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Meet Kishawn Tyrell D. Gilliam of Kg/Fantasy Images & Patchwerk Recording Studios

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Kishawn Tyrell D. Gilliam.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story was engraved far far away in a small town called Lansing Michigan, where not much happens but it’s always something going on if you know what I mean. I was born at St. Lawrence hospital during a blizzard that ripped thru the small city as it does often in Michigan. But even with a monstrous snowstorm negatively affecting the outside world, My mother knew I would be a positive person the moment I was born as she recalls me laughing with joy instead of crying as most newborn do out the womb. That basically sums up me, I can be in the worst situations and I’ll find a reason to crack a smile. As a small child, I was outcasted by the other kids, I never understood why as my 1st words to kids I didn’t know was a typical “Hey my names Kishawn lets be friends” with a smile but even at 5, children can judge you very harshly. Being outcast transitioned into being bullied by my peers, so I grew up with very little friends. I wasn’t bothered by it nor did I really notice, I was in my own world, my imagination was my best friend as everywhere I went was an adventure, everything I saw was a journey into mystery. I was intrigued by the nature around me, the sky, trees, animals, rocks, leaves, etc. to the point because my family couldn’t afford toys like that, I made my own toys by bringing to life the strange shaped leaves in the grass and lifeless sticks on the ground. The world around me was a landscape I could shape into anything so not having many friends wasn’t an issue. I also started reading books at a very early age so you could find my face stuck between pages excited to travel to whatever lands my books would take me.

As I got older, my imagination couldn’t protect me from the horrors this world has to offer, by 10 I was severely twisted inside but at that age, I didn’t understand my emotions. My family life was complicated as my relationship with my father worsened as he felt the best way to teach me was to beat it into my brain. Lansing isn’t Compton or Chicago, but violence is easy to find. I was constantly approached by gangs growing up, I was jumped numerous times starting in 6th grade till 11th grade, sometimes by 20 people, sometimes by 5. I like to say the only fights I ever lost were never one on 1. I wish I could say I kept on the straight and narrow but I learned to how to break into houses very young (I became good at it but I’ve happily retried my lock picks.). My positivity was still there but soon replaced with anger and thirst for blood as I became more violent. Watching my peers die around me as I grew up mixed constant violent physical altercations daily from my father and peers turned me into a very dark unforgiving person who didn’t care about consequences. My fun childlike adventures turned into running away with fear in my heart not sure if I would live to see another day. I would have been fully swallowed up by the world around me as a child if it wasn’t for my mother and grandparents. They have always been my light. My grandpa owned a farm in flint since before I was born so me and my little brother, Tashawn, always were out there, tending to horses, planting crops, fixing cars, building go-carts, fishing, etc. all types of chill country fun. My Grandpa Willie has always been the man I looked up too, he was my superhero that couldn’t be beaten and is still the coolest person I’ve ever meant who’s taught me some of my most valuable skills. He’s one person when I’m told I look like him or act like him, I feel nothing but pride and grateful I could take after such an honorable man. He always told me I got to be able to feed myself and he lit a fire under me to go out and get it. My mom had me at 15 so I was fortuned enough to grow up with four grandmas. I have a very hazy memory of my great grandma on my dad’s side, and I was blessed to fully go into adulthood with my Great Grandma Vera who passed away in 2016. My Grandma Linda & Joann were and still are my best friends that instilled great values and respect for all women in me. My mother, though we have a funny relationship, was always the person I could go to for anything and she gave me the tools and keys for me to absorb knowledge the way I do, she has always challenged my critical thinking and because of that I can be thrown into any situation and think fast on my feet. She was a basketball star at J.W Sexton high school, the best point guard in all of Lansing and if not ending up pregnant with me, would have made it D1, but because of her sports background, she made sure me and my little brother were in all kind of sports. I wouldn’t have found my love for basketball and football without her. Being from the city Magic Johnson came from, he’s definitely one of my favorite basketball players and getting to meet him later on in life was a magical moment of full circle for my sports goals.

