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70s
Beginnings
As a child, I was always into art—drawing, painting, and anything creative. I would sit in class doodling pictures of spaceships and comic book heroes to pass the time. During my high school years, my uncle tragically passed away from a heart attack at the young age of 38. My mother inherited many of his belongings, including his 35mm Canon A-1 camera with a couple of lenses. One afternoon, feeling bored, I went through my uncle’s things stored in my mother’s closet and came across the camera. I had no idea how to use it but was always tinkering with things like model cars. I decided to take the lens apart—not realizing what a mistake that was.
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1980s
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The Graduate | 1980
As a child, I was always into art—drawing, painting, and anything creative. I would sit in class doodling pictures of spaceships and comic book heroes to pass the time. During my high school years, my uncle tragically passed away from a heart attack at the young age of 38. My mother inherited many of his belongings, including his 35mm Canon A-1 camera with a couple of lenses. One afternoon, feeling bored, I went through my uncle’s things stored in my mother’s closet and came across the camera. I had no idea how to use it but was always tinkering with things like model cars. I decided to take the lens apart—not realizing what a mistake that was.
Early Work
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High School Awards
Achievements description here first day in Nathaniel Rochester Hall, a huge 500-seat lecture hall filled with young freshman photographers from all over the world. The place was buzzing with creative energy that you could feel. We all watched as three professors walked to the center of the stage to capture our attention. I fondly remember the message they wanted us to deeply hear. One of the professors, Howard Levant, said, "Look around you. To your left and to your right. One of these people will either be hiring you or you hiring them. This is your community of fellow creatives, and over the next four years, you will all grow as photographers together. Help, learn, and create together."
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Family Ties
This urban decay visually excited me every time I visited from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., where I lived in Maryland. My grandfather and I would drive around and take photos in abandoned houses, factories, and junkyards. It was always an adventure and helped me practice my art. He became my first muse, and my first long-term documentary project centered around his shop—photographing his workers, customers, and the daily happenings. I would take him to different parts of Philadelphia, posing him in strange urban environments, and he’d always participate with enthusiasm.
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1990
Student Life Here graduating high school, I decided to follow my dreams and study photography. A fellow classmate, who graduated a year before me, suggested I attend the premier photography school at the time, The Rochester Institute of Technology, in Upstate New York. I applied and was accepted into their photojournalism program.
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Sharpening My Craft
Section Here my first day in Nathaniel Rochester Hall, a huge 500-seat lecture hall filled with young freshman photographers from all over the world. The place was buzzing with creative energy that you could feel. We all watched as three professors walked to the center of the stage to capture our attention. I fondly remember the message they wanted us to deeply hear. One of the professors, Howard Levant, said, "Look around you. To your left and to your right. One of these people will either be hiring you or you hiring them. This is your community of fellow creatives, and over the next four years, you will all grow as photographers together. Help, learn, and create together."
1991
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Global Reach: Djimon Code cover and travel to Africa Section Here I knew I wanted to be a fashion photographer and was excited about a summer program in Paris where we’d learn from a top photographer. I couldn’t afford it, but I found an opportunity to work as a studio assistant in exchange for covering the program cost. After sending my portfolio, I was accepted and worked all summer to save for a flight.
When I arrived in Paris, I found out the job wasn’t available after all. I was left with little money and no plan. I spent most of my time wandering the city, taking photos, but I felt lost and disappointed, especially hearing the success stories from other students when I returned to RIT. This was 1992, and the photo industry in France wasn’t what it is today.
It was one of the lowest points in my college life, but it fueled my determination. That setback made me push harder in my junior year, proving to myself and others that I was serious about becoming a force in the industry.
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1992
CPOY-American Photo Contest Section Here at RIT, we trained in everything from the landscape zone system and still life to photojournalism and portraiture. The goal was to give each student a broad set of skills to fall back on, in case they didn’t specialize in one particular area. I gravitated toward portraiture and fashion, and by my junior and senior years, I focused on building a portfolio that showcased this work.
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1994
Turning Point: Met Kathy Ryan of NYTM, graduation, moved to NYC section here hall filled with young freshman photographers from all over the world. The place was buzzing with creative energy that you could feel. We all watched as three professors walked to the center of the stage to capture our attention. I fondly remember the message they wanted us to deeply hear. One of the professors, Howard Levant, said, "Look around you. To your left and to your right. One of these people will either be hiring you or you hiring them. This is your community of fellow creatives, and over the next four years, you will all grow as photographers together. Help, learn, and create together."
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1995
NYC
Making a Mark
Section description here a few blocks from my apartment, quickly became the epicenter of my growing photo community. The photographers I met there in my early days became industry friends I could rely on and refer to in times of need. Some of today’s top photographers from my generation—like Martin Schoeller, Norman Jean Roy, Danielle Levitt, and Alexi Hay—passed through the darkrooms of My Own Color Lab, along with master printers for fine artists like Nan Goldin and Philip-Lorca diCorcia. Just like the darkroom at RIT, this space in NYC became the hub for a community of image makers who would go on to become pillars in the industry. While others were out at parties on a Saturday night, I was there, developing film, making prints, and connecting with people who are now on the covers of magazines. They worked hard and paid their dues, and so did I.
