PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW: Kevin Kubota

PAST

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: In your early years of high school, were you involved in the yearbook ? What sparked your interest in photography? Do you recommend all the weekend photographers out there to initially stick with the subjects they know and build from there? Do you have any suggestions on how to build that progression? How did you progress to where you are today in photography?

KEVIN KUBOTA: I was not involved in the yearbook – however I did create my own Mr. Bill doll, light him on fire, and photograph the process. I was also talked in to photographing a high school club called “Blue Juice”, which was basically a bikini club. That probably sparked my interest in photography. Well, actually, my father was a wonderful photographer and his candid B&W images of us in the early years really gave me an appreciation for the art of photography. Dad had his own darkroom and processed images for his college newspaper while working in a camera shop. I’m sure his love of photography rubbed off on me.

I took a photography/darkroom class in high school and began photographing my friends, girlfriends, and just about everything. I continued with photography, as a hobby, throughout college and my first career – fashion design. After working in the design industry for a year after graduating, I realized I hated it. I left and pursued my dream job of selling shoes at Nordstrom. OK, so it wasn’t my dream job, but I actually learned VERY valuable lessons about customer service that would become the cornerstones of my success later on.

I finally left Nordstrom when I realized that I had to do something creative – something that I was really passionate about. I decided to turn my photography hobby in to a real job. The impetus actually came when my female roommate asked me to take some portraits of her for her boyfriend. I put together a makeshift studio in my garage and managed to pull together some really decent images. She showed them to her friend, who then asked for photos, and the ball was rolling.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Do you still have photos taken from the early years when it all started? What were your subjects? Are the pictures online to share with everyone to compare with your work today?

KEVIN KUBOTA: Heck no! Actually, that would be fun to pull those up and compare them. I’ll see what I can find. Might be a good blog post! My subjects were all women looking to create sexy calendars for their boyfriends and husbands. I also started taking actor headshots as I had a few friends trying to break in to acting. After the word got around that I could take a decent picture, I started getting asked to shoot at friends weddings. That’s how it began.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  What books did you read at the beginning of your photography career that helped you prepare for today? Title of book, author and price of book please…just messing around, the title of the books should be fine thanks to google search. Do you recall any other resources that you referred to heavily to help you prepare for the photography business? We want to know what the must have resources are to fully equip ourselves when and if we ever plan to take that leap of faith.

KEVIN KUBOTA: I read anything and everything. I don’t remember the actual books that I read, and since it was nearly 20 years ago, I doubt they’d be current. I would go to the library and bookstore to read and make diagrams in my notebook. Then I’d go home to my garage studio and try it out. I also read Shutterbug and Popular Photography – which was all I knew about at the time, and gleaned what I could from their articles. I remember really liking a certain photographer who did a column for one of the mags. He specialized in portraits of famous actors and models. I actually wrote to him one day to tell him I dug his stuff and his articles. He wrote back to thank me. This was before email, so he actually had to get out paper, write, and mail it. I was really impressed by that and I try to remember how I felt whenever someone takes the time to write me a nice note.

I took one class at the local college on digital imaging and that got me hooked. We used some crazy DOS based imaging program where you would type in “ROTATE IMAGE” and then wait 5 minutes for it to happen. It was soo cool. The next year the class got Photoshop and I ate that up so fast I had to drop out of the class because I was learning it faster than the teacher! I also took a class on commercial photography and ended up getting hired by the teacher to assist him in his real studio. I learned a TON about lighting, composition, and quality control from him.

I also loved anything by Dean Collins, who was about the only instructor really doing much. I watched his videos and read his books. Eventually, I learned about the APA (Advertising Photographers of America) and joined with a couple photo buddies. We attended monthly meetings and learned a lot about business and portfolios. I got in to weddings after becoming friends with my wedding photographer, George Carranza, from Southern CA. We joined WPPI and eventually PPA as well. Both of those organizations made all the difference in the world to my rapid growth. I don’t think I’d be here today without them. Really.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  What was your very first professional photography job? Was this purely out of luck that you were at the right place at the right time? Was there a hidden plan to penetrate the market from within? Would you recommend it to new photographers trying to break into the market and that are having difficulty breaking in? Once you had your first job under your belt was it difficult to get another gig? What did you do to acquire more work besides providing awesome images? Have you ever considered being agency represented? If you are agency represented how did you attract a photography agent?

KEVIN KUBOTA: My very first professional job – meaning I actually got paid for it – came after a few freebie boudoir sessions for my roommate and her friends. I got confident enough to start charging for expenses, and then to make a little profit. I didn’t really get very excited, pardon the pun, about the boudoir stuff, so I moved on to headshots and model portfolios. I guess I just kept wanting to learn more and add styles to my repertoire. I shot my first few weddings for free too so I could build a portfolio. I would definitely recommend shooting whatever you can, for free if necessary, to build a solid portfolio. Ask friends, relatives, roommates, people off the street – to model for you in exchange for free prints. It’s definitely easier to start charging for your services when have a decent portfolio and a reasonable amount of self-confidence to go with it. This just comes from experience.