Fast forward to high school, which like many is one of my favorite arcs in my life, I got to go to my dream school, J.W Sexton. I have tons of Pride in my school, both sides of my family for generation’s back all went to Sexton so it’s a very linage rite of passage to become a Big Red. Sexton looks like a castle from a fairy tale, it’s the biggest high school in Lansing and full of energy that I’ll never be able to describe. I wouldn’t be the same person if I didn’t go to that school. Sexton was full of the wildest, ghettoest, violent bunch of people from all over the city. I went thru everything at that school from my 1st time falling in love to meeting lifelong friends I hope to have at my wedding like my bff Alexis who been thru it all with me, I can say going to Sexton gave me everything I needed for the rest of my life. Being a Big Red Alumni has actually helped me thru my business career as well, as we like to say, being a Big Red is a lifestyle, Once a Big Red, ALWAYS a Big Red. Some of the biggest people in the biz are Big Reds from Grammy-winning producer Needlz to Ludacris’s DJ an producer, DJ Infamous to CJ who werks side by side with honorary Big Red Eric Thomas. They all from lil ole lansing like me went to J.W Sexton and its many more I actually went to school with doing Big things in their markets with such as Byrant Forbes playing in the NBA for the Spurs breaking league records as a rookie to Kierra Lanice who is a highly requested internationally published MUA for the Grammy’s an many other, to Jasemine Denise one of Chicago’s top professionally published photographers booked year-round on tours. I was surrounded by greatness at Sexton and not only peers, with my teachers as well. Mr. and Mrs. Beverly who are still in my life today, are 2 mentors that never gave up on me even though I know I was a headache to deal with, they showed me, tough love, I needed, their after-school program helped me immensely as it gave me a place to go when home & the streets wasn’t a positive place to be. Ms. Linderleaf who allowed me to become a thespian which grew my love for theatre, I was her worst student but she gave me my spotlight on stage to express my talents. I played sports all four years from football to cross country, I did all I could, and I may not have been a “star” but I got so much life lessons from the sports I played. Coach Davis, my favorite coach I ever had took me under his wing and coached me with the same patience and energy as he coached his starting linebackers. If it’s one regret I have is that I didn’t dedicate myself to sports more as I got caught up in a lot of mess that took away my chances to really play on the field, but Coach D never gave up on me and I always give him his props, his lessons to me on how to not only be a player but a man in this world was a significant help in shaping me to be ready for the great opportunities that came into my life. J.W Sexton played a major part in my life and career, if I didn’t go there I would be a whole different person. I’m proud to big a BIG RED and ima prolly buy that school one day lol.

After high school, I started to attend my local community college LCC right after my high school graduation as I decided to not waste any time and take summer classes and get a head start. I was in the 2+2+2 program which was meant to transfer me to Michigan State University to finally be a full-fledged Spartan and graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree. Funny how things turn out cause I grew up with a passion for engineering, not a passion for photography or video, my mind was never on entertainment, I didn’t care about celebrities or new music, I always loved the technical side of things as I grew up loving music learning to play the Trumpet in school and my mom buying my harmonic and teaching me piano but I wasn’t a music head in a sense I cared about who had the best albums out. Literally, the only reason I got into the entertainment business (and this is where the story really starts) is I was late to class one day and lansing is small, I jumped on my bike and raced to LCC! As I’m cruising into the school parking lots, I see my old friend from Sexton (it all ties together) Deontay Donald, werking at the park across the street. I hadn’t seen him in like a year since a random house party so of course, I pull over on him like yooo what up! We get to talkin and laughin and I ask him what he doing out here and he tells me he got a job with common ground, lansing’s only major music festival. My eye widens as I got a light bulb because earlier that week I had applied for a job at common ground, funny enough I saw a friend from middle school post on Facebook about how he and his friend got hired at common ground the day before so in my head I’m like aha! Destiny! Now I know it’s wrong but I used to be the greatest liar in the world, I asked Deontay who was running show and he pointed to some ladies out yonder in the fields. I walked over to them and made up the greatest lie ever that me and my friend got the job to werk and yes I’m talking about that friend I saw post on Facebook and lucky for me, they quit! So because all black people look alike to white people, they really thought I was one of the people that had got the job with him and like that, I was in. I didn’t even go to class that day I just started werkin right alongside deontay, little did either of us know that was the start of not only my career in entertainment, but also us becoming more than friends but brothers in arms thru any fire. And I gotta give my brother props, if he wasn’t out there werking and I didn’t see him, I would have went to class and never got the common ground job. Deontay is literally the reason I got my 1st paid job in entertainment so S/O my brother four life!

