Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
NYC April, 2007. New York in the rain is just so very photogenic. The Canon 50mm 1.2 does an amazing job of isolating subjects and accentuating texture. Photo by Rob Kearney
At the ripe age of 19, Rob Kearney had developed an encyclopedic knowledge of cameras and a position at a local camera shop (for which he was the only applicant). With his Leica M6 and 50mm Summicron, he fancied himself the Cartier-Bresson of New Haven, Connecticut. He continued his education as a freelance photo assistant in New York City, eventually detouring into full-time photo retouching, and now shoots street scenes and graphic-inspired still life for himself.
Learn more about his career in our Q&A, and see more of his personal work at his website. Would you like to be featured in an upcoming Readers' Showcase? Let us know! Be sure to include your DPR user name and a link to your online portfolio.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
Photo by Rob Kearney
Where are you from and what's your history with photography?
I was born in Texas, raised in Ohio and Connecticut, and have been living in NYC since 1989. I'm 47.
My interest in photography started around age 7 or 8, but began strictly as a fascination with cameras and lenses. For years, I was far more interested in the camera as a physical object than I was in taking photographs. I knew all the latest models and brands, but I never really took any pictures, save a few snaps with a cheap 110. Other kids had football posters on their walls; I had a home made collage of cutouts of cameras from Popular Photography. Looking back, I was a pretty weird little kid.
After a brief stint at the university of college, I lucked into a job at a camera shop chain in New Haven, CT., imaginatively called The Camera Shops. The manager was instantly intrigued (perplexed) by my level of knowledge of cameras, contrasted with my young age, and my utter lack of photographic skills. I was also the only one who applied.
Soon after starting the job, thanks to a generous employee discount, I got my first 35mm; a used Minolta X370 with a 50mm lens. Within a year I had worked my way up to a Nikon FM2 with a couple of lenses, and by the end of 2 years, I'd finagled my way into a Leica M6 with a 50mm Summicron.
I spent the rest of my money on Tri-X and processing. I fancied myself the Cartier-Bresson of New Haven, which of course I was not, even remotely. But I did manage to join a Yale camera club and was given lots of encouragement by the members. I was 19.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
Sagaponack, NY, August 2010. A favorite. Photo by Rob Kearney
(cont.) Through some of the connections I'd made with local photographers at the camera shop, I found out about an opening at a professional shop in NYC (which was eventually bought by Calumet). I got the job and had a start date before I even found an apartment.
I worked in the rental department and learned as much as I could about medium format, large format and studio strobes, hot lights, and grip equipment, while also building relationships with photographers and their assistants.
After a few months, with a nudge from of a couple of the shop's customers, I quit and joined the freelance photo assistant pool. NYC still had a bustling photo district back then, with rental houses, labs and studios all concentrated within a few blocks around 20th St and 5th Ave.
I spent the next several years assisting over 100 photographers, my morning commute zig zagging across the photo district. For the first few years, I worked for anyone and everyone, from a guy who was merely cataloging machine parts with a view camera, to a luxury real estate photographer, to a guy who photographed ONLY gardens, to Annie Leibovitz. Towards the end of my assisting career, I concentrated on working with advertising still life photographers. I liked the attention to detail in still life, the slower, more methodical pace, not having to lug equipment on location, and the catered lunches.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
NYC AC. August, 2013. Photo by Rob Kearney
(cont.) While assisting, I started to put together my own portfolio of advertising/editorial work and shop it around town. Unfortunately, this was right around the time, in the late 90s, when stock photography started booming, digital started pushing aside film, and budgets started to plummet. Assignments were becoming harder to find, as art directors started using more stock. Lower budgets and digital cameras meant clients weren't interested in paying for film and processing, which meant ditching my entire 4x5 view camera system. And relationships between photographers and ad agencies became more tenuous, as art directors wanted to work with the next new kid, who was shooting digital, with a cool new technique and look, and who worked cheap.
The days of big budget contract shoots with clients flying in and catered lunches was on the wane. I had apprenticed a little too long and was emerging at the wrong time into a marketplace that was very different from the one I'd signed up for.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
NYC March, 2007. This lady had so clearly spent a lot of time and effort on the way she looked, I had a hunch she wouldn’t mind me taking her photo. After I snapped the picture, she gave me a sort of knowing look and a half smile that said, 'Yeah, I know, I look pretty awesome.' Photo by Rob Kearney
(cont.) I had another small problem. I was trying to make my 'schtick' shooting in natural light. I had built up a decent portfolio, of advertising quality images, all shot with natural light, indoors and out, while every other competing photographer was shooting in a studio with strobes. Art directors all seemed to like my portfolio, but the concept of shooting something important for an advertisement using unpredictable, and generally unrepeatable, natural daylight was a bit too scary for them. If they hired me to shoot something with long hard shadows and it was cloudy come shoot day; game over. If they wanted me to shoot 20 handbags with the same lighting in a day, but the sun went down before we were done; game over.
In the end, my method of shooting simply wasn't controlled enough for big agencies to take a chance on me. And I loathed the idea of putting all the time and effort into a laborious studio shoot, like I'd been doing as an assistant for the past several years, for half of the former going rate.
So I was faced with a decision; try to make a go of shopping my portfolio around and make a piece meal living with small editorial assignments and stock shooting, or forge a new direction.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
NYC September, 2013. This is one of my favorite images because it’s so flat, colorful and abstract, it could be a painting. In reality, it’s a carpet store window, with a beat up graffiti covered metal frame around it, reflecting traffic lights. Even though I took it, I still forget what it actually is sometimes. Photo by Rob Kearney
(cont.) I decided to learn Photoshop. I spent a few years honing my skills, then started doing retouching for some of the photographers I'd worked for as an assistant. Over time, I realized I had somewhat of an advantage over people who only knew Photoshop but never worked in studios. I spoke the same language and understood the photographers, especially the still life guys.