All my new work really came from referrals. I put a sample wedding album in a women’s gym that my wife taught at. I got a ton of work from that gym! It also helped that she worked there, knew everyone, and promoted me every chance she got. I had tried yellow page ads, but they never really amounted to much. Word-of-mouth is by far the best advertising. I was pretty shy at first, so my word-of-mouth was pretty weak. I realize now that if I wasn’t so shy, I could have grown the business much quicker.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: After your first job, What was the next photography gig you obtained and how did you go about your execution? Did you apply all that you’ve learned in all the books you’ve read ? Did you buy more books or accessed any more resources to help you jump to your next big step in the game of photography? What tools do you recommend that are a must have that helped you get to where you are present day?

KEVIN KUBOTA: I learned everything on the fly. I never took a business class – and I really should have. I did read books on business though, and on pricing, which helped a lot. Each new job came almost directly as a result of a referral from my last job. I would change my price lists after each client meeting to massage it a little bit based on their reactions and feedback. It seemed that I was changing something about my business almost daily and it was evolving very quickly. I’d even change my logo design and business cards on a whim. I was never quite satisfied. This continued for probably the first 5-7 yrs of business. Today there is so much more available in the way of training, education, workshops, online resources, etc. People are growing their businesses 10 times faster than we ever did. That’s good, but it can also create growing pains and a tendency to overlook the basics and foundation of a good business. Sometimes you learn things better when you learn them the hard way.

PRESENT

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What keeps the money rolling? Your brand is possibly a huge factor to your longevity? Am i right?  Do you have any recommendations on brand building for weekend photographers and/or Photographers in general.

KEVIN KUBOTA: We are very fortunate that our brand is strong and reputable. It didn’t happen overnight and it was not easy. I have been able to build strong brands for my photography, software and workshops business, and Asukabook USA. I used the same core principles and techniques. While there are many facets to brand building, here are the main areas we focused on: 1) Create a strong visual and mental image of our company via keywording, logo design, and specialization. 2) Commit to impeccable customer service and experience. 3) Determine a Business Essence – why are you in business? Author Guy Kawasaki put it perfectly, “Be in business to make meaning, not money”. Of course the money should then follow. 4) Aspire to live with kaizen, a Japanese term for “continuous improvement”.

When all of these factors become habit, the rest tends to fall in to place.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  What is currently in your photography bag? Please be as detailed as possible for those starting out photographers that want to be just like you. From your photography equipment arsenal, what do you bring most of the time for your commercial shoots?

KEVIN KUBOTA: Here’s my bag. For weddings, I primarily use the 70-200mm f2.8, the 14-24mm f4, the 50mm f1.4, and my Lensbaby Composer. I pull the other lenses out now and then, but I could easily shoot an entire wedding with the above set. I would never leave for a deserted island without my 45” translucent pop-up disc either. I carry this and the white/silver version in the back of my Tamrac bag, where it nestles so perfectly in the laptop pocket.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  What is your favorite image in your current portfolio and why? How did you approach the execution? Give us a glimpse on how you construct an image from scratch.

KEVIN KUBOTA: My favorite image is probably the one of the couple in the red classic convertible Mustang. I think it is important to me because it symbolizes a transition point in my career where I really started to “cut loose”. The image has great energy and I’ve had so many potential clients become actual clients because they loved this one image and even asked if I could do that for their wedding. I shot it many years ago, but it’s still one of my favorites.

The shot came from an intuitive impulse. I was just finishing up portraits with the bride and groom and we were heading in to the reception. Out of the corner of my eye I saw this Mustang in the parking lot. I asked the groom who’s car it was. It was his dads! I proposed that we take the car and do “just one more photo”.  One more turned in to an hour more and we all had a great time. I had never done a shot like this before so I just put on a wide zoom lens and sat up on the back deck of the car. I hooked the seat belt over my foot as a token margin of safety. The groom hit the gas and before I knew it we were going 50 MPH and they couldn’t hear any of the orders I was barking over the wind noise. I just had to shoot and hope for the best.
Most of my images start with some sort of intuitive thought like this. I don’t plan a lot out ahead of time. I will say whatever comes to mind and generally the client is agreeable to try. Occasionally I get funny looks, but I assume it’s just gas and do my best to get them excited about it. I realized that my best images always seemed to come from the spontaneous ideas, so I work very hard never to stifle them.

The most important factor in a good, impressionable, image is impact. You can build this through timing, composition, and lighting. I generally work by imagining the composition first, then finding or creating the light, then working the scene until I get the moment through timing. This same process applies to most everything I shoot – from portraits, to weddings, to commercial work.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  Is having your own studio space essential for any commercial  wedding photographer.  Do you have a photography studio of your own? If so, what do you look for in a photography studio?

