Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Deal.
Hi Kevin, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been fascinated with photography. Every time I would see a breathtaking picture on a wall or in a magazine, I would wonder how it was made. My appreciation for the art form came at an early age.
When I arrived at Texas State University in 1999, my major was Geographic Information Science. A big part of the program involved interpreting satellite imagery. Studying the Earth often involves remote sensing. We can’t be everywhere to study an object or phenomenon, so satellites and really good cameras have to step in to do the heavy lifting. As I was immersed in my GIS program, it became time to pick a minor. Being that my major involved cameras, photography seemed like a complimentary choice as a minor.
I started out right as film was transitioning to digital. In retrospect, it was the perfect time to be learning photography. I practically lived in the darkroom my last two years of college. Being able to create was liberating. The process of taking a picture, developing your own film then making a print from it was a very intimate and tangible process. I was addicted! I knew that I wanted to be a photographer! As much as I loved film, I knew digital was the future. So I began learning digital photography as well.
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?
When I graduated, my parents gave me a modest amount of money to help me buy my first digital camera. I was excited! Nothing could stop me! Then something did. My truck broke within a few days that I received that graduation gift. The repair bill more than wiped out the amount of money my parents gave me. I was devastated, but I still wanted to be a photographer. I ended up getting a job with a High School Senior Portraits company in Austin in 2004. Things got even worse. I hated taking Senior portraits. My boss was verbally abusive. I quickly started to realize there could be a dark side to chasing a dream.
Thankfully other aspects of my life were going well, and I got married to my wife Reagan. Being a newly-wed, I needed a job. I ended up going into sales in the high-end Pro Audio integrated systems industry, where I did very well. But I still felt unfulfilled. As I became more successful at my career in sales, I found myself traveling all over the country. I would see beautiful landscapes and think to myself “I wish I had a camera right now.” The bug was still in me. So I went out and bought a Canon 7D. When I would go on business trips, I would plan my flights to where I could fit in golden hour landscape sessions around my business meetings. I felt my love for photography coming back.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My beginnings were with landscapes and street photography. I started off as a natural light photographer, which is just a roundabout way of saying “I don’t know how to use flash well.” So, in an effort to grow, I became obsessed with off-camera flash. I got to the point where people were specifically seeking me out for projects because of my off-camera flash skills. At that point, I knew it was time to launch this thing into a business. And that’s when Kevin Deal Photography was born.
Kevin Deal Photography mainly focuses on portraiture, but I still do some street photography and landscapes. My current obsession is doing photo-editorials on medium format film. I’m happy to be back using film again. Its resurgence in the photography community is welcome. And the reason I love editorials is because they tell a story. I’m really big on shooting with intention. If you have no meaningful reason to take a picture, why take it?
To the question of what I am most proud of, perhaps it’s client loyalty. People who have worked with me before really want to work with me again. I must be doing something right there, I suppose.
About what sets me apart from others, I don’t really know how to answer that. As I’ve grown older, I’ve become less competitive. When I see other photographers who take great pictures, I don’t get jealous. I celebrate their work and send them compliments and encouragement. I have a finite amount of time on this Earth. I just want to focus on what I am doing, grow and not worry too much about what makes it stand out among my peers.
What matters most to you? Why?
In general, being happy and fulfilled is what matters most to me.
If the question is more specific to my work, it’s shooting with intention. I touched on it before, but when I take on a project, it’s really important to understand the point of why I am taking pictures. When potential clients reach out to work with me, I am always flattered, but I always ask them why. Their response will usually let me know whether or not the project is a good fit for me or not.
Contact Info:
- Email: kevin@kevindealphotography.com
- Website: www.kevindealphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modelsbykevin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevindealphotography
Image Credits:
Michael McCullough, Tess Davis, Melika Gradek, Amir Lancaster, Meredith Thomas, Tatum Forbis, Kaiser Ford & Kimberly Sanchez, Gabriella Tropea
