We recently connected with Ken Pivak and have shared our conversation below.

Ken, appreciate you joining us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

There is no real formula to figuring out one’s artistic journey, especially as a business. As a commercial photographer working since the early 80’s, my career began with a degree from the School of Visual Arts, SVA, in NYC. I’m a Bronx kid… raised out of the concrete of the city. I was a graffiti artist, and a bit of a delinquent. All my friends are 911 heros, now retired cops and firemen. I witnessed a lot of things as a kid, and somehow that way of being, and observing, and at a young age, started to photograph my surroundings. Yearbook photographer, to editor and actually winning a national award with the best HS yearbook cover design in 1978 with Hunter publishing. My life as a photographer seemed to be the right path.
First thing that I did after SVA was to take a position as the main assistant/studio mgr. to one of New York’s most famous photographers ( Eric Meola ), and worked with him for about a year and a half. I traveled to California for the first time with Eric back in 1985. I knew then, I’d return. Right after Eric, I was offered a position with another famous shooter, Ryszard Horowitz. Stayed on with him for about another year. Then afterwards I had become one of NY’s well know photo assistants and pretty much had wonderful opportunities to work on jobs all around the world, traveling with some of the industries best photographers. I even did a few years working the famous Marlboro shoots during the 1980’s.

Until around 1988/89, I remember I was counting pennies, no work on the books, and began to call every photographer in town to see about working. Sometimes is just got a bit lean and you had to keep moving forward. You’d be surprised what you can do in situations like that. And so, I was hired by a still life shooter who had me come work for him for about a week for Elle Magazine shoot. He also was housing an area in his studio, for a good friend of his, who was the senior creative director from Grey advertising. Allen, the creative director was looking for something new. He had a new hair product that had been produced with a well known company, and he called into the studio, just about every famous photographer’s portfolio, as he used the studio to go through it all. The photographer who hired me, told Allen about my works, and I was asked to bring in my book on the last day.

Allen opened it, went over it, then again, looked up at me, and said, your it. Not just it, but he was quite taken with my art and the fashion and beauty images I had been creating during all those years. I wasn’t just assisting by this time, but also taking on small jobs, and always creating new images. Those pennies I was counting, turned into a five figure shoot and continued on for three years and solidified my position as a NYC photographer. I then moved to California in 1992. Once out here, I lived in SF for a couple years and also cooked in a 2 star Michelin restaurant during this time, while operating a photo studio in the day. Crazy but fun as hell, and that job in the kitchen opened so many doors as. a photographer. I realized then, that the path I was on, was not a normal one at all.

Stayed up there until 1994, Then moved down to Los Angeles. I’ve been here ever since.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I suppose to continue the story, I started to work more with the entertainment world, once I got down to LA. I found working with actors and celebrities to be so fun and to be truthful, I’ve never felt I worked a day in my life since I first ever picked up a camera. And it should be this way for anyone with a passion for what they love. As I know I do. My goal as a photographer, was never about the money or the gear, or what new camera… UGH. I can shoot with a disposable camera if the client gave that to me to use. It’s about what you bring to the shoot. As in your attitude and professionalism. But to also have a keen sense of light and composition and to know your “visual destination”; something I teach when I mentor younger photographers. My goal is mainly to have those in front of my camera to be proud of the images we create together… that’s it. That’s my path and my passion. Making money, that’s great too, but I’m not a materialistic person and those things are not important. What’s important is having a drive to lift up others with how you see the world and to give them something more and beyond then what you can do alone… meaning a team is key, a team is family and enjoy and have fun doing it.

This way of being has opened doors for me to work for clients like Death Row Records (they liked my Bronx attitude), Couture fashion designers, on both coasts, many famous actors and from time to time a gig that takes me out of my main realm. Like my client who has me shooting their Asphalt company up in Bakersfield, photographing workers in 95 degree weather paving roads and highways in Southern California. I enjoy all aspects of this business no matter who is in front of my lens.

