Today we’d like to introduce you to Keun Rose.
Hi Keun, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My photography journey actually started during COVID-19. Like so many people during that time, my life changed. I had lost my job, the economy was uncertain, and I was also going through some things in my personal life. During all of that uncertainty, I picked up a camera as a hobby, something to do, something to explore, and eventually something I realized I genuinely loved. What I didn’t know at the time was that this hobby would eventually grow into a source of income and, ultimately, a business.
What started as a hobby quickly became much more than that for me. During a time when I felt somewhat isolated and was dealing with a lot personally, it became almost therapeutic. It was my escape. When I had a camera in my hand, I could step outside of whatever I was dealing with and be present in someone else’s moment. I could interact with people, laugh with them, create with them, and capture something that made them feel good about themselves. I’ve always loved people, so having a camera in my hand gave me another way to connect with them.
I was completely self-taught. I didn’t go to school for photography or have someone hand me a blueprint. I’m a very hands-on learner, so a lot of what I learned came from picking up my camera, trying things, making mistakes, studying my work, and trying again. Eventually, I realized I might actually have an eye for this. More importantly, other people started noticing it too.
I remember people being excited about photographs I had taken, seeing the joy in their eyes, and I was always humbled by their reactions. It’s funny because I can look back at some of that early work now and think, “Oh my goodness, I thought that was good?” But at the time, people loved it! And honestly, I’m grateful for that. Looking back allows me to see just how much I’ve grown. There was a time before Kapture Photography was even Kapture Photography when I was doing little shoots for free, for a few dollars, or simply helping somebody else bring their vision to life. Every one of those experiences helped shape the creative I am today.
That desire to help people has stayed with me as the business has grown. I believe in pouring into people. I believe you reap what you sow, and sometimes, when I have the opportunity, I still use my gift to support another entrepreneur or someone trying to build something of their own. I don’t do that expecting something in return. I genuinely love seeing people win. Of course, Kapture Photography is a business, and I have to make a living from what I do, but money has never been the only thing that makes this meaningful to me. It’s the people.
This journey has also opened up a world I probably would not have experienced otherwise. Through my camera, I’ve had opportunities to meet and work with people from so many different walks of life: entrepreneurs, artists, dancers, trainers, videographers, families, business owners, community leaders, and so many others. I’ve even had the opportunity to photograph the Mayor of DeSoto and other surrounding city officials. Every person brings a different story and a different energy in front of my camera, and that’s one of the things I love most about what I do.
My journey is still an ever-growing one. I don’t consider myself someone who has learned everything there is to learn. I’m still studying, still experimenting, still networking, still investing in myself, and still finding ways to become better than I was yesterday. This craft has become one of my safe spaces, a place where I can create, connect, and simply be present.
It’s crazy to think that something I picked up as a hobby during one of the most uncertain periods of my life became something that brought so much joy and so many people into it. Somewhere along the way, the hobby I fell in love with also became a way for me to make a living.
Even finding the name for the business was a journey of its own. I played around with different ideas, but nothing really felt like me. Eventually, I thought about what I truly wanted to do every time I picked up my camera: capture a moment. That’s when “Capture” clicked. Since my first name starts with a K, I had the idea to make it personal and spell it “Kapture.” Maybe the educator in me had a little influence on the wordplay too! From there, Kapture Photography had its name, and it’s a name I’m still very proud of today.
For me, Kapture is about more than taking a picture. It’s about capturing people, moments, emotions, and memories that deserve to be remembered. That’s what keeps me behind the camera, and that’s what continues to push me to grow.
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?
I definitely wouldn’t say it’s always been a smooth road. Like any journey, there have been some rough patches along the way. I’ve experienced seasons where business was great and other seasons where things slowed down, bookings weren’t coming in the way I hoped they would, and I found myself wondering what I needed to do differently.
A lot of building Kapture Photography has been trial and error. Being self-taught meant I wasn’t only learning how to use a camera; I was also learning how to run a business. I had to learn how to market myself, put my work in front of people, communicate with clients, understand my value, and figure out what worked and what didn’t. There were even times when I would do shoots for free just so I could create new content, practice something different, build my portfolio, or simply get my work in front of more people.
One experience that really sticks with me happened during a trip to New York. I was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, minding my business, when a photographer approached me and asked if he could take my picture. He was persistent, but he wasn’t so pushy that it turned me away. I could tell he was on his grind. Being a creative and business owner myself, I respected it, so I decided to support him and paid for a few shots. He posed me, helped direct me, and I actually really liked the photos. What he didn’t know was that he taught me something that day.
At the time, I was experiencing one of those slower seasons with my own business. Here I was worried about bookings, but I was watching another photographer take his craft directly to the people instead of waiting for the people to come to him. I had also seen other photographers online doing similar things around their cities. It made me realize that even though I might not have been growing financially in that moment, I was still growing mentally, creatively, and strategically. When I got back to Dallas, I thought, “You know what? Let me try.”
