ABOUT | KevinBlackwellPhoto

COMMERCIAL / EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Hello, I’m Kevin, a commercial / editorial photographer, with a love for wildlife. I’ve been fortunate enough to receive some recognition for my work, which is a fancy way of saying people like what I do, and that’s always nice to hear.

And in case you were wondering, I’m also a certified venomous snake handler. So, you know, I’ve got that going for me.

I’m based in Atlanta, GA (home of Atlanta United FC), with my wife, our kids, and a small zoo’s worth of animals. I’m also the guy people text when they find a weird bug and need to know what it is.

When I’m not photographing people’s stories, I work with the Amphibian Foundation here in Atlanta as their staff photographer, documenting and promoting our crucial conservation efforts aimed at creating and implementing lasting solutions to the global amphibian extinction crisis. It’s something I’m proud to be a part of.

Once upon a time, I attended Portfolio Center College of Art and Design (now Miami Ad School), where I studied graphic design and photography. These days, I’m lucky enough to spend my time photographing what matters to me and working with people who keep me inspired.

So, if you ever need to know what bug it is, or if you just want to connect, reach out. I’m always up for a good chat.

This is the photo that started it all

Okay! So here's the deal. In 2005, a good friend gave me a Mamiya RB67 with a Polaroid back as a gift. I still kick myself for getting rid of this camera. At that time, I really had no idea about photography, but I immediately connected with it.

That same year, I took a trip to Africa. During a layover in London, I took photos of anything I could… buildings, birds, crowds, trains—you name it.

I sat beside the fountain you see in the image above. A man sat down beside me, and we started talking. He asked about my camera, and I said that I loved his incredible dreadlocks, which he told me hadn't been cut in 25 years. Yes, those are his dreads he is holding up in the photo.

Before I left, he asked if I could take a photo of him to keep. I said, “How about two? One for you, and one for me.". I took some photos and we sat together and watched the film develop. He smiled as his face began to appear on the Polaroid film.

That encounter with a stranger taught me the incredible power of photography, freezing a single moment in time.

And that's how I fell in love with photography—through an unplanned encounter with a dreadlocked fella in London, and the instant magic of Polaroid film.

Now you know. *Boop*