Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris Evans.
Hi Kris, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Long Beach, CA until I was ten years old. It was then that my family made the decision to move across the country to Stillwater, New Jersey. What we didn’t realize is that I was going to be the only African American kid in town. Over the years I really struggled, constantly dealing with racism, not able to understand why these kids, other parents, and even teachers hated me so much. Throughout that experience, I struggled to understand what I like, what I dislike, what hobbies I wanted to get into, and if I was even allowed to participate in these hobbies. Knowing I could never even think about joining the football or basketball teams at school, I decided to try skateboarding. I then fell in love with it and became obsessed. My step-grandmother even paved our driveway so that I could practice skateboarding every day after school. After some years, at 16 years old we decided it would be best to move back to California. When we got back, I felt like I was surrounded by not only what seemed at the time to be “normal”, but I was finally in the heart of the skate industry.
As I made friends in skateboarding, I wanted a way to remember those moments. So my best friend and I picked up these little film cameras and started shooting away. I soon felt the same passion for photography that I felt when I picked up a skateboard. From then on I decided I wanted to be a professional skate photographer. I worked under countless pro skate photographers and videographers, hoping to learn any way I can. After a while I developed amazing connections and became skilled enough to work with pro skaters on my own and eventually earned my way into what they call the “skate bible”, Thrasher Magazine. I was able to accomplish this at 23 years old. I also had the privilege of working for other major skate brands at the time. After putting in some years in the skate industry a friend of mine asked me if I would be interested in assisting on a commercial job.
To me, commercial work felt monotonous and conventional. But I was wrong. After that trip, I understood what it meant to be a professional photographer. At that point, I felt like it was time to branch into more than shooting skateboarding. So I started all over again! I started asking local boutiques if I could shoot for them for $100. After what felt like an eternity, I was finally able to start shooting real commercial campaigns. And I’ve continued to grow and improve my craft since then. Seeing my photos on the front of stores and on billboards around LA is pretty surreal. Looking back, I’m grateful for each and every experience that got me here, each person that helped me to progress, and I am very excited to see what’s to come in my career.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Something I have struggled with at times is dealing with imposter syndrome. Feeling as if I don’t belong in this industry and that I am not talented enough to last.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Commercial Photographer. I also like to think of myself as a professional storyteller, capturing not only my subject but creating a story in the process. I believe what’s set me apart from others is my ability to mix art and relatability. I’m able to create an artistic and captivating image while still making it relatable enough to show commercially.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.krisryanphoto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krisryanphoto/
