Anyone had dealings/photo's by him and can recommend...or not?? Quality/price/comfort of his ability/caring about dealing with actors. Many photographers are either photo mills or referred by "agents" who get a something back...

He's come highly recommended, but I'd like to get info from working actors that have used/heard of his work.
Thanks

A friend of mine asked me to take a look into KMH photography from a photographers point of view. She said this site was where she has seen some negative reviews. So here is my take.

His photographic work is solid, you could not ask for much more. His look is clean and with the usage of natural light you get a natural image. I have not seen any evidence of photo shopping his images or anything like that.

But, he does not seem too familiar with photographing darker skin. You never want to see blue cast on brown skin and i have seen a few images like that. But these were a few out of a hundred he put up of one model. Besides that, good photos (link below)

Kim Marie

Is it expensive? Probably so...i have seen 1,200 to 1,600 bucks on this site for his shoots. Is he doing something that no other photographer can do? Not at all, but good photographers are hard to come by. And usually a photographer who charges too little does not have confidence in his skills.

Is he warm and friendly, probably not. But that should not matter much.

Hope it helps a little on making a choice. If you meet with him and don't feel comfortable, don't shoot with him. If your spending more than you can afford, its not worth it. There are other photographers that can help you but it may take time to find a good one.

My friend took pictures with KMH. They were great, but I felt that they were very expensive.

My personal experience, I called his office and spoke to his assistants. The process is: set-up appointment, bring your own clothing, decide by yourself what looks you want. Finally, he shoots not only you, but has other actors shooting that day. So, you should shop around until you find the photographer that can help you find a distinct look for your photos.

Work with a photographer that is willing to meet with you to discuss looks, clothing, hair and makeup. Work with a photographer that has a good rep in the industry. Work with a photographer that is within your budget!!!

Overall, take your time!!! You want photos that are professional.

Noooooo! Run! When I was interning at the talent agency these were the pictures that they HATED. They were basically expensive glamour shots and were all overexposed.

If you want to spend $1000 + for headshots, go take some with THEO&JULIET. Those are expensive but the photographic quality is great. And they look like the real "you" not the glamour version.

Without cheating, tell me which photo is from which photography studio

Theo & Juliet or Kevyn Major Howard

Also, having a photo slightly overexposed is a way to hide acne and other blemishes that you would have to cake on makeup otherwise. I don't think it takes away from the "real you."

On the other side, cameras never take the "real you" there are always distortions of reality when you step in front of one.

The bottom one is definitely the Kevyn Major Howard. I'm not familiar with "Theo & Juliet," but that must be them on top.

You can always tell a Kevyn Major Howard headshot because they all, to a certain degree, look alike. The top of the head is almost always chopped off--which some casting directors absolutely hate--although, this one isn't as chopped as I'm accustomed to. At least it doesn't obscure his hairline, which seems to be the biggest pet peeve among the aforementioned CDs.

The colors in a KMH shot are always similar too. Maybe he always uses the same background, not sure. Or, maybe it's the whole "blue light" I think someone mentioned earlier. But even the expressions on his actors' faces tend to be the same, as though he poses them all a certain way. And lastly, I have seen more of his clients wearing leather jackets than any other photographer's. I wonder if they all just happen to bring leather jackets to the shoot, or if he has a closet full in every size to outfit them. Maybe that's part of the inflated price.

Casting directors can recognize Kevyn's shots from a mile away. There are some casting directors who love Kevyn's work, and there are some casting directors who hate Kevyn's work. And among those who hate it, I've heard some admit that they never call in people from his shots, because they don't believe they'll be getting the person they saw in the photo.

Oh, and I disagree that Kevyn shouldn't have to be warm and friendly. I wouldn't expect it from the average photographer. But from someone charging $1,000+, I expect unlimited massages and cappuccinos throughout the entire shoot. OK, not really, I don't like massages or cappuccinos, but I think you get my point. There are photographers who charge less than $500, and are extremely personable. It's insane that the person charging twice as much is the one with the attitude problem. It's often the same with acting classes, and other businesses that serve actors.