I’m hired in a way how a relief pitcher comes into a game in the 9th inning. To close the game, and to create not just what my clients’ request, but to offer more variations then they expect. Always. And in the end, often those other variations I produce are the choice images for the job. On my website on my info page is a testimonial that I feel expresses how I work. Written by a creative director I have worked with on many jobs, he wanted to offer this to me to put onto my site. That was a wonderful gift and to this day we are good friends. I suppose I see all this like a big family to hang with, or like how I grew up as a young kid and teenager in the Bronx. I always say to potential clients when on the phone for the first time and I feel we are getting to a good place, I’ll say… “There must be at least 10 other photographers, who may be able to do the gig, but who do you want to hang out with in the playground?” This has always opened the doors a bit wider for me. I go out on a limb. I express myself more freely then others and often my accent seems to save the day. Maybe it’s just LA likes NY accents, but it seems to work.

Thing is, when I walk onto the set, or a home, a particular location, wherever our shoot my be, I’ve done my homework. As my one client once expressed to me, a senior creative producer; “we’re pros, we execute”.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I like this question… Back in NYC when I was beginning my professional ph0tographic life, my girlfriend at the time (still good pals), was a social worker out in Queens NY. We were living in Jersey City at the time. She would often feel; how can I say it… I guess she would say that she wished she had a talent like mine. Something that was artistic. I remember looking at her and thinking a bit, then saying. back to her, “but look at all those children you help”. At the time she was working for a counseling service as a therapist for children who were orphans or came from families that were not the best. I said, “you give so much more then I ever could for another, my lens reflects something of a moment with a short time, you create and shape other lives in ways I cannot. That is YOUR portfolio. Those kids love you and you give them hope, and a future.” I get to give them a photo. Yet at times my shoots do become what I call Photo Therapy.
My girlfriend then, thought that quite nice and gave her a way to see how she leaves her foot print within others’ lives.
We once created a shoot for all the kids back then, and called it, “Do You See What I See” as a theme to a shoot where I had Essence magazine’s hair and makeup crew come and give these kids a photo shoot like we were shooting for the magazine. One of my favorites shoots. To this day, I’m told some of them have stayed connected from that very day, and one boy I took under my wing to help obtain or at least to learn how to get an acting agent. Years later I found out he had become an acting camp counselor in upstate NY. Not bad for a kid who was shot three times living is the, then famous, Queens Projects. Photography, or whatever you do, is an art. See you life this way, and know that is takes very little to make a huge difference to others. Have faith in yourself and your art. And if I may borrow a line from the movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory… “we are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams”.
Become this.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Always. Purpose and passion allow us all to thrive in a healthy way and also offers us a long happy life. Of course with good intentions. Like I mentioned earlier. My goals are always to have others feel proud of what we create. This has always been my mantra. And to keep creating. I live in a constant state of creativity with no matter what I’m doing at the time. Cooking, playing music (been playing a 12 string for over 30 years), and my art. All of these things I do are for a purpose, either for my own Zen, or to just make my wife feel wonderful with a great meal. These other things allow me to thing about my images I want to produce, while crafting within other means. Like my guitar is my imagination tool, as I call it. I often will meditate with my music as I walk through the shoot I’m about to do the next day. Or cooking, and thinking about the lighting set up for an art shoot for my portfolio. It never ends, and I enjoy the constant stream of ideas and concepts that I get to produce. I have notebooks from the 1980s filled with visual ideas with many I’ve yet to create. And now with AI and image prompting, I can just apply those written ideas into today’s technology. Sometimes I kick myself and think, hell… I thought of that! That doesn’t always mean a good idea too! You have to not take it so seriously all the time. Have faith. That 11th hour will kick in and throughout all my 40+ years now working in this industry, somehow keeping the faith, never fails you.
Just don’t give up. Would I love more big budget jobs? Yes, of course, who wouldn’t, but to survive you have to answer to yourself and what goals you set for yourself. How you steer your career and the choices you make are key, when you go with your gut. Don’t second guess yourself. Stay true to your ideas. But I will say this. If my team or anyone working with me at the time, offers something wonderful to the idea.. we go with it. My ego does not. Ego will kill your career.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kenpivak.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenpivak
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenpivak