RESPECT.: Let’s start with discussing your passion for photography and art as a whole. When did it become something that transformed from a hobby to full-time?

Kevin: “Well everything started because of my sister when she was in middle school and I was elementary in Atlanta. She use to draw heavy and I found it amazing that she could do these things to express her feelings and style with visuals. One day we had a big argument and I ended up ripping up one of her designs. That crushed her in a sense and she told me that, I would have to become something like her in the field of multimedia to get forgiveness. Years later I started to draw Dragon Ball Z characters because it was the wave back then. It was popping on Toonami. Eventually, I got good at it and started showing her my work and full forgiveness was granted because I actually achieved something she thought I wasn’t going to do. While I was in the midst of all this, I started doing graffiti and got caught numerous times and ended up in trouble. I went digital in my Sophomore year of high school to stay away and built a passion for art as a whole. Photography started about 5 years with a canon t1i. Being stupid with running and gunning and not knowing anything until Erick Arc Elliott inspired me to be better with his work in our early days with “THELOVEINUS.” I started to take it serious when I started to read about it with Print Magazine, BOOOOOOOM!, Change of Thought, and more. Honestly, I always wanted to do this but didn’t have the knowledge. It’s still inspiring ’til this day, still learning. Now turning it into a full-time thing was only three years ago. I’ve started to read more and teach myself new techniques to be my own person and stand out from all my knowledge I’ve built over the years. Here I am now, not working or working the minimal hours with a 9 to 5 to keep it full time with my designs as well.”

RESPECT.: Talk about what you ideally prefer to shoot. Do you have a specific process of just grab inspiration from all over?

Kevin: “I like to photograph landscapes and people while I’m out doing street photography. It’s just something that you can’t capture after it’s gone and that’s the current environment at that current time. The essence still exists heavily by capturing the emotion. Now inspiration is the current lighting at hand when I shoot. I’m more of a cinematic type of guy, so the right lighting can trigger me to shoot.”

RESPECT.: Photographers always have their camera/lens preferences. Detail your preferences and why what you shoot with is the best personal fit?

Kevin: “We all do in sense when it comes to preference. I have different cameras for different settings. Studio photography I’ll use a variety of Canon models depending on the object I’m shooting. If I’m capturing an aggressive look, I’ll use a Canon 5D II, Nikon D800E. Less aggressive looks (mainly females) I’ll use a Canon t3i or 7D. The skin tones and contrast/brightness is softer and not as sharp as the other cameras I mentioned. My favorite lens to shoot with is a 35mm Vivitar 2.8, (prime and vintage) which is not a traditional lens to do portraits and other style, but somehow it works when I use my eye. Settings are always changing so I don’t have a specific go to aperture/shutter speed/ISO. I really do believe that it shouldn’t be changed. A slight facial expression change will change my setting.”

RESPECT.: What’s been the most impactful shoot for you personally?

Kevin: “It was my Chino (Dreamchasers/MMG) photoshoot that I did in New Jersey for a brand called Bespoke that makes phenomenal helmets. It was my first time doing sports bike photography in a casual setting. I had too much fun that day and would love go further with doing that and building my never ending portfolio. Would love to jump into F1 Racing photography in a cinematic way.”

RESPECT.: “You are also heavily involved in music and design. Talk about both and where you are in your career with them to date. Do you prefer one craft over the others?”

Kevin: “The music is always compared to my graphic design by aesthetic for my genres of Downtempo, Ambient, Electronic Jazz and Hip-Hop. I produced a lot of Diatonic scale sounds so my current emotion is always showing in my production. I love to produce music that grabs your mental and hypnotizes you to relax and gives off a sense of fulfillment of a hardworking day. People hear my music and see my designs and always think that I do drugs but I don’t. Guess I’m an emotional guy and know how to convey it to people. My career in music has been steady since 2013 for the most because of my past. Spent time with a lot of people that wasted my time and I was ignorant to it because I wasn’t worried about money, just wanted my music out there. I sat back and taught myself the business and released “Cascade Dreams” in October of last year, which is now on Tidal, Spotify and more, It’s been better. Done a massive amount of shows with Bombay Knox and helping the community. It’s been great this year. My latest album placement with Carlitta Durand on “I’ll be Gorgeous When I Die” has been great. But I choose both. I can’t do one without the other.”

RESPECT: Having your hand in so many different avenues, what individual projects are you currently working on?

