We were lucky to catch up with Kenwin Jones recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kenwin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

My sophomore year in college I was given the opportunity to represent my school by showing a few of my pieces at a local art exhibit. At the time, I was very unsure as to whether or not I was making the right decision choosing photography as my career choice. I was not very good, but my professor saw something in my work. After weeks of procrastination, I finally completed my pieces for the show. The response to my pieces went amazingly well! Afterwards, I knew this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Kenwin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

During the height of the pandemic, I developed a passion for collecting toys and memorabilia that reminded me of my childhood. I used the then “infinite amount of time” I had as an opportunity to bond with my two children and give them a glimpse of my interests when I was their age. From Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to Marvel’s X-men, to King Kong, Godzilla and Conan, my ebay search for things my mother couldn’t afford for me as a child became an addiction. The mountain of unopened mint-in-box collectibles over the months began feeling like an irresponsibly expensive burden to me, considering the heavy layoffs that were occurring within the departments at my job. Being a product photographer for 6 years and work slowly coming to a halt, the stress and pressures of thinking creatively began to be a problem for me. While searching platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, I began finding communities of photographers that actually photographed the toys that they collected. My first thoughts were,”these people are crazy for taking these incredibly expensive action figures out of the box!” Everyone knows toys lose value once you break that seal. Then I began seeing IG artists such as Jason B Michael, Sgt Bananas, and Plasticaction, composing complex scenes and creating otherworldly images using their toys to tell their story. I fell in love with the challenge, had to try it for myself and was immediately hooked after my first capture!

Over the last few years, toy communities and its artists have taught me creative techniques that I’ve utilized in my product photography, that I would never have used conventionally. I’ve learned how to use parchment paper in my kitchen pantry to diffuse light in a night scene, how to utilize handfuls of cotton balls from under my bathroom sink and constructing them with glue and spray paint to create fiery explosions, as well as how to tediously sculpt toilet paper rolls to resemble towering trees. Photographing my favorite action figures has helped me to open Pandora’s box and explore the depths of my imagination on a smaller scale before making investments into larger ones. In my art I try to provide imagery that will transport viewers back in time. A simpler time. A time of box TV’s, Saturday morning cartoons, big spoonfuls of captain crunch berries, pajamas and fluffy couches. Toy photography helps me to stretch deep down inside myself to bring light to my inner child that isn’t held down with traditional photography rules and techniques that have been ingrained in me since my college years. I use my admiration for toy photography as a form of therapeutic play, to help enhance the quality and inventiveness of my professional work.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I still have a long road before I reach my audience goals but I am proud of where I am within a few years. My biggest advice is to find a community of artists online that have the same interests as you. Reach out to all size accounts and engage, engage, engage! I realized the more I built a rapport with artists, shared their work and asked questions, the more they were willing to comment and share my art. Raising 3 kids, it’s hard for me to be active every single day on social media, but I realized that as long as I post relevant content, and stay consistent with the days I post, I maintain a steady growth within my accounts.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Creating allows me to unpack. Nothing feels better than to show the world what’s been living in my brain the last few days, weeks or months!

Contact Info:

• Website: kenwinpics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenwinpics_toys/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenwin-jones-048490bb/