Life & Work with Kevin Antol of Scottsdale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Antol.

Hi Kevin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story in photography and digital art started roughly 13 years ago when I joined the US Navy. One of the first paychecks I got after graduating from boot camp and being stationed in Seattle, I impulsively bought a Canon Rebel camera from a local store. From then on, I took photos at every opportunity I had. I started with black and white street photography and switched to landscape after completing my enlistment and moving back to Arizona.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
That’s the thing I’ve always looked for how to overcome the bumps in the road or even use them in a way that hasn’t been done before. The real struggle I faced when starting out was absolutely no idea what I was doing. I ran everything in (auto) and had no idea what Raw or jpeg was. Editing photos has always been my favorite part of the process. When I started, I didn’t have a computer, so I used the filters my iPhone 3 had. All in all, I would say the biggest struggle did not have the knowledge or gear to bring my (art) to life in the way I wanted with the limited resources I could or could afford at the time.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
During the week, I’m a welder-fabricator for a company in Mesa that builds and supplies North America with custom street sweepers. On the weekend, I’m a landscape or adventure photographer. I’m known mostly by the local community for taking photos of the desert we live in. I’m most proud of our photography scene out here. There are so many creatives and good people who share my fondness for the desert. I think what sets me apart from others is not much. Many of the places I photograph are the same places hundreds, if not thousands, have photographed before. I may have a slightly different vantage point or get lucky with some good light and nice clouds.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
For those thinking about getting into photography of any kind, I’d say learn all aspects of your camera. Learn to shoot in RAW and manual, and plan for what you want to photograph, regarding weather, low light, angle, etc.

Contact Info:

• Website: Kantolphotos.smugmug.com
• Instagram: Kantolphotos