Edelle Kenny is an Irish, New York City based photographer, videographer and freelance TV producer. She has worked on major global campaigns, shooting top models and influencers, not to mention her work as a producer with the Discovery Channel. Edelle’s work is a beautiful mix of sultry and sexy with a depth of meaning very distinctive to her style. She lives and works in Manhattan and here we speak to her about her life as a photographer, her thoughts on comparisons and competition and what her dream shoot would be..
Edelle, tell us about your path into the photography world?
I’ve always been a very visual person and loved to document moments on point and shot cameras growing up. When I was 18 I started a PLC in Media and Communications and one of our modules was photography. It was probably my favourite module but I decided to pursue television and documentary and unfortunately my interest fell by the wayside for a few years. When I moved to New York I had access to different cameras in my day job and I started taking them home on the weekend to teach myself. I actually still have the first 60 photos I shot. I remember being too nervous to take photos of people. I used to go to Tiffany’s on 5th Avenue because they would have models as door men and I would creepily just shoot them standing outside. From there I decided to try make a side hustle and began shooting portraits and ‘looks’ for influencers to try build up my skills . Eventually I started booking more and more jobs via photography with private clients, brands and companies.
You’ve made a professional career of your passion which is something so admirable and not many can truly say they’ve achieved, how do you balance between personal preferences as a creator and your clients wishes when working on commercial work?
This is a tough one. Like any artist or creative knows, if your work is your passion, but you are only willing to take jobs that are your creative preference, you will most certainly go hungry and broke.
For me, if I am not 100 percent invested and excited about a project I am unfulfilled. For a long time I found myself taking every photography job offered to make ends meet and then essentially not enjoying what I was creating and loosing interest in my passion. So I came up with a solution. I decided to spilt my time, I went back to working freelance in television and when a photography job came up that I was really really excited about, I would take it.
How does the creative process happen when you’re working on a shoot?
While working on a shoot creative process always starts with a concept and deciding ‘What is the story behind what we are trying to create”? Even if the end results don’t necessarily project that story as a narrative, it’s a good vibe to remember on the day. No two minds are alike so I will usually ask for the client to present me with some visuals that inspire them and I will also create a mood-board of what is in my head and only then do we merge. On the day of the shoot, you shoot and adapt. Sometimes we’ll be trying to capture something we thought we wanted and instead the opposite will feel right, so you adjust to go with that. Everyones input is considered, make up artists, hairstylists, assistants, absolutely everyone gets involved.
On the relationship between you and the subjects you work with, how do you cultivate an environment that allows them to come to life in a way necessary for the shoot?
THE most important thing, in my opinion, is cultivating a comfortable and relaxed environment for your subject. If your photo is technically perfect and your model is uncomfortable, it means nothing. If your photo is slightly out of focus or under exposed but your model is showing their personality, then you can say it’s a great photo. You can fix photos in photoshop, you can’t fix emotions. I always sit and chat with the subject, get to know them, and ease them into a shoot.
We live in a very digital focussed generation, with so many people now creating content directly on their phones, what are your thoughts on it all and would we ever catch you using yours to capture moments in time?
I hear a lot of photographers give out about iPhone photography saying slightly passive-aggressively ‘Oh everyone is a photographer today’, and frankly, in my opinion, that’s the truth. Everyone can take a photo much like everyone is able to sing. But, it’s subjective, and I think artists need to find solace in that concept. Know that it’s subjective. Your vision of beauty is and never will be the same as someones else’s. If you have the ability to capture something that at least one other person can say beautiful, then settle for that. And if someone else is able to create that happiness with an iPhone picture, then it’s just another piece of good in the world. Good photography is not about a beautiful person with a blurred background and perfect skin texture, (which iPhones can do amazingly now), that is good advertising! Good photography is about the beauty of this world and how you see it and sharing your point of view with the rest of us. So long story short, I am here for iPhone photography, the more beauty we can share the better.
In saying that, I try not to use my phone for photography because I don’t think I would ever switch off. If I know I will want to take photos I bring my camera. But, if I feel I need to switch off, I leave it and home and don’t take pictures with my phone either. My camera roll is shamelessly full to the brim with screenshots of memes.
How is photographing a celebrity or model different from photographing a regular person? The only difference I find is the crew size. I never behave differently. I get one on one with the subject and find the connection between us. Whether it’s an international super model or if a 14 year old getting her portrait taken and we bond over favourite school subjects.People are people and everyone is a human on set in search of making that connection to feel comfortable.
Where do you find yourself most inspired?
I find myself most inspired in lower Manhattan; the personalities, the style, the stories are amazing there. It’s at times overwhelming. I walk by these two men every morning who sit and play music on their stoop and chat with all the regular neighbours. They wear very unique clothes and I always think, I just want to follow you all day with a camera.
Do you ever get creative blocks? How do you deal with them?
Creative blocks are something I used to think where crippling and I would let them own me. I would stop posting on social media and watch other people thrive and beat myself up over it. Until I learned to give into creative blocks and see them as creative breaks. I think that’s something that is important to realise, when you’re a creative, you never switch off because you’re pulling inspiration from everywhere and everything; from the light than comes into your bedroom window the moment you wake up to the way the street lights catch a silhouette in the dead of night, it’s exhausting! Allow yourself a break and let your creative mind readjust and grow!
When do you know you have the perfect shot?
I wish I had an insightful answer for this but I just feel it. There’s always that one shot you take and you just shout, ‘this is it, we got it’ . Ironically, when you go into edits, it’s not the one you choose but that feeling on the day is usually where I put the camera down or move on.
Living in a big city where creatives relocate to thrive, there’s so much competition; to what do you attribute your success thus far?
Competition. A word and concept I’m learning to remove myself from in every aspect of my personal and professional life. If you can lay your head on your pillow at night and know that you gave everything you had that day, it’s good enough. I remember one time I applied for a Photography Incubation Space. I went to the open day to meet the organisers to do an interview. I brought what I thought was my best work. They told me I wasn’t suitable and then referenced the excellence and creative intelligence of what was currently in the incubator. The series of photos they referenced, was a self portrait photo of a man’s testicles sticking out of his fly with a piece of pink bubblegum stuck to them. I’m not doubting this as art, but I remember leaving the studio and crying the whole way home on the subway because I was comparing myself to a testicle poking out through a pair of yellow cords. I considered giving up on photography. But trust me, DO NOT compare yourself and never ever give up.
What’s your favourite photograph that you’ve taken.. and the one you wish you’d taken?
I go through phases but the one that immediately comes to mind is of a dear friend Ruthy. Ruth is a beautiful girl who modelled before and we see each other every week, on paper it seemed like the perfect match to shoot immediately but, we didn’t. Something didn’t feel right and I am glad we waited. When we met we were very chalk and cheese and as our friendship developed we began to understand each other more and right before she left New York I asked her to shoot. This photo is the perfect merge between our personalities. Sharp, blurred lines, sexual and reserved.
The photo I wish I had taken, with out a doubt, is ANYTHING shot by Vivian Maier.
If you were to land your absolute dream shoot, what would it be, where and with who?
Dream shoot would defintitely be with Nat Geo, photographing lost tribes.
Who in the industry inspires you?
On a fashion visual standpoint, Matteo Montanari. His ability to photograph fashion in an effortless and documentary style is beautiful.
For commercial and street photography, it’s a fellow Dubliner turned NewYorker, Rich Gilligan.
Do you have any tips for those wishing too build a career as a photographer?
Take photos of what you love and take loads. You don’t need the best equipment on the market. Do it on a disposable. Curate your eye and don’t be afraid to stop people in the street and say, can I shoot you.
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