I grabbed my equipment and went to Klyde Warren Park. I didn’t have clients scheduled to meet me. I didn’t know who I was going to meet or if anybody would even say yes. I just knew I needed some motion. I couldn’t sit around waiting for something to happen; I needed to put my best foot forward and create an opportunity for myself. And yes, I heard some no’s and some “no, thank yous.” That’s part of putting yourself out there. But I also got some yeses.
That experience taught me something I’ve carried with me ever since. Sometimes, when things aren’t moving the way you want them to, you have to create your own motion. The need to make money was certainly part of what pushed me, because this is a business and I have to be realistic about that. But there was also a hunger in me to get better, grow, meet people, create, and keep going.
Another hard lesson has been learning that being kind and being a business owner sometimes require different boundaries. I’ve always been someone who genuinely enjoys helping people, and there have been times when I felt that kindness was taken advantage of. I’ve had to learn that it’s okay to have a good heart while still valuing my time, my work, and the investment I’ve made into my craft. I’m still a giver, and I still believe in helping people when I can, but I’ve learned that generosity and boundaries can exist at the same time.
Through all of it, though, one thing has remained consistent: I’ve never lost my love for the art. Even when the business side became frustrating or uncertain, I still enjoyed picking up my camera. I still loved creating. I still loved seeing someone’s reaction when they saw their images for the first time.
So no, it hasn’t always been a smooth road. But when I look back, even the seasons when it felt like nothing was happening were doing something for me. I was learning. I was watching. I was growing. And sometimes, I was learning how to stop waiting for an opportunity and go create one.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Before I talk about what I do professionally, I have to acknowledge the foundation of who I am. I grew up in church, and my faith in God has played a major role in shaping the person I am today. No matter where life has taken me, the opportunities I’ve received, or the people I’ve had the privilege of meeting, I’ve tried to remember my roots and acknowledge the One I believe made all of it possible. A lot of the values I carry with me- loving people, treating others with respect, giving when I can, and believing that you reap what you sow- come from that foundation.
Professionally, I currently serve as a Special Education Teacher Assistant and paraprofessional with Dallas ISD at George B. Dealey Montessori Academy. At the same time, I’m a full-time college student pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and working toward becoming a certified teacher. So, in many ways, I’m already doing the work while continuing my education to prepare myself for the next chapter of it.
At school, the students know me as Mr. Rose. If you asked them about me, they’d probably tell you I’m the fun, laid-back, chill educator with all the snacks! I can accept that! But underneath that is someone who takes the responsibility of working with children very seriously. Although my position may directly assign me to serve a particular group of students, my heart doesn’t stop with the students on my schedule. Our campus serves hundreds of children, and I’ve made it a point to know as many of them by name as I can. Whether a child is technically “my student” or not, if they’re in front of me and I have an opportunity to encourage them, help them, redirect them, make them laugh, or simply let them know somebody sees them, I consider that part of my job too.
That’s one of the reasons education means so much to me. When we work with children, we’re literally interacting with the future. Somewhere in our classrooms right now is a future doctor, teacher, lawyer, artist, entrepreneur, CEO, mayor, governor, or maybe even president. We don’t always know who they will become when they’re standing in front of us as children. That’s why I believe the way we pour into them now matters. We’re helping shape people who will eventually go out and shape the world.
What I’m most proud of isn’t necessarily a title or accomplishment. I’m proud that through everything I’ve done, I’ve worked hard to remain Keun. At my core, I genuinely love people. That’s something that carries over into education, Kapture Photography, traveling, business, and really every part of my life. I was raised to understand that a person’s circumstances don’t determine the amount of respect they’re owed. I don’t care what someone has, what they don’t have, where they live, what they’re struggling with, or what title comes before or after their name. You don’t look down on people. You don’t treat someone as less than because their life looks different from yours. Everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and that’s something I try to model for my students as well.
I think that’s also why traveling alone has never bothered me. I travel quite a bit, and people sometimes can’t understand how I can go somewhere by myself and be completely comfortable. The simplest explanation I can give is that I don’t really meet strangers; I meet people. I can travel somewhere knowing no one and leave feeling like I’ve gained family. That’s just how I’m wired. I love connecting with people, hearing their stories, laughing with them, learning from them, and experiencing life with them.
I think what sets me apart professionally is that same heart. I’m a go-getter, and when I believe in something, I tend to go after it with everything I have. But ambition isn’t enough for me. I don’t want success to cost me the core of who I am. I want to grow. I want Kapture to grow. I want to become a certified teacher. I want to accomplish the goals I’ve set for myself, and yes, I want to be successful financially too. But I never want any level of success to make me forget how to treat people. I’m not perfect. I’m still growing, still learning myself, and still becoming more aware of the areas where I can improve. But I try to carry both confidence and humility. I can be proud of how far I’ve come while recognizing that I still have a long way to go.
Whether I’m Mr. Rose at school, Keun behind the camera, a student working toward his degree, or simply a person meeting somebody new in another city, I want the core of who I am to remain the same. Titles can change. Careers can change. Clients will come and go. Opportunities will come and go. But I don’t ever want success to change my heart.