Within that summer arc of 2013 werking common ground, I went from a simple stagehand to an assistant stage manager for the B stage running the crew, after that I started werking smaller shows and festivals all over Michigan. During fall of 2014, I got hired to werk a show at MSU for Rich Homie Quan which would be my next big gig that gave me the reputation as a serious assistant stage manager even tho I was only 19. Little did I know that show was put together because of Curtis Daniel, the co-owner of the legendary Patchwerk Recording Studios who I would meet years later and he would offer me a position at his studio, a studio I never knew existed at the time, without even knowing I put myself on the path to patchwerk.

But to backtrack a little before I get ahead, I got my 1st camera fall of 2013 from a friend from Sexton (I’m telling you sexton is the reason for everything in my life, I literally would not have been born if my parents didn’t go to sexton together lol) and he sold me Canon T3 with a lens for stupid dope deal. I found a bug for photography from growing up reading Spiderman comic books in my grandma’s basement, I always thought it was cool how peter parker took photos of himself an sold em to the news, he was hustling for real and as a hustler, I respected that. As a kid I was a street hustler in a sense I went around my neighborhood with a mower, a rake, a shovel, whatever season or weather and hustled me some cash. I did it for years which after reading “Rich dad poor dad” at 13, I thought I was the greatest business kid my age cause I was making 100+ in summer in 1 DAY cutting grass, I made dedicated clients who always waited for me to come knock on the doors and every season I was doing they yards. That was the start of me learning the art of doing business and finding enjoyment in exchanging my time/services for not only a monetary gain but the joy of knowing I really just helped someone out which I’ve always been into being of service as best I can for others. I feel like in a past life I was a door holder for a fancy hotel in New York because I used to love holding the door open for people as they walked in or out. My mom used to scream at me for holding the door cause if it was a line I would stand there till every single person was out! I enjoy helping others, the child in me defines my logic for helping others by thinking if it’s less for a person to worry about, and it means more fun for all of us.

Time jumping a bit but let’s zoom to forward to the 2015, by that time I had established myself a serious photographer and videographer in Lansing. I had come up with the business name “Kg/FantasyImages,” and it had begun to be very well known by my peers and even people of my parent’s age. I was doing weddings every month, big budget weddings I had no business doing and I admit I was a horrible businessman, super unprofessional and someday I still feel bad I took some folks money cause even tho I thought I was ready, I wasn’t. I wasn’t shooting on a simple T3 anymore which I had given to my mom, now I had one of my dream cameras, a Canon 7D. I also had a Canon 50D as my back up. These cameras were my ying and yang, I shot everything on them and got good pretty quick. I never went to school for camera werk, literally I tell people I went to YouTube University and majored in Googlenomics! All I did was study and watch videos, read articles, research research research that is key in any skill building. I stayed in a library reading books on camera stuff and I put it into action in real life shooting with local rappers in my city to models to becoming the photographer for my old high school JW SEXTON. When I 1st got my T3, I stayed on the football field as my coach let me come and take photos on the sidelines and that’s how I really got my name starting to go around the city because I was taking decent sports photos. I would have never gotten as good as I did with photographer if Coach Bogan didn’t let me back on that field and that transitioned to my whole school having my back and letting me take photos for all the other sports from volleyball to homecomings to proms, Sexton supported me. By 2015 all 3 of the high schools in Lansing has my photos all thru their yearbooks because I was being requested by the other high schools to come and take photos at their dances or games. I wasn’t being paid cause I just loved the practice, but I gotta shout out Ms. Keebach, my high-school honors English teacher who did Sextons yearbook at the time, she paid me for my photos one year and she was one of the 1st to give me money for my photography. I haven’t seen her in a while and I would love to and if you’re reading this, I still have and use that Calvin Klien bag you gave me when my backpack broke in class! Ms. Keebach told me my freshmen year “readers are leaders, you’re a leader Kishawn” and it always stuck with me. She encouraged me to do poetry, I never wrote a poem in my life, but she gave me the confidence to do so and its a skill I found I was good at, which led me into trying my hand as a rapper but that’s a story for another day lol just know Ms. Keebach created the best rapper alive when she told me I was good at poetry!

