Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Kerns.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
From my start as a curious high school sophomore to today, I’ve shot for Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, weddings, product photography and even the occasional zombie.
My sophomore year of high school I saw fellow students disappearing behind the revolving door of the darkroom. I wanted to know what this other world was.
I took to photography quickly, using a borrowed Nikon fm2 camera and eating up the meager income I received from my summer jobs on roll after roll of film. By my senior year of high school, I was mentoring younger students in my photography class and giving them real-world practice while photographing as many as two to three weddings a weekend. I quickly became proficient in the journalistic style of photography, shooting so that the subjects would not react to the photo, in order to capture the candid and true emotion of the moment.
My day to day business of photography keeps me busy with covering local events, real-estate, and drone photography, maternity, and newborn photos as well as various creative projects.
Photography is not only my business but also my hobby. In my free time, I enjoy photographing abandoned locations across the country as an urban explorer. I also attend and photograph events such as Wasteland Weekend, a full immersion post-apocalyptic event held in California each September, and the many historical tours and events at Historic Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Photography is not a smooth industry. Like any creative career, there are struggles. When I began as a photographer, pictures were taken on film and developed in darkrooms. Technology has increased the efficiency and opportunities in photography but has also saturated the market. The increasing quality of cameras on phones has led many people away from hiring a professional photographer to document many of their occasions. Convincing clients that there is value to great photography can sometimes be a hard sell.
Another struggle to the business of photography is art versus image. Photography can be artistic and can be enjoyed and sold as such, but the bigger business of photography often times has a different purpose. Pictures tell a story or sell a product or sell a house or document an event. I have refined my own skills to marry the two.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Thomas Kerns Photography – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Thomas Kerns Photography is a small and personal business. I specialize in capturing moments, emotions. I strive to document, story-tell, and share.
I, myself, have a multi-faceted personality. I am alternative and geeky but have been immersed in the corporate culture as well. I feel that this helps me to understand the visions of both the traditional and non-traditional and I can capture both with my photography. I have photographed gothic weddings in a cemetery, LGBTQ maternity pictures, corporate headshots, PR showcase events, comic book conventions, products for marketing content, as well as real estate, properties, and landscapes using still and drone photography.
I have procured many props, backgrounds, sets, lighting, and tools to help me best photograph any subject. From homes for sale to newborn babies to corporate Christmas parties to cosplay models.
Together with still and drone photography, I have also built photo booths for rental complete with a large assortment of props!
I have built a reputation for professionalism, creativity, fast turnaround of projects as well as being able to see the vision of the client and deliver it.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans for the future include growing my real estate and specifically my drone photography business as well as studio work.
I am looking to procure a studio space to allow me to do more creative projects in a controlled space. I enjoy working outdoors and in the many various places that events take me, but I would like to expand into more portraiture and creative work.
I’ve also been working on a photo series called “Beauty and Decay” that will be presented as mixed media art.
Pricing:
- Event photography – $150/ hr (This includes photography and editing. Packages for finished images are priced by size and qty. Wedding photography not included.)
- Photo Booth rental – $600 for a 4 hour engagement. (This includes attendee as well as printed and digital copies of all images.)
- Real Estate Photography – $150+ /house (Price is dependent on sq ft size of house, this includes interior, exterior, and aerial drone shots)
- Portraiture – $150/ hr (This includes headshots, interior/ exterior personal and family photo shoots, newborns, editing and digital delivery of purchased images.
- Wedding photography – Packages start at $1,800 (Includes hourly rate, editing, and digital delivery of photos determined by package chosen)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thomaskernsphoto.com
- Phone: 404.915.8213
- Email: thomas@thomaskernsphoto.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thomaskernsphoto
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thomaskernsphoto/
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