KEVIN KUBOTA: It is not essential, but certainly helpful. I do have a studio and have had one for many years. I started in my living room, like most photographers, and eventually built an addition to the house with a gallery and production office. That worked really well because I did most all my shoots on location, but it was important to have a professional looking space to show and sell. I eventually rented an off-site studio space because I started doing more commercial work and needed a studio. After a few years I started to really focus on weddings and didn’t need the studio space much anymore. Now, we have a beautiful gallery, meeting room, and offices, but no official photo studio. I still shoot most things outside or on location.

I think having a really nice off-site gallery/meeting area is helpful to promote an image of professionalism and stability. I also feel it’s important to separate work from home…while I write this sitting in my bed at home. I’ve gone through all the options, and I like my setup now best. Of course, your photography style and demographics will determine whether you need a studio or not. As much as I love the idea of home offices, I also believe that clients will perceive you more professionally when you have a dedicated office/gallery – whether small or extravagant.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What types of commercial gigs are you currently involved in now and how did they surface? What are your recommendations on how we photographers diversify their product offering from Commercial and stock in today’s marketplace?

FUTURE

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What are your immediate goals as a photographer and artist?  Are you planning on releasing any how-to books? What are your recommendations to people thinking about starting a photography book?

KEVIN KUBOTA: Well, I have many goals. I have already written a book, titled the “Digital Photography Bootcamp”, which is in it’s second edition now. As a photographer, I grow tremendously when I spend time photographing what I don’t normally photograph. For example, I lead photo workshops in Italy where we focus on fine art imaging. I don’t shoot any portraits or models there because I do that for a living. I want something completely different. I get all excited about photography again and learn to see in new ways. I can take this enthusiasm and perspective back with me when I return to my “day job”. I love experimenting with new gadgets, lenses, etc. to find new ways of capturing life. I want to take an art class or a photo class that is out of the realm of my typical daily experience. Maybe I’ll take a pinhole camera class or something like that.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: A lot of professional photographers are starting to run workshops. Will you start offering workshops in the future? I know TIME is not your friend, but there are ways to get around that maybe offering internship opportunities to intern with you for a small fee during one of your paid shoots. Or maybe provide an opportunity to be a spectator for one of your weekend shoots?

KEVIN KUBOTA:  I’ve been running workshops for many years now. Our Digital Photography Bootcamp is a week long program held in Bend, OR twice a year. It has been very successful and we are coming up on our 18th Bootcamp this fall. I also do frequent day-long programs for photo organizations and under our own name. I do occasionally take interns along on shoots with me, and this is a great way for them to learn.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  I am sure you’ve read many articles discussing how in the future videography and photography will be one? What are your thoughts on that and how will you evolve to the new morphed medium?

KEVIN KUBOTA: I’ve been hearing that for many years now. The idea is not really new. We experimented with it about 8 or 9 years ago and I realized that I was either a videographer, or a photographer. I couldn’t do both at the same time. I also realized that video editing takes MUCH longer than photo editing and I could barely charge enough to make it worth the extra work. People inherently put a higher perceived value on photography. It becomes art that hangs on the wall, like a collectible painting. I don’t think video will soon match that status. I don’t mean that as any disrespect to the art of videography, but it’s just a fact that is part of public perception. Filmmakers can be paid quite handsomely, but only when their work is mass produced and sold by the millions – as in movies and DVDs. Consumers, however, aren’t paying more than $10-25 dollars a pop to see a movie or own a video that took millions to produce. They will, on the contrary, pay thousands of dollars to own photos that took a few dollars in hard costs to produce. I don’t think this reality will easily change. I’m sure that some talented creatives will find a way to effectively mix photo and video and sell it at a healthy profit. I love the idea. However, the bottom line is you can’t frame a DVD and hang it on the wall next to the art, which gives it lower perceived value. I never say never, however, so I’d be just as excited if the average consumer proved me wrong.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Ok so thinking about the future and how it is very important in any endeavor especially the photography business. What do you suggest photographers do in the future to solidify their presence in the industry? What will you do to ensure that you remain on top, not taking into account your photography niche?

KEVIN KUBOTA: I think this goes back to the earlier question on branding. Follow the same rules and you can solidify yourself in any market, with any product. Brand yourself, commit to constant growth, commit to outstanding customer service, and be in business to make meaning.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Thank you again for your time and giving back. What would you like to leave for us photographers to think about when moving forward with photography for the future? If you have any words of wisdom will be appreciated.

KEVIN KUBOTA: While there have been evolutions in the styles of photography – particularly wedding photography, the images that stand the test of time have impact and strong emotional content. If you are able to capture these – with whatever tools or techniques you use – I think you’ll always be on the right track.