Personal Bio
I am fortunate to have visited parts of the world that many others don't have the chance to see. In both business and personal travel. Born in the Bronx, New York, and moved to the mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania, in my early teens, where I graduated from school and worked in various roles in engineering and technology, until I went into consulting for a few years. I moved to the Greenville area in 1998, where I continued my work in project management, until 2015, when I decided to devote more time to photography. Photography has been a part of my life since high school, which has been a while. Working with film for years, It took me a while to catch up with the digital imaging revolution. But I love the opportunities and creativity it provides.
To be successful in a technology and project management career requires a generous dose of curiosity of how things and people work. What photography brings me is another level of creativity that is more personal. The opportunity to try things that don't always have to be done the same way each time, thus creating different outcomes. Like making mistakes, which are simply a means to learn. Photography is wonderful, because I get to merge both worlds that includes my technical and artistic parts of my brain. It allows me to investigate light, color, and mood, and share my interpretation of the world with others. I am always looking to stretch myself and learn to improve my work. It is a constant learning process. Living is learning.
In regards to my style: it's evolving. I look at things differently now than I did just a few years ago, and I'm not sure that I want that to change. My curiosity for the world and the people around me may lead me down a different path than the one I'm on now. And that’s exciting, and the reason I enjoy photography.
The world is a beautiful place, with lots of opportunities to seek inspiration. So my style is somewhat wide open. I don't want to place artificial limits on myself. So when people ask me about my style…still working on that.
My creative process
The photographic process that exists today is far different than the film days. Digital has opened up all kinds of new options to enhance and create.
I begin my process by imagining what I want to accomplish, an idea, an inspiration, a new take on a worn subject. Often I check the weather and positioning of the sun at expected times of the day when I anticipate shooting. Has this been done before? I f yes, then can I do it differently? I’ve thought about it for a while. Then there are cases where I just take the camera and go at it.
My goal is attempting to capture the image that best represents what I see in front of me, using the camera, lenses, and filters, to capture what I think is pleasing and unique. I feel I have a sense of responsibility not to corrupt the reality of a scene. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t improve upon it.
It’s all about the light. My goal is optimizing the light and framing the scene, with the knowledge and expectation of how it will be enhanced during the post processing of the image. Realizing that this shot is a moment in time that is unique due to light conditions, weather, and my perception of how I think it should look through composition.
What comes out of the camera is 75% of the finished product, but unlike the film days, it is not complete. When I look at the image in the camera, I only get an idea of how it will look. All my images are shot in raw mode, which allows me editorial license to complete the vision rather than allow the camera to make the artistic choices for me.
Once the raw image is downloaded from the camera, initial processing is performed in Adobe Lightroom. This is how the image evolves to the point of being usable. I typically finish processing in Photoshop, to perform cleanup, such as removing distracting elements.
So what you see is not always what you get, but the result should be better. So why is this the case? Because photography is about creation. Not to say that there aren't forms of photography that are exclusively used to document, but for artistic reasons, my goal is to provide a result that is visually appealing or to elicit a reaction. Or Both! But still stay true to the original scene.
Services: On site photography
I provide photo sessions for Pets, horses, and other 4 legged creatures at a location of your choice, and convenience. The service begins with an interview, typically by phone, as to what you are looking for in the images. I provide all the necessary tools to capture the images which can include your furry family members and yourself. I will take up to 100 images, and provide a minimum of 20 quality photos that capture the beauty and personality of your pets. Both stills and action shots will be included to the degree possible (pending cooperation from the subjects)
My wife and I share our home with a dog, and three cats, and animals are a large part of our lives. It is my intention to have my images show the love you have for your pets as we do for ours. Check out the “Mans best friends, and other critters” gallery to see some of our friends
*First hr: $125 minimum: Includes post processing with delivery of 20 - 25 final images at two sizes; one for posting
to the web, or email, and an larger size to create prints. Both come in jPEG format
*Each subsequent on-site hr $90
*Digital images - no extra charge on DVD or copying to customer provided media for jpgs.
*Min expenses $65 per shoot: This charge is only applicable in cases where the photographer arrived for the photo
session, but could not shoot due to the client not being available or prepared to perform their role
*Printing prices: Most prints will be charged by size; 5x7 - $15, 8x10 - $30, 11x15 - $35. Other sizes available
*Other activities will be billed at $50 per hr (special editing requests)
*Will provide time estimate and include in contract, detailing location(s), time at each, wardrobe changes, expectations, etc.
Ken Roche