Kevin Ames - Calibrite - United States

What inspired you to become a photographer/videographer?

I received a Kodak Brownie Starmite 127 camera for Christmas. I photographed my school friends on field trips. They bought prints for 10 cents apiece. That beat working on my family’s Idaho farm.

What is your photography style?

Telling client stories. That takes a lot of homework and planning not to mention great lighting.

How did you get to where you are now?

Persistence. Photography is the only career I have had or wanted.

Why is color management important to your workflow?

Color management is a foundation of a successful photograph along with lighting and exposure. Without color under control, the image can be anything rather than what I imagined. This control assures that what I see on my monitor is what will be seen on a monitor or in a print.

What are your favorite brands you have worked with?

Heh. Greytag-MacBeth, Munsell, X-Rite, and now (of course) Calibrite.

What would you say is your greatest achievement to this day?

Giving back to the photographic community. I helped the digital photography curriculum for the Creative Circus, wrote a column about photography and Photoshop for almost a dozen years in Photoshop User magazine, and teaching in conferences and camera clubs.

What is an interesting fact about yourself?

I owned a bar in Boise, Idaho, while working full-time in Atlanta, GA, at my photography business.

What is a top tip for people who aspire to do what you do?

“It’s not the lens. It’s the lensmanship!” Know the craft of photography. Charge a fair price. Never work for a credit line. Think about it. How does one eat a credit line?

EQUIPMENT TOOLKIT:

X-Rite I-One Photo for monitor calibration and making paper print profiles. ColorCheckers in various sizes for making dual illuminant camera profiles, confirming proper exposure, and creating neutral color balance.

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Brand Ambassador Kevin Ames

Kevin Ames is s lifelong photographer starting with film and moving into digital in the early 1990s. His work is commercial/corporate. He photographs fashion, architecture, and headshots and creates cinematic photographs that tell his clients’ stories.

Two of Kevin’s treasures are his original January 1977 24-patch ColorChecker chart and the prototype 3-Step Grayscale ColorChecker he featured in his first book, “Adobe Photoshop CS: The Art of Photographing Women.”

ColorCheckers are a key component in Kevin’s photography and videography work. He says, “Every assignment begins with a Color Checker photo or video to optimize exposure and maintain consistent color. I can’t imagine life as a photographer without this tool.”