Kevin: “Right now I’m working on my second album called “NON FICTION.” It’s an environmental, ambient, Progressive House, Hip-Hop album. I’ll also be rapping and singing again and speaking on my past to what made me. I’ve mainly been behind the scenes for years and people haven’t gotten to know me personally. It’s about time to express it. I have a show on June 11th with Until The Ribbon Breaks at Black Cat in D.C. I’ll be performing songs from “Cascade Dreams” and “NON FICTION” in a extensive, creative way. I’m compiling visuals and building a set for it now with plants, lighting, projection mapping, and MIDI mapping to trigger my sounds live. Hopefully it will be done before then, but rendering is so time consuming for the videos. If not, the music will back me up. I’m doing more 3D composition for DJ’s and artists, similar to the stuff you see Skrillex and other DJ’s use for the visuals. Also designing more merch for labels, artists, and more.”

RESPECT.: You can either shoot, design, or do music. Which route do you take creatively and why?

Kevin: “I’ll take all routes. I’ve been a one man army for a while now. It would be so hard just to drop one. I like having control over my look. I’m my own brand.”

The post RESPECT. Photographer Of The Month: Kevin Chambers (June Edition) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

It’s undeniable that photography is art. Capturing one’s interpretation of what constitutes visual intrigue through the lens of a camera denotes inspiration. Visual art has not only been a staple of urban culture, but a cornerstone of it’s mainstream appeal. Ismail Sayeed (Calligrafist) is an artist who’s persistence and eye for imagery is setting his work apart. As an in-house photographer for New York’s SOB’s, a coveted music venue in Manhattan, Ismail has shot myriad acts including Raekwon, Stalley, Dej Loaf, Rae Sremmurd, Fabolous, and more. Incorporating his passion and inherent skill for Calligraphy, (decorative penmanship, art of writing) Ismail’s artistic reach and vision stretch far beyond the snap of a shutter. We sat down with Ismail to discuss photographing artists, calligraphy, cameras, inspiration, and how he plans to create a platform for curating art in it’s purist form and the steps he’s taking to transform that vision to a reality.

RESPECT.: Being a photographer and creative, where do you grab inspiration from?

Ismail: “I get inspiration from everywhere honestly. People, environment, life. It really just depends on who and what I’m shooting. I may shoot an up and coming artist, so I get inspiration from their drive and energy. Or if I shoot an artist with a legacy, I get inspiration from that. Like last night I was shooting Funk Flex, I’ve never shot him before. So just being able to sit with him one on one and embrace his energy is great. I always just try to soak up what’s around me.”

RESPECT.: Now you’re the house photographer at SOB’s. How did you land that and what’s the atmosphere like while shooting?

Ismail: “Yeah I’m one of two. It was just consistency. I used to be first in line and pay to get in. I used to just post pictures all the time and after a year and a half one of the interns was like, “Yo, I see you posting pictures all the time, come have a meeting to be the house photographer”. So I got an interview and on the spot they were like, “Ok next time you come, shoot for us.” It was just tenacity. I just used to go shoot artists I liked. Stalley was the first artist I went to shoot there, he’s one of my favorite rappers. Then I just realized I loved to shoot. The atmosphere really just depends on the show. They get a lot of surprise shows and a lot of exclusive shows. SOB’s allows me to shoot bigger shows, lesser shows, and everything in between. It’s a great place for me to spread my wings because I get to shoot the engineer’s booth which looks down on the stage so I get great angles. It’s just been a great opportunity.”

RESPECT.: What have been some of the most rewarding shoots for you personally at SOB’s?

Ismail: “It would have to be Luke James. He performed two nights and I was front and center, the whole thing was very intimate. That show was one of the best in terms of shots and creativity and just the show’s energy itself.”

RESPECT.: Do you book shoots outside of the venue?

Ismail: “The thing about SOB’s is it allows me to meet managers and network. I’m more of an event/concert photographer, but recently I started to build a studio in my apartment, so I’ve started to book shoots outside of just the venue. I shoot for others too like Raekwon, Maino, and Lil Cease. My goal for this year is to be able to say I shoot everything; studio, weddings, etc. SOB’s has allowed me to build all of that.”

RESPECT.: Now describe your visual art as well.

Ismail: “I’m a calligrapher.”

RESPECT.: When did you get into that?

