Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kenneth Wyner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kenneth, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar you earn in a new endeavor is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.
My first real work was created by just going out & doing it! I had been doing photography, but only as an art form. I decided to go out & shoot what I liked. I approached a very good-looking restaurant in Georgetown DC. It was Called Paper Moon & it was moody with a lot of blue neon. I had just purchased a Toyo View 4×5 camera. I had no idea how to use it. In a view camera, the image you see is upside down & reversed horizontally so suffice it to say, it was difficult. I had said I would not charge the restaurant, unless they liked the images. I spent all night shooting & I learned as I worked. I learned that neon reacts best to daylight film. In the end, the restaurant loved the images & paid me $800.00!
I learned valuable lessons. Technical lessons such as how to use a view camera & how best to capture neon, but most importantly, I learned how to be brave & just go out & do it!!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I have been photographing, seriously for over 55 years. My father always did family slide shows & I had a neighbor who had a darkroom. I am now primarily an architectural photographer & we shoot resturants, condo’s, large commercial projects such as The National Stadium in Wash, DC. The unique aspect of our work is the composition of our images. For shooting interiors, we create depth & a three-dimensional feeling by shooting more than one space in the same image, as opposed to using a wide-angle lens just within the space. This type of composition creates depth & you are able to feel as though you are moving from one space into another!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Well, I believe life & photography especially has a very strong spiritual aspect. Just as the Native Americans protect their image & soul from photographs, we believe we are obligated to revere our subjects. It is a privilege to capture, people, places & things & we strive to help facilitate a strong sense of self-esteem & respect. We want the process & the final images to be iconic representations! Primarily positive, although sometimes, the truth is not an easy thing to digest!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
In the beginning, I was always doubtful of my talent, as well as feeling I needed to show every little thing I had done. After one day being so busy that I did not have time for an interview, I rushed in, dropped off just a few images, direct from a job in blue jeans & wrinkled shirt, & low & behold, I got the job!
From then on, I realized that confidence in one’s own value & talent is the most important thing to put forward!
Contact Info:
- Website: kenwynerphotography.com
- Instagram: kenwyner
- Facebook: ken wyner