Now back in the near present of 2015 I was still going to LCC and having trouble in class with math but excelling in everything else, I was still kinda on track to be able to transfer to MSU in 2016 but my business side was booming. I had went to South by South West with a group of friends, Shout out Homeboii for inviting me, and I meant Big Sean, fellow Michigander, and Detroit native and we had about a 15-20 min talk and he gave me advice and truths about this music industry that lasted to this very day. Big Sean wasn’t the 1st star I meant, but he was the 1st on my list of favorites I got to hold a convo with. That same year I was hit by a police car in the summer and lost the case idk how I didn’t die but my body is a tank, I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to finish school and decided to take a break for fall semester, during the fall, a friend of the family and famous dj, DJ Butcher, hired me to go to ATL with him and Detroit artist Crime. I was excited cause I had been to ATL before but not for a job, this is when I was introduced to Patchwerk Studios, a studio I never heard of and come to find out was started by Michigan State Spartan alumni Curtis Daniel iii, I was super excited cause I love meeting people from my city doing big things and even though Curtis is from LA, he’s a fellow spartan so in my eyes he’s from Lansing too!

A year after going to Patchwerk, they come to Flint mi in April 2016 for a weekend of events. Now Lansing to Flint isn’t too far, bout 40mins, but during this time, my car wasn’t doing to great and I wasn’t getting as many gigs as I used too, I was broke, I only had $20 left to my name, no upcoming gigs, I just lost my security job cause I had a roof party/photoshoot on my off day using my security key (I was a reckless person) and I was just in a rough place in life. I had been out of school for half a year and I felt no confidence I was going to be able to make it to MSU, I still had no degree and my LCC scholarship was done, I was at the point where I felt I wasted so much time with LCC cause I started right after high school I should have been had my associates degree right? Yeah I was doing cool stuff with photography and I was a full-fledged stage manager for festivals but that stuff was not consistent and making 1k every few months was not a way to live. I still didn’t care to be in the entertainment business, it was cool but I wanted to be an engineer, I really wanted and still do want a degree in mech. Engineering, but with Patchwerk being in Flint, I was like shoot this is an opportunity to do business may be, at least show my face and netwerk. I didn’t know Curtis or Mike, the other owner of patchwerk, would be there. But I threw my last 20 in my tank and drove to flint on hope. I got there before the events started and I talked to Curt, he gave me his number and said if I had any business questions just hit him up and before I left I saw Osman, who is the marketing manager of the studio, we had meant the 1st time I came to patchwerk and hit it off cool, he was running around doing a lot but I saw him sit down took the chance to go over and say hey. We get to talking and I told him if I’m ever in ATL I’d be down to shoot anything at the studio if he ever needed me to pull up and he said these words I’ll never forget. “Well, what do you think about moving down? I’ll save you a spot for an internship at the studio” and my eyes went wide because I didn’t understand what he just asked, up to that point I only had 1 internship I was currently werking in lansing at the Lansing Public Media Center thru the city so for him to ask me that was huge to me. I said sure I’m down without even thinking about it and told him soonest I could get here would be September of that year. I was legit blowing air cause I knew nothing about moving, I never even thought about living anywhere else but Lansing, I had no reason to leave I was happy there. Yeah, it was rough on me but it was home. So for me to just say that without thinking was low-key bad on my part, but he gave me his card and said “think about it and email me what you want to do. We’ll figure it out, would love to have you part of the team” and that moment changed my life course. I drove back to Lansing on that last tank of gas called my cousin who lives in ATL and said: “bro you would never guess what I just did!” I was high off life but I never imagined the outcome and major impact of me saying yes to Osman that day. I don’t think either of us did.

