Phi Cox - Informational Interview

Interview with Kenny Letelier 

"Creator + Collaborator + Horror Enthusiast A five-foot cyclone of film, photography, and animal facts. Kenny is an award-winning photographer and producer along with being a professional editor. A childhood in Las Vegas left him with a passion for neon lights. A college life in Savannah keeps him busy and motivated. " -Bio from Kenny's Website

Question: What got you into photography, especially with cosplay and portrait photography?

Answer: "I started taking photos as soon as I was old enough to hold a camera. My younger sister and I were both dancers as children so we grew up constantly surrounded by costumes. I used to dress her up, do her hair and makeup, and take her to do photo shoots around our neighborhood. I'd been doing that for years before I stumbled into cosplay so it felt like a natural transition into it."

Question: Which photographers influenced you and your thinking photography and career?

Answer: "The first photographer I knew by name was Nigel Barker from America's Next Top Model. Though I don't follow his work, he was an important part of showing me that photography was a viable career. In terms of photographers whose work I admire, Jessica Kobeissi and Alexandra Lee are two of my favorites."

Question: What do you want your viewers to take away from your work?

Answer: "I want my photography to make people feel something. It doesn't have to be anything intense, but if one of my images makes someone smile, laugh, get pumped, etc, then it was successful."

Question: What motivates you to continue taking photos? 

Answer: "I've don't really have a "motivator" to keep taking photos. Its been a part of my life for so long and I've never gotten tired of it. I guess I could say that the prospect of the next shoot being better than the last pushes me to seek out more photoshoot opportunities."

Question: Is there any advice that you could give an aspiring photographer like myself?

Answer: "The best advice I can give to aspiring photographers is to find photographers whose work you like, study what about their images you like and try bringing those aspects into your own work. Even more important than that is just getting out there and taking pictures. Grab a friend, pet, or even a prop and just go out and do a photoshoot. You have to really get to know your camera and shooting style before you start feeling confident enough to make successful creative decisions."

Question: How has photography influenced you as a person?

Answer: "Photography can be an incredibly intimate thing. People are trusting you to capture them in a way that makes them feel good about themselves. Especially with convention photography, I may only get 30 minutes with a complete stranger. It's made me a much more outgoing and empathetic person."

Question: Is there anything, when shooting, that you avoid?

Answer: "I tend to avoid shooting in conventional areas, both to cut down on potential people in the background and to add more diversity to the images. Also, I stay out of any direct sun during most of the daylight hours to eliminate harsh shadows and to keep the model from sweating off their makeup."

Question: What do you want to say with your photos, is there a story you want to tell?

Answer: "With cosplay photography, there's always some kind of story. I try to pose the model and place them in an environment fitting of their character. This follows into editing too. I retouch and color to compliment each individual character to help sell whatever story they're telling."

Question: What makes a good picture?

Answer: "A good picture is any picture both the photographer and model like. There are so many different styles of shooting and finishing that it's just a matter of preference. So long as you like and are proud of it, that's what matters."