That wouldn't fly in any other industry. Outside of the acting community, better customer service is a given as cost increases. If you go to a Mercedes dealership, they have to bend over backward for you, because they're trying to make such a large sell. If you go to an expensive hotel, they'll try to meet your every need to justify the price. Only actors would shovel out extra money, and accept treatment that's inferior to what they'd get from someone charging less.

It's time actors started respecting themselves more. That doesn't mean we have to behave like divas. But it does mean that we have to stop shelling out cash to people who act like divas, and despise the very actors who pay their bills. I don't know if that's an accurate depiction of Kevyn Major Howard, in specific, because I've never used him. But, that's the vibe I've gotten from some of the people who've shot with him.

quote:

THEO&JULIET

I just don't see what your seeing. From both studios the head is "chopped" because your trying to crop for the eyes of the model and focus attention there. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with doing that.

Photos from a photographer are going to look basically the same if your doing the same type of shot. Your looking at there style and vision. A Rembrandt looks like a Rembrandt....if it did not i would be someone else's art.

Natural light with a white reflector very simple and effective lighting setup. So, there is no real light modification. In essence i don't see how people feel they look more natural in a studio filled with lights versus the sun and a white board?.

Its fine to say you like or don't like his work or any photographers work. But i just don't like when people who don't know photography trash a photographer who's methods and photos are A+

You can say Ansel Adams is not your cup of tea for example, but to say he is a hack is a bit far.

As far as the mans attitude i can't say i would act the same way. But, at the same time each photographer is unique and you cant simply compare a one of a kind artwork to a mass produced machine.

Most photographers make 30k a year if they are lucky and im sure he makes more than that. Because everyone wants to tell the photographer how much they should or should not charge. Do you argue with the new car dealership about how much you think you should pay for your car?

This is how much this man values his work, other people don't get to decide how much his artwork is worth. I cant be mad at the guy for being rare and actually making good money from his skills as a photographer

quote:

Originally posted by Blackouttsi:
Do you argue with the new car dealership about how much you think you should pay for your car?

Absolutely! Are you seriously saying that you don't haggle when buying a new car? If not, then you're definitely overpaying. Haggling over the price of a new car is a given.

That being said, no, I wouldn't haggle over a photographer's price--but I imagine there are many people who would. In the case of a photographer, I select the person who I believe will give me the best shots possible. And if I believed that person was KMH, then yes, I'd be willing to pay his price. But, I've never been given any compelling reason to think that his $1,000 shots would be better for my career than others who charge half as much--especially when I know casting directors who routinely ignore actors who use his shots, because they say from past experiences that the actor walking into the room will not look like the actor in the headshot. That's not my opinion, that's the opinion of several casting directors. Could they be wrong? Of course. But those casting directors will still not call in those actors.

In all honesty, I didn't come in here to argue over Kevyn Major Howard. I've never even met the guy. For all I know, he could be th coolest guy on the planet, and I'm certainly not trying to sway people from using him. If you and your agent are under the impression that he's worth every penny he charges, then by all means use him.

But I think you're approaching this far too much from a photographer's perspective, rather than an actor's perspective. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're not an actor, are you? You're a photographer, right? And you don't even specialize in headshots, do you? I don't mean any of that disparagingly, I'm just trying to make sure I'm clear on your perspective.

If I'm correct, then you probably don't really understand the role of an actor's headshot. Again, I don't mean that disparagingly. You're an artist, and I'm sure you know great art when you see it. But, an actor's headshot isn't supposed to be "art," at least not in the sense to which you're accustomed. What you said about a Rembrandt looking like a Rembrandt makes perfect sense in your world, but not so much when it comes to headshots. The headshot has to sell the actor's style, not the photographer's. Whether you agree or not, I have specifically heard casting directors complain about headshots that bare the photographer's style and vision, because it tells them about the photographer rather than the actor. And you may feel that the audition room is the place for the CD to find out who the actor "is," but it just doesn't work like that. Because of the nature (and SPEED) of this industry, if the casting director doesn't get a strong "sense" of the actor from the headshot itself, they'll simply discard it and move on to the next. And I've specifically heard casting directors say that they cannot get a sense of the actor from Kevyn's shots, because there's far too much "Kevyn" in them.