September 1st, 2016 I started my 1st day as an intern at Patchwerk recording studios fresh off the highway I went straight up to the studio. I was staying with a cousin in Riverdale next to the local drug dealer which was fun, I slept on the corner in the floor in a one bedroom one bathroom apartment with six other people living there. There was many times I woke up with roaches and spiders crawling thru my hair. Too many nights of being awakened from gunfire that sung a little to close across the night skies. It was rough but nothing I wasn’t used to, but it was my 1st time living with other people for longer than a few months. Patchwerk was amazing so that fueled me. I went back home a lot during that last part of 2016, I was very homesick and missed my family a lot. When I came back in 2017 in January, I started to take the internship more seriously and middle of February Curtis randomly called me and asked me if I wanted to work at the studio being paid. He said they don’t have a big budget but they can pay me $1500 a month. I was in the middle of looking for a job anyways so I instantly said yes yet again not thinking anything thru or the weight of what came with werking at patchwerk.

Fast forward to 2019 and I’ve created the Media Department of Patchwerk Studios, currently werking as the Media Manager, I’ve had 3 generations of my own interns since I said yes to Curtis at the top of 2017 and I may only make $1500 a month but I’ve gained a billion dollars’ worth of knowledge. When I said yes to Osman in 2016, my goals with Patchwerk was to come down and learn business, grow my skills and just have fun. That was literally my only goals, and I did all 3. Never once thought in my mind I would ever make money from the studio nor did I even try cause I thought they would never pay me as an intern and in my mind, I can make money anywhere I wasn’t worried about patchwerk paying me or not, I was just happy to be on the adventure.

I’ve meant a lot of great people in ATL that have helped me grow very fast. Not knowing a single thing about the music business I had a lot of catching up to do and quickly. Curtis taught me the business fast and took his time to really sit with me and teach me how things go and how to move. I had to learn to be a real professional and drop my hood business techniques and learn a new particular set of skills cause the streets got me this far, but I wasn’t werking in the streets anymore. It was either grow or die and I almost died a lot of times, not just in business but just in ATL period these folks reckless! The last fistfight I got into was in 2017 at Birthday Bash and Curtis told me I can’t be fightin anymore like a kid cause now I got something to lose, and I was severely depressed at the time so I didn’t understand Curtis when he said that cause I didn’t understand what I really had to lose till I came close to losing it all. Speaking on depression, to be honest, I’m still depressed in many ways, but I’ve been able to slowly put myself back together I even continue to go to support group meetings at a hospital called Ridgeview. A lot happened to me in 2016-2018 and I can honestly say it broke me, it was the darkest moment since I was young. I moved to ATL and lived in a pretty bad place and afterward I was homeless living in my car or in lockable bathrooms with showers I found for months before Curtis helped me not once but twice to get me out of my car. I was in a lot of pain and if not for my cousin and who I think of as my #1 supporter an best friend, wasn’t there for me, I would honestly not be here because I was ready to take my life but she stopped me. I had given up and she gave me the reasons not to. I won’t say her name because she doesn’t want to be known, but she is the reason I’m still here, she got me out the bed many times, picked me up when I was down, slapped the tears out my eyes but also let me cry time to time. She was there for me thru every single major moment in my life since we had become friends at Sexton in 10th grade (once again sexton is the reason for everything.) I remember her at family gatherings as a kid but we never really spoke till I had went to a cheerleading practice and saw her and said “hey your my cousin right?” and she said yeah, and somehow after that, we became friends. I love her with all my heart and she’s been not only a major player in my life from day one but also real family that made sure I was okay everyday even when she had a lot going on with her. If its one person I know has never done me wrong or talked bad about me it’s her, ironically enough she’s one of the reasons I know God is real because growing up without friends, I always prayed to god for a specific kind of friend, he answered that prayer and blessed me with not only more than what I wanted for a friend, but sent her as family too. There was a lot of folks who definitely helped me during this time of a breakdown but my cousin, she was there in a different way and I know I put her thru a lot, so I know I’m blessed to still have her in my life and have the opportunity to hopefully help her as she has helped me.

