Today we’d like to introduce you to Billy Kelly.
Hi Billy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Atlanta native who has always had a passion for imagery and observation. Grew up in Brookhaven but have lived in and around the perimeter throughout my whole life. As a child, some of my earliest visual and photography-based influences were by my great-grandfather, Sam Lucchese. Sam was the entertainment editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in the 1950s and 1960s. As a kid, I would visit my great-grandmother’s house on Lindbergh Drive and Peachtree, where I would gaze at the walls of black and white photos taken from interviews that he had done throughout his career. Some of these interviews included The Beatles, Lucille Ball, Adam West, and Hank Aaron.
Born in 1986 and growing up in the 90s, I was thrown into the world of Atlanta’s urban culture, submerged into the colorful and diverse imagery of artists like Outkast, Goodie Mobb, and TLC. Other influential artists are Leonardo Davinci and Hieronymus Bosch. Always having a love for hip hop culture, one of my most influential photographers would be the late, great Ricky Powell. The third Beastie Boy, “the Lazy Hustler, the Funky Uncle”. His passive and nonchalant style, combined with the captivating shots of debatably one of the greatest eras of New York City street culture, catapulted me into a world where I knew what I was meant to do in life. I’ve always worked in the production industry to some extent or the other my whole life.
Started in my early twenties as a stage, A/V and lighting tech for live concerts and events and slowly grew into a photographer as the years went by, fine-tuning my passion for visual creation. I went to film school at Clayton State University in 2015 to learn as much as I could and network with fellow creatives. Since then, I’ve been shooting professionally and continuing to grow as a creative. I would like to thank my parents and all of my family, my younger sister. Mary Catherine, Andrew Carter, Justin Kuhn, Brandon Thaxton, Amber Michael, Mike Ramos and the whole Ramos family, the legendary Silverfox, Drew Griffin, Brandon Gibbs, Tommy Folkers, Jason Kagan, Aaron Payes, Chris and Katja at ATL Visuals, and a Special thanks to Isabella AKA Disharmonious Valkyrie for recommending me for the Article. I wouldn’t be here without all of you.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. It was always a giant leap of faith to commit to my passion of art and still continues to be challenging at times. Through the obstacles of life whether it be friends, family, location, health and relationships, continuing to let archetype of your soul shine through your work is not always as fun or easy as it seems but I wouldn’t be doing anything else and wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Photographer specializing in creative portraiture, BTS, and street photography. I’m most proud of becoming the person and artist I am today. Finding this craft had made my life more beautiful and led to experiences I could have never imagined. My diverse background and open-mindedness mixed with patience and a knowledge of a variety of crafts sets me apart.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Instagram, My website www.billykellyphotography.com, Rappin’ with the Rickster tv show, the Joe Rogan Experience, the Walkie Talkie Youtube series by Paulie B.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.billykellyphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billykellyphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005467606312