I wouldn't dare argue with you on any of the lighting and technical issues that you mentioned. You're the photographer, and I wouldn't even contend to know more than you in those regards. But, I do know the things that I've heard from the people who actually make the decisions regarding who to call him.

Oh, and another thing, you said earlier that "Cameras never take the "real you" there are always distortions of reality when you step in front of one." Again, given your expertise regarding photography, I will trust that you are 100% correct on that. But it doesn't change the fact that casting directors (who lack your knowledge of photography) do expect actors to walk in looking identical to their headshots. You have never seen a casting director quite as happy as when someone does walk in looking "just like your photo!" Many say that that is the ONLY thing they are looking for in a headshot. And I've never heard any casting director say they got that from a Kevyn Major Howard shot.

Well, your not going to walk away with a new Benz for the price of an escort no matter how much you talk.

And as i have said, there is nothing wrong with who you choose to do your head shots. If you can't afford it then you cant afford it, that does not mean the photographer is too expensive or overpriced. Its just not in your budget.

Making sure you look like your photo is an actors responsibility. There are many threads about it on this board. The camera can distort reality but for practical points it does not lie. I cant do much with my camera in hand to make you not look like yourself. Some photos are better than others simply because of what others find appealing.

I am a photographer 100% through and i know what a head shot is supposed to be. Other professions besides actors use them too. Alot of modeling agencies use Polaroids for there test shoots. Because each Polaroid is the same no matter who uses it. Because changing the camera itself changes the image. Changing how you hold the camera....changes the image.

Every photographer no matter the subject imparts his own style on his photos, you cannot avoid this. This is why some photographers get paid and others do not. By what you are saying, the perfect head shot is probably made with one of those photo booths

But, i can understand if a style distracts from the subject but i have not seen this. I see very elegant work from both studios talked about on this thread

I will say it like this, i may not see as many faces as a casting director but i interview models on a regular basis. Based primarily off other peoples work that are not classic head shots.

Every so often do i come across people who do not look like there photos. Im not going to say it never happens, i just don't think the photographer is the prime suspect in most cases.

quote:

Originally posted by Blackouttsi:
Well, your not going to walk away with a new Benz for the price of an escort no matter how much you talk.

Nor did I suggest as much. I simply responded to your implication that you're stuck with the sticker price--never the case.

And, yes, a photographer can absolutely be "overpriced." There's this little thing called the law of supply and demand. If there's no demand for your services at your price, you'll either lower, or continue with a reduced number of customers.

If actors weren't "willing" to pay $1,000+ for headshots, no photographer would be charging that price. And from what I've heard, Kevyn Major Howard's work does not warrant that price. His customers are generally actors who've "heard" that his shots will "get them seen." But the people I know who have shot with Kevyn did not see enough return on their investment to go back to him the next time.

But, I'm guessing there's some kind of photographer brotherhood pact that requires that you continue to pretend that Kevyn Major Howard is worth every penny, so I won't waste any more time discussing this.

The thing of it is, i came to these boards because an agency locally recommended him to an actress friend of mine. She seen this site and asked me for my unbias opinion. I just decided to voice my opinions about what people were saying, thats all.

You cant dictate whats overpriced when there is no price on the cost of producing it. This is why art and fine metals are priced on demand alone like you said. Obviously he is in demand and that speaks for itself.

Interesting,

I have been looking to do some new photos, and was told by an industry professional NOT to go to this photographer.

They were happy with my choosing my own photographer, or could give me a list of people to contact...this was the only person they said not to use...didnt like their "style"....

check out david zaugh or peter konerko. if you want something different that pops, these guys are pushing the look of the actor headshot...

Hey, Thesp,
I bet you Blackouttsi is KMH. No kidding. Its him.

I know Kevyn personally, and half the stuff you have all said about him is way off. Kevyn is actually running a special right now for $500 plus the cost of hair and make up. He has never been 1200.00 since ive known him. If you're serious about you career i suggest you shoot with him.