkroom, then making way to the enlarger to cast a negative image onto a piece of white paper. Next, and here’s where I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, slide the photo paper into a tray filled liquid Kodak Dektol developer, The print sloshed around the developer, then all of sudden, an image begin to appear. It was TOTAL MAGIC.
I’ve never looked back. My college years was educated as a Fine Art photographer using a 4×5 view camera, then changed paths and became a newspaper photographer before switching gears again to magazine work where I’ve remained for over thirty years.
To this day, I feel I have the best job in the world. A career that allows me to walk in someone else’s shoes for a short period of time, both educates and motivates me to do more, and more again. The sense that my experiences keep me balanced as a human being, documenting both the good and the bad, seeing the world through my lens is never boring. The camera is more than just simply an instrument of capturing light. It is a tool to express myself and share those visual moments.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My career as a photographer has been smooth so to speak But, there’s no job that does not include bumps in the road. And, it’s the bumps that make us better. Keeping the focus of remaining a photographer had its challenges in the early days. How to pay the bills, insurance, supplies, camera gear, ect. It seemed impossible to get ahead. of the “breaking even” syndrome so many creative people face.
Artists find out early that you’ve got to be more than just an artist. It’s important to understand that it’s also a business. Artist naturally tendency is to sell themselves short. They just want their work to be used. Artists constantly face that dilemma of buyers saying, “We’d love to use you photograph, and we’ll give you credit for it too.” Well, that doesn’t pay the bills and prohibits artists from moving their careers forward.
Sticking with it, working you ass off, making connection, making mistakes, studying others who are successful and asking yourself “why” are all important steps in building a business. And, never lose that reason you are doing this; you love it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Having started as a photographer formally educated as a fine art photographer, I held a very different perspective of the medium than I hold now as an editorial photographer for magazines. I’ve been lucky in that I’m able to combine both visual worlds into my story telling imagery. Through the eyes of Photo Editors, this sets me apart from other shooters.. I bring something different to the table. They like that. Photo Editors and Art Directors are always looking for a fresh style. It keeps them fresh too.
A good friend of mine, Mitch Kezar, a brilliant photojournalist, has more than once commented on my work saying,”You See Funny.” Of course, I know that Mitch is giving me a compliment with those words. In fact, I loved those words so much, I had planned on using that phrase as the title to my newest book; BEYOND THE LIGHT-The Stories Behind The Photographs.
Ultimately, we went with the above title. But, on occasion, I still regret not using it. Silly, right? Mitch’s words really seemed to capture my approach to the medium. And, honestly, this is one of the difficult hurdles to achieve as an artist. Overcomig your influences, and creating from withing.
In my workshops and photo tours, I constantly advise folks to photograph what you feel, not what you see. Don’t worry if someone else is not going to like your image. It ONLY MATTERS THAT IT MATTERS TO YOU.
Once you let go of the visual influences of the past, you begin to develop your own style. Think of a guitar player for example. Once they quit looking at their fingers on the neck, and begin playing their own collection of notes without thinking about it, feeling it, they’re on the path developing their own style. Being original counts.
What matters most to you? Why?
In my photography I want my images to contain content. I strive for layers of information in the image. It’s very important in editorial work. The more info going on in the frame, the more effective it is in communicating instantly. Viewers need not realize it, but if those elements don’t exist, the photograph loses strength. You can usually tell if it doesn’t. Pretty pictures are just that. They’re pretty. Editorial imagery needs to be telling.
Pricing:
- Pricing photography is always a challnege. There’s so many variables to consider. If you’re interested in learning how to charge, for your work, I suggest going to places like FotoQuote, an online software that breaks down the “average” fees photographs command in a myarid of uses.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laynekennedy.com
- Instagram: layne_kennedy
- Facebook: Layne Kennedy