If people remember anything about working with me, learning from me, being photographed by me, or simply meeting me, I hope they remember how I made them feel. At the end of the day, that’s probably what I’m most proud of, and that’s what I hope always sets me apart.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t know if I would necessarily call it luck. I believe everything happens for a reason, and I’ve always believed there can be purpose in the things that happen in our lives, whether they feel good or bad at the time. Some people might call it luck, coincidence, or simply being in the right place at the right time. For me, my faith causes me to look at some of those moments a little differently. Sometimes I see favor. Sometimes I see divine intervention. And sometimes I believe I’m simply seeing the fruit of seeds that were planted long before I knew what they would grow into.
One of the biggest examples actually started with something that didn’t feel fortunate at all. During COVID, the company I worked for laid off my entire department. I remember the uncertainty that came with that. I had bills and responsibilities, and suddenly I had much more time on my hands than I had planned for. But that time gave me an opportunity to lean further into this hobby I had discovered and really work on my craft.
Looking back, I believe that season also gave me the space to ask myself what I actually wanted out of life. I eventually found my way into education, and I discovered that I wanted more than sitting behind a desk or computer all day. I wanted to be around people. I wanted to get my hands dirty, serve, connect, and feel like what I was doing had meaning. At the same time, I continued developing Kapture.
And that’s when I began noticing how one relationship could lead to another opportunity.
I became friends with choreographer Steven McMaryion, and through conversations about what we both did professionally, he eventually hired me to take headshots for some of his dance instructors at Live Arts Studio. The students saw my work. Then they started asking about headshots. Others needed photos. Some needed their choreography recorded. Before I knew it, my information was posted in the studio, people were reaching out, and I was learning skills I hadn’t originally planned on offering.
I’m a photographer at heart, but those opportunities even pushed me into learning more about video. That led to recording performances and photographing shows, which put my work in front of even more people.
I had a similar experience after meeting independent artist Kumasi Nicholas, who was still building his career. I remembered what it felt like to be in the beginning stages of something, so I wanted to help. I did some shoots and video work simply because I believed in what he was building. Eventually, I brought my camera to The Free Man in Deep Ellum, where Kumasi was singing background with Cool Joe & The Cooleys. I started shooting—not just Kumasi, but Cool Joe and the other musicians around him. They saw the images, liked what I created, and suddenly I was being invited to other shows. Those rooms introduced me to more artists, models, families, and potential clients.
None of that was calculated. I didn’t help someone thinking, “What am I going to get out of this?” I just believe in pouring into people. But I’ve watched those seeds come back in ways I could have never planned.
Even some of the frustrating moments have worked out in unexpected ways. I remember having a client schedule a shoot before I had really learned the importance of requiring a deposit. The date and time came, and they bailed on me. It was frustrating, and it taught me an important business lesson about protecting my time. But because that opening suddenly existed, someone else needed me and I was available to serve them instead. What looked like a wasted opportunity made room for another one.
And sometimes it’s something as small as getting gas.
Recently, I stopped at one gas station and realized I couldn’t use the card I had available there, so I continued toward home and stopped somewhere else. While I was getting gas, I noticed a guy with a really nice BMW and complimented his car. That simple compliment turned into a conversation. I learned that he was a personal trainer and entrepreneur, we exchanged information, and he happened to need professional images for his business.
Had I gotten gas at the first station and gone straight home, our paths probably would not have crossed.
Those are the moments that make me pay attention.
I believe in working hard, networking, learning, and putting yourself in position for opportunities, but I also recognize that I couldn’t have orchestrated every person I’ve met or every door that has opened. I’ve simply tried to be prepared when those moments come and treat people well when our paths cross.
This interview itself is another example. Jordan Johnson recommended me for this opportunity, and I’ve never even done a photoshoot for Jordan. There isn’t a transaction behind it or a favor he owed me. He’s someone I’ve had the privilege of meeting and getting to know, and I have tremendous respect for him as a poet, creative, and person. He’s intelligent, fearless, helpful, kind, and genuine. The fact that he thought enough of me and what I’m building to mention my name for an opportunity like this means more to me than he probably realizes.
I’ve said throughout my journey that I believe you reap what you sow. I don’t believe you should be kind to people because you’re waiting for something in return. That’s not genuine kindness. You plant good seeds because that’s the kind of person you choose to be, and you may never personally benefit from some of them. But I’ve been fortunate enough to see some of the kindness I’ve extended to others come back to me in ways I never expected.
So, has luck played a role in my life? Maybe some people would call it that. I call it being grateful for the right people, the right opportunities, and sometimes even the right detours. I’ve learned that something can look like a setback in one season and make perfect sense later. My responsibility is to keep working, keep growing, keep treating people right, and be ready when the next door opens.
Pricing:
- Kapture Photography offers customized pricing based on the type of session, event, length of coverage, location, and the client’s individual needs.
- Portraits, headshots, events, creative sessions, and select video services are available.
- I believe quality photography should be accessible, so I work to offer competitive pricing while creating an experience tailored to each client.
- For current rates, packages, availability, or a personalized quote, please contact Kapture Photography directly.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kapture_dfw/
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Image Credits
Award Winning Photographer| Professional Videographer Radz Daswani took my personal headshot. The remaining photos are all of my own work.
