Photography Can Turn Sadness Into Happiness

We cannot be more stoked to present KavanTheKid, a PRO ViewBug member: "My name is Kavan! (@kavanthekid) on Instagram and Facebook. I am a Photographer based out of Seattle and Los Angeles. I also have a Photography Show Called PhotoForge! You can check it out here!

What inspired you to be a photographer?

It was a multitude of different things. But originally, it wasn’t a necessarily happiness that got me to start, but actually quite the opposite. I was very depressed, I had recently moved to Los Angeles where I was directing music videos and I wasn’t finding the ideas or concepts of the videos very inspiring.

I remember one day I said to myself, “I am going to take a picture everyday, and when I do I am going to put a story in everyone.”

Since I was a young child all I ever wanted to do was tell stories, whether it be through, text, film or photo. But there was something about being able to do it by myself. It was therapeutic. As I got over my depression and as my skills in photography progressed, I started developing my darker style into darkness meets surrealism meets fantasy/cosplay! Pretty much all things I love.

What was your first camera and why do you choose the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV today?

My first Camera was a Canon 7D. I have only shot on Canon cameras. I find their cameras to be very remarkable and their costumer service goes beyond any other company I’ve dealt with. The reason I got the Canon 5D Mark4 is I do a lot of video work too, and the 4K capability on the camera is truly stunning. I wish the low light was better, but overall, it’s a pretty beastly camera.

Who is your favorite photographer and why?

This question is SO Damn hard to answer. I have thought and thought and I don’t think I could pick just one. So I decided to pick an artist instead ahah. My all time favorite artist is Max Ernst. A surrealist painter and sculptor whose work was prominent from the 20’s to the 70s.

What is your next photo project?

Well this kinda of changes weekly now. But I would say the bigger picture of the projects I started a Photography Show on Youtube called PhotoForge. It’s powered by BayPhoto Lab. It follows me weekly on my shoots as I teach photographers how I create my photos and I provide speed edits of my photoshop with tips to go along with the edits. I started back in April and it has been doing exceptionally well, a lot better than what I had expected haha. We just started incorporating guests into the show as well, and right now we are gearing up for a couple of Halloween themed episodes for the month of October!

Your most popular shots have a unique style and mood. Can you walk us through how you create these, how would you like your followers to interpret your work?

I’ve always had a fondness with darker elements and themes. It varies on how I create the image. Sometimes I have a plan going into the shoot, it will be a shot that I drew up in my notebook, but if there is no pre-production, I just follow my emotions. Whatever I’m feeling at that very moment, I will try and capture. Sometimes it’s the feeling of being lost, or suffocating or trapped. I found those three themes pertained to myself and I wanted to convey those through imagery. As for my followers, I don’t care what type of feelings they take from it, as long as it is some kind of feeling. The only bad photos in my opinions are the ones that inspire nothing. Inspire no feeling, no emotion. They just exist to exist. I just want my followers to interpret my work in their own way, and hopefully it inspires them in some degree somehow.

From your ViewBug uploads, what is your favorite photo and why?

Hmmm, this is a tough one. As like most people, I usually hate all my work haha. It’s never good enough. I always have this competition with myself to be better and try to hold my work to a certain standard. One photo of mine that I thought hit that standard was one called “Us & Them”

It’s a photo of me standing in front of a large group of masked men in suits. I had this image in mind for some time and had been itching to pull it off. I even based one of my PhotoForge Episodes around it, highlighting on the duplication aspect.

Any tips for aspiring photographers?

Yes, two things. First, always try to add a story to your photo. Even if it’s just a portrait, even if you are the only one who knows the story. Tell one. I’ve found that sometimes not even the “technically” best photographers will have some of the most exciting work, simply because they are pushing their creative limits. Don’t be afraid to do things no one else is doing, sometimes you may just birth your own style from it!

Secondly, as I said I’ve seen people whose creativity trumps their technical skill, but once you have the creative aspect down, don’t ever stop learning, keep pushing yourself to know more. Even the best photographers don’t have all the answers and can learn things new daily. Just keep the sponge type mindset, and soak up anything and everything around you and I promise you will become the Swiss army knife of photographers ;)

As creative as photography can get right? We thank Kavan for this interview and be sure to follow him so you do not miss his next uploads!