Ismail: “That started for me a a young age. Being born and raised Muslim, Arabic was something that was always intertwined in my life, so I started writing Arabic at the age of like six or seven. I started doing graffiti and cartoon sketching as well and as I got older I realized that I loved beautifying words, which is all calligraphy is. When I was 16 I really just started focusing on that. I actually just got booked to do a mural in L.A. It’s something that really calms me and is the foundation for everything else I do. It’s intricate. You have to take time and pay attention, you’re really building something with words.”

RESPECT.: What do you typically like to shoot with in terms of equipment?

Ismail: “I shoot with a Nikon, it’s a D3100. It’s a good intermediate camera, but now that I’ve gotten better I definitely need a wider frame and a bigger body. I’m actually getting ready to get a new camera since I’m traveling to L.A. soon. As far as lenses, it just really depends. I like to shoot events (non-concerts) with the 35(mm) and I recently started messing around with the 50(mm) fixed lens. I’m learning that fixed lenses make you better. You have to move around, step back, and get angles. Having the zoom is great, you need it, but to know how to really work a fixed lens is dope. For concerts I use the 50-200(mm) because it allows me to get facial expressions. It allows me to really move around. I have to switch out lenses every 10-15 minutes trying to get different angles. Photography is very creative. For instance, I’m a sneaker head, so when an artist jumps, I’m trying to capture his feet, the mic, everything. I’m always trying to create a moment. I’ll take 300 pictures and may only use 50, but I want to make sure I get a broad understanding of everything that’s going on.”

RESPECT.: What’s your editing process like?

Ismail: “I’m kind of new to editing. I actual prefer the rawness of a shot I don’t mind my shots looking how they look, but I’ve learned that you have to use your flash, you have to use photoshop at certain points. Just being the artist that I was and being arrogant and ignorant at times I would be like, “No, this is my expression,” but recently I’ve allowed the knowledge to follow me and learn from it. Editing shots from SOB’s is easier because they allow me to be creative. When shooting for someone else, they have specifics so it’s pretty straight forward. My biggest issue with editing is time. Somedays I might shoot four or five different things, I might have shots that I want to edit right away, but won’t have time because of other events going on. Basically, I love the rawness of how I shoot, but editing is a must.”

RESPECT.: Ok, you can shoot one man and one woman, music or non-music related, who are they?

Ismail: “Wow. Hmmm, that’s a great..wow. (Laughs) Well my favorite artist is Lupe Fiasco, so to be able to shoot him for a day and soak it all up, I would definitely have to say Lupe. For a woman, I would have to say my mother. She passed away when I was 13 and hasn’t been able to witness my success so far, and just knowing the woman she was and her beautiful soul, I would love to just capture who she was. To take that from my lens and my angle and capture how I see her would be amazing.”

RESPECT.: What’s ultimately your end goal?

Ismail: “I want to be known as an artist and not just a photographer. I’m a calligrapher, I have a clothing line, I manage a catering company. I’m currently working on a restaurant and an art gallery. My end goal is to kind of mesh all of it together and create a platform where art can grow. I’m big on the youth and the coming generation. I’m active in both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities, just everything. I do want to open an art gallery that’s based around everything that I do. Photography, canvas art, sneakers. I want the gallery to be a base of all activity. Art to me isn’t what people may think like visual or painting. My brother is a chef, I’ve seen him piece together different foods and make an amazing dish. My sister is a teacher and the way she pieces words and things together and the end result is an amazing project for her students. This all goes back to the first question you asked me and my inspiration comes from people. I want to curate art through the expression of life.”

RESPECT.: What would be one valuable piece of advice you’d give to an up and coming photographer?

Ismail: “Work hard. It’s cliche’ and everyone says it, but it’s really true. Like even SOB’s, I left work early, I waited in line for hours just to get a spot in the front. Do not give up. Also, learn your craft. I’ve really been able to soak up what my OG’s have to offer and you have to be open to learning. Build a portfolio and ALWAYS have your equipment on you because you never know when you can capture a moment.”

View Ismail’s Work BELOW

Follow On Twitter @Calligrafist

The post RESPECT. PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH: APRIL EDITION appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

For thousands, New York City is called “home” by creatives who have flocked to the unofficial capital of the world just to get a chance at fulfilling their dreams. For Mexican-born, California-bred photographer Alejandro Garcia, this pilgrimage holds true. After completing his BA in Photography at the San Francisco Academy of Art University, Garcia made his way to the Big Apple to fulfill his “want for more.” For the past four years, the 29-year-old photographer has been honing in his craft as a freelancer in the concrete jungle while exploring his creativity to accomplish his goals. Possibly even that one aspiration of his that includes breaking into Gwen Stefani’s house to get the perfect shot.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to get a shot?

