Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Kose
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Well, I’m originally from the pacific northwest and I got my start as a photographer in Seattle. I had moved up there for photography school but quickly dropped out. That same week I was on Craigslist and found an ad for a job on the photo team at an action sports retailer called Evo. I got the gig and stuck with it for ten years! Shooting skateboarding was always a dream come true for me, but when the pandemic hit I pivoted to my second love – motorcycles.
I got into bikes around 2015 through my skate friends and we went all across the country together. Memorable trips include getting stuck in the Mexican desert on our way to a cliffside hostel (fully equipped with an empty pool to skate and a full whale skeleton) and riding 24 hours straight from South Dakota to Michigan to get our names in a record book and say we did. So back to the pandemic, I moved up to Anchorage Alaska for the summer to work on bikes for a touring company called Motoquest. Best gig I’ve ever had. I brought my camera and documented all my adventures from that summer. When the snow hits Alaska they bring all the bikes down here to LA and run tours through Baja. I came with and have been having fun ever since.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Hell no! Being new to LA was a bit daunting not having known many people. Bouncing around from gig to gig and getting laid off due to budget cuts was a drain on the confidence. But I stuck with what I knew and most importantly loved and it’s been smoother seas as time has gone on. Also the community and friends I’ve come across have been beyond generous and more helpful than anything. You meet new people, you find fun things to do and photograph, and you piece the puzzle together slowly but surely. No one does it alone.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Photographer, skateboarder, motorcyclist, musician, amateur wood worker, scuba diver, doodler, and dog dad. A lot of places to put my thoughts and energy but I’m trying to hone it in. One thing is for sure, though, I’ve got plenty of great stories to tell. Whether that’s through my photography books or anecdotes from the road, I think that’s what resonates with people the most.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We’ll see where we land with AI! I think a big shift will be more power to the freelancers – this industry really is about people first, your ability to tell a genuine story with not only your audience but also your crew is a huge plus and has gotten me really far these past few years. In my opinion, the best work is coming from the smallest places. Your ability to stay fresh, flexible, and friendly is what will make or break you in this industry right now.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ohsokosey.com
- Instagram: @ohsokosey
Image Credits
Robert Burch
Chandler Cummings
Andy Officer
