I’m going to begin with this self-portrait (selfie). As far as I can remember, it’s most likely the first one I ever took. By this age, I had been into photography about six years or so. From the beginning, I knew photography was not going to be about me. It was going to be about what I see happening around me.
Yes, that is a McDonald’s restaurant. Like many, I worked there for a few years. It was a most positive and rewarding experience. Reasons being:
In my neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn
Worked with friends and people I knew
Within walking distance home
Earned more money than I had previously
Worked my way up from Crew to a Manager
The camera I’m photographing with was the first I was able to purchase with money earned while working there. A Ricoh TLS 401 35mm TLR with multi-view prism (eye level and waist level). I don’t remember the focal length of the lens, but will assume it’s the Rikenon 50mm 1.7.
By this time, I had already known that photography was going to be with me for the rest of my life. Mainly at the forefront, not a hobby. That has held true for all of my life.
Okay, that’s enough about my beginnings for now. As we take this visual walk through photography, I’ll primarily be referencing the photographs I’ve taken throughout the years with stories and motivation on why they resonate. For context, I’ve been photographing on the streets of New York City for more than thirty years. Therefore, most of these photographs will encompass the arena of street photography (though not all). I’ll also be focusing on the art, history, and science of photography, as well as my own philosophy surrounding photography. Some of that philosophy can be viewed on my YouTube channel PhotoKenArts
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Let’s do this!
Kenneth