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2000
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A New Chapter
Section Here my time at RIT, one of my favorite jobs wasorking as a B&W darkroom attendant. I managed the facilities, refilled chemicals, and checked students in and out. The best perk was "after hours" access, allowing me to work late nights when I was behind on assignments. The darkroom became my second home, where I spent countless hours perfecting my craft as a master printer—skills that later served me well when I moved to New York and printed for professionals like Annie Leibovitz and Marc Baptiste.
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2001
Rising Star: Photoshoot with Heath Ledger graduating high school, I decided to follow my dreams and study photography. A fellow classmate, who graduated a year before me, suggested I attend the premier photography school at the time, The Rochester Institute of Technology, in Upstate New York. I applied and was accepted into their photojournalism program.
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Editorial Success: CA Magazine cover Section Here, I moved to NYC with my fellow classmate and photographer Shingo Wakagi from Japan. We lived at 350 West 30th Street.
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2002
First Studio: Established my first photography studio section here my mother noticed, she wasn’t angry. Instead, she suggested I take a photography class in high school to learn how to put the lens back together. I asked around for help from neighbors and people at church, but they all said it was impossible to fix after I had misaligned the optics. That was the strange start of my photography career…
2003
CPOY-American Photo Contest Section Here at RIT, we trained in everything from the landscape zone system and still life to photojournalism and portraiture. The goal was to give each student a broad set of skills to fall back on, in case they didn’t specialize in one particular area. I gravitated toward portraiture and fashion, and by my junior and senior years, I focused on building a portfolio that showcased this work.
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Iconic Portrait: Photographed Nelson Mandela Section Here. I felt I had total control over something. From loading the film, composing the shot, controlling the exposure, developing it, and finally seeing the image come to life in the darkroom. It felt like magic, an entire process from my mind to the paper.
2004
Portrait Will Sit to Left
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2005
CPOY-American Photo Contest Section Here at RIT, we trained in everything from the landscape zone system and still life to photojournalism and portraiture. The goal was to give each student a broad set of skills to fall back on, in case they didn’t specialize in one particular area. I gravitated toward portraiture and fashion, and by my junior and senior years, I focused on building a portfolio that showcased this work.
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Section Here my first day in Nathaniel Rochester Hall, a huge 500-seat lecture hall filled with young freshman photographers from all over the world. The place was buzzing with creative energy that you could feel. We all watched as three professors walked to the center of the stage to capture our attention. I fondly remember the message they wanted us to deeply hear. One of the professors, Howard Levant, said, "Look around you. To your left and to your right. One of these people will either be hiring you or you hiring them. This is your community of fellow creatives, and over the next four years, you will all grow as photographers together. Help, learn, and create together."
2006
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I felt I had total control over something. From loading the film, composing the shot, controlling the exposure, developing it, and finally seeing the image come to life in the darkroom. It felt like magic, an entire process from my mind to the paper.
2008
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2009
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2010
World in Focus: "Children of the Rainbow" video project here graduating high school, I decided to follow my dreams and study photography. A fellow classmate, who graduated a year before me, suggested I attend the premier photography school at the time, The Rochester Institute of Technology, in Upstate New York. I applied and was accepted into their photojournalism program.
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2011
Tragedy & Triumph: Woolsey Fire, "Alone" video, Black Panther film release graduating high school, I decided to follow my dreams and study photography. A fellow classmate, who graduated a year before me, suggested I attend the premier photography school at the time, The Rochester Institute of Technology, in Upstate New York. I applied and was accepted into their photojournalism program.
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2012
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2013
The Rochester Institute of Technology, in Upstate New York. I applied and was accepted into their photojournalism program. The Rochester Institute of Technology, in Upstate New York. I applied and was accepted into their photojournalism program.
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I felt I had total control over something. From loading the film, composing the shot, controlling the exposure, developing it, and finally seeing the image come to life in the darkroom. It felt like magic, an entire process from my mind to the paper.
2015
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2016
I felt I had total control over something. From loading the film, composing the shot, controlling the exposure, developing it, and finally seeing the image come to life in the darkroom. It felt like magic, an entire process from my mind to the paper.
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Ending - Letter From Kwaku?
As a child, I was always into art—drawing, painting, and anything creative. I would sit in class doodling pictures of spaceships and comic book heroes to pass the time. During my high school years, my uncle tragically passed away from a heart attack at the young age of 38. My mother inherited many of his belongings, including his 35mm Canon A-1 camera with a couple of lenses. One afternoon, feeling bored, I went through my uncle’s things stored in my mother’s closet and came across the camera. I had no idea how to use it but was always tinkering with things like model cars. I decided to take the lens apart—not realizing what a mistake that was.
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