I know money is a big thing for folks, but it’s not for me, since a kid I knew I would be wealthy somehow, so I never been too worried, I know my end game. When I was 7, I realized my goal was to be “The Greatest Explorer and Scientist this worlds ever seen” it was something I’ve always said. I’ve became an explorer, I’m still werking on the scientist part, but I know I’m on the path to greatness. That has always been the goal. The best parts of my life has come From all the teachers and friends I’ve gained the adventures I’ve went on, the places I’ve seen, the time I’ve gotten to share with those I love. The world sucks but I have a lot worth living for that makes it a fun place to be. Writing out this article was cool because it made me realize dang I do have a story and it’s way too many details and parts to it ima have to write a whole book! But I do appreciate the chance to tell my story and let the people know I understand how hard just being alive is. It’s hard out here! But find people that really care about your wellbeing and build with them. Mental health is important! Because losing your mind won’t help anyone and can hurt those around you more than you’re hurting yourself. I’m happy to have come to ATL and impact those around me in positive ways and equally be impacted by everyone I’ve meant.

I was just homeless like a year ago! A year later I’ve werked with legends, I’ve seen a lot, toured with Beyoncé, music videos with Gucci Mane, J.Cole Sessions, talking to ATL OG’s about history, A&R’ed sessions, learning from managers like Malita the Mogul who put me & my business partner BallForever on our 1st major tour with Ski Mask, Werkin with Tamiko Hope who was one of my 1st major clients in ATL and continues to trust my creative services, learning how to not only do good business, but a respectable man in every way from Curtis, befriending Cymandye who also is like family to me that I love so much and is the reason I’m even writing this article! There’s so much that’s happened and so many people I’ve meant that I wish I could name everyone. I might have to do that book and just make a whole chapter dedicated to shout out people cause I love giving folks they kudos when deserved! Because it’s the people around you that help you shift into what kind of person you’ll become, they aren’t the only reason but the circle you surround yourself with is a major impact on your character and choices. Creating a whole department from the ground up has been hard but because who I’m surround by, I have more than enough support I just have to stay focused and not be lazy and take care of myself so I can easily carry the responsibilities I’ve been given. I’ve had a lot of help in my quest because I couldn’t have done any of this stuff alone, I may complain some days and feel like trash but I’m grateful, I love it all.

Patchwerk is the reason for all my success in ATL & not just success but also creating unique connections I couldn’t have made outside of the studio. From being introduced to other great videographers such as 88 Vintage to being able to get connected with major companies in ATL thru Patchwerk like Rite Media Group or The Gathering Spot, Patchwerk has been the reason I’ve become the Kishawn of 2019, the reason why KG/FANTASYIMAGES has been seen by thousands. I give all my thanks to them, to Osman, Curtis, Mike, Toya, DJ Butcher & Crime who brought me to Patchwerk back in 2015, all these people and moments shaped my life and tho I have a lot of regrets and feel I could have moved better, I know at the end of the day it happened that way because it was lessons I needed to learn the hard way to appreciate what I got now. And what I have now, is something worth losing. I love Patchwerk, I love the folks around me, an in the words of the late great Mac Miller, I Love Life, Thank You.

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?
There was a ton, from trying to protect my mental health to semi-starvation, being homeless, sleeping in my car, sleeping and showering in bathrooms, the dirty most of the time illegal type of jobs I had to do for money. Having my door kicked in when I did have a place to stay and living with no secure door but having to create a barricade every night, not knowing when I get back if some crack head would be in my house. I was living a different kind of life, not to mention worrying about my family back home and trying to send them money when I had none. Tryin to still get better in my craft and keep up with the demand of werk Patchwerk was giving me. Trying to not lose my head and not take the easy way out. Staying clean cause I had a very bad issue that was pushing people away. Dealing with loss, I didn’t take losing my great grandma very well, losing friends, heartbreaks, baby scares, stupid choices that hurt my credit score, all type of stuff, I was struggling to move but because of a lot of different reason from God on down to my cousin, I’ve been blessed and I’m way healthier.

