Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Ramos.
Kevin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I graduated from what was at the time Colorado Institute of Art in 1993 and moved back to my hometown of Elgin IL. I freelanced in Chicago for a couple years before I took a job as the in-house photographer for AutoMeter in Sycamore for about 2 years. I then took a job with Sierra Studio where I was the lead photographer.
After the last 20 years at Sierra, I decided to start my own studio in 2015. I am located in downtown Elgin where I specialize in product photography, food photography and editorial style portraits. I have worked with clients such as Kraft/Heinze, Barilla pasta, Nestle, Conagra, Acco products, Thermos, Arrow plastics, Jewels By Parklane, Guinness World Records, Motorola, and many many others.
Has it been a smooth road?
I am fortunate and blessed that it has been smoother than for many. Like all commercial photography, there are slow and busy periods with not much predictability. You have to plan accordingly.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kevin Scott Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I have over the last 25+ years specialized in different areas. I originally specialized in people photography and slowly moved into product. For about the first 15 years I shot only people and product. By about 2007, I started shooting more and more food, but because of my history with product and people, those clients kept coming to me for their photography.
I currently shoot about 40% product, 30% food and 30% people. I am most proud of my ability to specialize in those three areas and maintain very happy customers. While I am not a jack-of-all-trades, I do know what I’m really good at and I stick to it. I have had many clients tell me that I’m very relaxed on-set and allow clients to feel confident of my abilities.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Photography has changed immensely in the last 20 years. Digital photography, Stock imagery and the ease for people to pick up a camera and jump into the game have changed the industry quite a bit. But when it comes to specialized branded products, the need for that photography will remain.
You can’t buy stock images of the new product that are just being developed. While many can shoot images and shoot for cheap, a professional photographer who has proven himself and is not here today and gone tomorrow is a great asset. My clients know that they can count on me to get it right the first time. CGI has made an impact on some photography, but sometimes I am still hired to shoot the product so that they can be rendered into a CGI.
Contact Info:
- Address: 163 E. Chicago St., Elgin, IL 60120
- Website: www.kscottphoto.com
- Phone: (847) 892-1004
- Email: kscott@kscottphoto.com
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