By 2005, I was freelance retouching 5 days a week. I stayed freelance for a few more years. Then in 2009, I took a position at a fashion retouching studio called Gloss. At the time, there were no dedicated 'still life' retouchers on staff, and there was very little still life work. Little by little, I carved a small niche at the studio, and everything related to still life came my way. Eventually the clients took notice and started sending more still life work our way.
Today I oversee a team of 7 retouchers, all focused strictly on still life - cosmetics, watches, jewelry, etc. All the while, I have been taking pictures, for myself and friends and family. It's very freeing to shoot without worrying about getting paid for it. Of course, getting paid for it wouldn't be so awful.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
NYC August 2012. Lamp with ceiling. Photo by Rob Kearney
How does your day job influence your photography?
As a full time retoucher, I've learned to make my own photos look better faster, more efficiently, and hopefully less noticeably post processed. With a few exceptions, I try not to take retouching too far on my personal work. I don't do a lot of pixel level modifications (cloning/healing, etc), but I do use color and lighting adjustments to bring out the essence of what I see. And because I'm paid to have a critical eye, I tend to be more selective about which images of my personal work I choose to spend time processing, retouching, and ultimately share with others.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
Nantucket September, 2014. I try to avoid obvious shots, but I couldn’t NOT take this. Photo by Rob Kearney
What do you shoot with?
Currently, I use a Sony RX1 and occasionally a Cyber-shot RX100. I've spent the vast majority of my career shooting with a 50mm, so the Sony's 35mm has been both a bit of a compromise and a challenge. Since getting it, I'm more drawn to landscapes than previously, but my tighter 'still life' images have taken a bit of a back seat. For street and outdoor travel shooting, it's a lot of fun. Truth be told, I am missing my old Canon full frame and 50mm F1.2 combo quite badly, though I certainly don't miss the bulk or weight.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
NYC September, 2013. I’ve always been fascinated by the spectrum of greens, yellows, oranges and blues in the various light sources you see when looking at an apartment building from outside. But the people in the rooms just see the kitchen light, the bedroom light, the living room light, etc. They don’t perceive the different colors. Photo by Rob Kearney
Are you happy with your gear? What do you wish it could do better?
The ergonomics, build quality, size and weight of the RX-1 are nearly perfect. I do wish it wasn't quite so noisy in low light, and focused more quickly and decisively. When I get a noisy soft image, I just tell myself 'that's the look!' and move on, but I am always on the lookout for a compact full frame that handles low light better, and focuses faster.
Previously, I've had Canons, Nikons, and Panasonic M43s. I've gotten great pictures from all of them, and an iPhone too. I don't really care what I'm shooting with as long as I get an image that's either reasonably sharp and well exposed, or beautifully messed up. I had a foggy Nikon 55mm macro that had a broken diaphragm for years. Everything that passed through that lens looked like a dream. I still miss it!
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
NYC July, 2014. The city has such a wide variety of random lighting, and dogs. Photo by Rob Kearney
What sorts of subjects are you drawn to photographing in your personal work?
Working in advertising for 20 years will definitely have an affect on your sense of light, color, and composition. I'm always drawn to little vignettes; pools of light, or pockets of color that could pass for an ad. I prefer images that stand well alone and don't need to be part of a group of images to tell the story. I don't purposely shoot 'themes' or 'series'. I like the concept of the photograph as a singular thing, like a painting. I try to shoot with the idea in the back of my mind that someone somewhere might like to hang the picture I'm making on their wall.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
Nantucket September, 2013. Once you see them, I think the birds are the stars of this image. Photo by Rob Kearney
What are the elements of a photograph you've taken that you're happy with – what makes a keeper?
A keeper to me can be many things. It can be funny. It can evoke a sense of calm. It can be something abstract that doesn't seem photographic at all. I like images that are lush, or stark, colorful or monochromatic. Cold. Warm. Disturbing. Comforting. I'm definitely a photographic omnivore. If I had to ascribe one word or concept to my work, it would be simplicity. Less is definitely more in my book.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
NYC July, 2012. I work on the 12th floor of a building facing the Empire State. The view is always varied and often dramatic, but rarely this intense. I was literally waiting for the UFO to appear through the clouds. Believe it or not, there is very little post processing here. Photo by Rob Kearney
Your home city of New York is a frequent subject in your photography. In your opinion, what's unique about it as a photographic subject compared to any other major city?
New York is a great muse because it's so brimming with varied subjects and weird/dramatic/beautiful light, 24/7. There are so many people, places, and things, packed into such a small area, that you could swing a camera on a rope and get great shots. New York is also the city of change, for better or worse. Things are in such constant flux that nothing gets the chance to become old and boring.
The challenge is to hone in and isolate your subjects, in a sea of frenetic distractions (or embrace the distractions as the subject). The other great thing about living/shooting in New York is that when you travel away from it, the contrast of calm, serenity, and beauty outside the city is that much more inspiring. It's always amazing to me how people who live outside the city so often take for granted the beauty that surrounds them, because they see it every day and have become blind to it.
Readers' Showcase: Rob Kearney
Photo by Rob Kearney
What advice would you give a beginning photographer?
Don't get caught up in tech specs; megapixels, corner sharpness, fall off, etc. Some of the greatest photographs ever taken are blurry and noisy. The most important pieces of equipment are your eye and your instinct, and the best camera in the world is the one you have with you. I rarely see a great photograph ruined by a so-so camera, but I've seen plenty of so-so pictures come out of state of the art cameras.
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