Even now in the present its a struggle for a lot of reasons but the main one is I’m tired, after fighting all my life, I’m tired, I’m not saying my fight has been harder than anyone else’s cause all our lives suck in different ways even if you a billionaire, but my stamina has decreased and I’m trying to raise back up but right now, I’m still struggling to get out of bed most days. My body doesn’t want to move, I’m screaming to myself to get up every morning and I’ve made a small werk out routine I do, I stretch, then do 15-20 pushups and jump rope for maybe 2-3mins if I can make it that long. It’s not much, but I’ve been consistent with it and it’s helping me into a healthy routine and you have to put yourself on a healthy routine when you are struggling because if you don’t, you’ll lose yourself in all the wrong ways. So everyday is a struggle, my path has been far from smooth, but I’m not different then everyone else, nobody has a smooth path. I can’t give up just because I stepped on some rocks.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Currently, I’m known for “Kg/Fantasy Images” a business that services in media specialization’s such a creative photo rendering to quality & quizzical visuals to clean graphical arts.

Basically, I take cool pictures and shoot dope videos dassssit.

Kg/Fantasy Images was born from a desires to stand out with a cool name, I didn’t want to have basic name and I always been one for imaginations but “imaginative images” doesn’t sound as cool (actually it does tho…hm) and as a kid I wrote a book series called “Fantasy Kidd” so because I haven’t become a published author yet, I took inspiration from that title and KG is my initials “Kishawn Gilliam” I added the “/” because I didn’t want to do a basic ” – dash ” like I’ve seen others do. Plus the “/” reminds me of a sword.

What really sets me apart from other photo or video business is that I’m honest, I’m myself. I don’t pretend to be a super pro, I don’t pretend to act like I know what I’m doing if I don’t. What cha see is what cha get, if I can’t shoot something or I don’t know how I will let you know, if that means I’m losing your business that’s cool, I’m not out here to take money from anyone if I can’t get the job done right, that’s BS an I don’t got the energy to pretend. If anything I’ll refer you to someone that’s better than me that can take care of you. So that’s what really sets me apart in my eyes, I never cared to really make money off doing camera werk, I still don’t really, so it makes me pretty easy to werk with cause if I’m werking with you, it means I’m having fun cause I legit like to do stuff with my camera so it don’t feel like I’m werking. I’m super laid back, I know when it’s time to be serious because I’m always serious. I value other people’s time, not their money. I’ve actually made less money than I ever have moving to ATL doing things legally. I made more money faster in the hood but they weren’t “quality clients” so I choose to deal with “quality” people I can do long term business with these days, way less of a headache and that means money might come slow as I build this list of long term clients but hopefully I can pass a stream of income on to my kids if I have any.

One thing I’m most proud of as a company is that I did everything I’ve said I was going to do. I’ve meant pretty much all my goals with photography and I’ve done most of the goals for video. I still have some hard ones left and new ones I’m making, but my OG goals I’ve done em all. Thru everything that’s hurt me in my life, I stuck to my promise I made to myself to not give up. So I’m proud to have not given up and make a living off my skills. I’m proud that my investments have been made back. I still got a long ways to go, but I’m proud that I’ve got this far.

What were you like growing up?
I was always into adventures. Living out my imagination, I was a weird kid but quiet as well. I loved pretty much every and anything that didn’t make me bored and everything was interesting to me. From cartoons to books to animals to music to fighting to sports. I had a hand at everything. I’ve always had a laid back personality, I was always in a tree or in a field taking naps on sunny days with a book laying across my face so bugs didn’t crawl in my mouth. I explored as much as I could, I was always exploring and seeing what I could find, my city is small but it’s a lot of hidden gems I found while growing up because I was always riding my bike around. I was a wild child with a free spirit. I enjoyed warm sunny, cloudy days with a slight breeze sitting on top of a high building or a bridge and just watching life go by. I could sit all day and just watch the earth turn and be entertained. I’m into having a good time and positive energy and enjoying the moments we all have here on earth. I put family 1st so I’m always interested in hanging out with family, there’s nothing I enjoy more than that. An animated happy go lucky type of character that never seems to follow the rules of reality everyone else is forced into. My personality is I can do anything, chances are there’s always still a chance. Chances are if I’ve done the impossible once, it’s possible to do it again.

Pricing:

  • 1hr Consultation – $20 flat fee
  • Photography Shooting – $40/hr
  • Video Shooting – $40/hr
  • Video Editing – $55/hr
  • Travel – $0.50 per mile

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
88 Vintage LLC

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