"Why?" with Kristofer Rowe

Image copyright Kristofer Rowe. All rights reserved.

by Skip Cohen

Going back to the why behind "Why?" - It was all because nobody in a class I was teaching knew who Mary Ellen Mark was. I couldn't do much on some of the legends we've lost, but somebody needed to do something to introduce more of you to today's movers and shakers! What I underestimated was the power of each image and artist to make a point about their careers, lives, inspiration, etc.

Kristofer Rowe is in today's spotlight, and this is the perfect venue for his story. Kristofer is all about being inspired. He's a reminder to all of us that when things might look the worst, we've got the ability to rise above whatever it is dragging us down.

How I met Kristofer is another testimony about the power of our industry. I hadn't heard about him until watching a video produced by Tamron USA. Then came an outstanding post by Jenn Gidman for Tamron's blog about Kristofer's philosophy and the way he shoots. Finally, we connected on a phone call, and a new friendship was launched.

Looking to see more of Kristofer's work? Check out this post I shared last week and watch his video. Then, visit his flickr page. What I love most about his work is the level of creativity to capture the personality of his subjects.  And for those of you whose specialties are a long way from birds of prey, Kristofer needs to still be on your radar. He might be photographing a subject you're not interested in, but his philosophy to bring the personality of the animal into each image applies to virtually each person you photograph.

Pay particular attention to his composition, camera angle, and exposure. In a world with plenty of bird photographers, he's making each image different. Put that technique together with his personal story, and you have all the ingredients for an artist who inspires us!

Click on the Tamron logo to visit their product pages and check out some of Kristofer's favorite focal lengths!