 Well, it’s not really crazy; it was just that I had to wait a really long time, pretty much all day, to get a shot. After I got the shot, it was all worth it. It was when Miley Cyrus and Mike Will Made It were shooting a music video and I was the behind-the-scenes photographer. At the video shoot, there were just so many people around her and my job was to get shots of her. It was so hard. Later on in the day, I was hanging out in Mike Will’s dressing room and I guess he saw I was trying to get a photo of her and he was like, “Just hang out here and I’ll get Miley to come in.” It was just crazy because I had to wait all day.

Most memorable shoot?

 Every shoot that I’ve done has always been good. I’ve never had a bad shoot. You know, there will be things that stick out like little details. Like, oh the clothing was really cool, the models and stylists were so much fun to work with, or there was crazy music, but it’s just little things that make everything stand out to me. I don’t really have a top favorite.

Where have we seen your work?

Fashion blogs, online magazines, Inked magazine, The Source. If you’re a fan of my work and you’re keeping up to date with what I’m doing, you can follow my work on Instagram (@thec00l) and see what I’m up to and see where my work is headed towards.

Who are some photographers that you admire?

 David LaChapelle. I love his work. Much more his older stuff, not so much what he’s doing now. I love Cindy Sherman. She’s amazing at just taking pictures of her and making a career out of it. It’s like she’s the queen of selfies. Michael Thompson is amazing, as well. Richard Avedon. I feel like they are so good at creating a world and that world they’re going to capture though a photo…among all this chaos that they’ve created just to get this particular shot is amazing because you get so many different emotions and feelings. People look at art in so many different ways, but in their world, they’re creating something that they themselves came up with. For other people to interpret it as something else is pretty cool because…they wanted to create chaos within this space. So, thinking like that has helped me, in a sense, kind of create my own atmosphere, my own world in the space that I was able to work with.

What’s your ideal soundtrack for a shoot (to keep you moving)?

 It would definitely have to be something upbeat. I feel like for any photo shoot, the music keeps the vibe going. It keeps you in the zone. Sometimes when I’m shooting, I love to listen to The Weekend because I just feel like his music is the same throughout the whole album. The mood doesn’t really change so you can work at a pace where you know you’re good. I want the make-up artist to do her thing, I want the stylist to take his time and do a good job, and when I’m shooting, I want to do a good job so I don’t want to rush anybody.

Top 5 dead, alive, or fictional: Who do you want to shoot?

 Gwen Stefani is my number one. I love Gwen Stefani. James Dean. I love me some James Dean. And then, Cleo from Set It Off, Clint Eastwood, and Quentin Tarintino.

What would make you turn down a million dollar shoot?

I don’t want to turn down a million dollars! (Laughs) I guess, if I had a vision that I wanted to do with a huge publication and everything was great; we have a date, we have makeup, we have the whole crew. If the day of the shoot we have everything and something happens with the art director and he comes up to me saying, “Oh, so-and-so doesn’t like the idea. We want to change the whole thing.” If they tried to make it their own, I feel like I would feel some type of way because I would feel like I was being molded into what they want me to be. It’s like, I was supposedly hired because you guys liked my vision.

If it was guaranteed you would get it, which shot would you be willing to go to jail for?

Probably sneaking into Gwen Stefani’s mansion and photographing her while she’s sleeping. I just feel like if I’m going to sneak into her house, she would have to be sleeping so she doesn’t know I’m there and doesn’t call the cops. And then that photo could end up in Vanity Fair. It will be high fashion. But I’ll probably end up in jail and won’t get credit for the photo.

What do you want people to take away from your work?

 The rawness of my work. It’s not make-believe. If I see somebody walking down the street and I take a photo of them, when I show it to people, I want them to be like, “Wow! You took this? You made them look so good!” Yeah, because that’s how they look. I’m not emphasizing anything. This is just me capturing a simple photo. Everyone is walking by this person, but nobody stops and focuses on just one subject. Everyone is so busy going to Point A and Point B. I feel like with my photos, I want people to take away the simplicity, but at the same time, the beauty of it.

The post RESPECT. Photographer of the Month: March Edition appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.