I’m always Inspired by Nature-Forest of Gottingen Germany

July 12, 2014 by kwakualston

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Categories: Inspiration

Photo Albums, The Alis, and Me

June 2, 2014 by kwakualston

I first met Muhammad Ali when I worked for Oprah magazine over ten years ago. A section of the magazine called “Oprah Talks” would depict a day in the life of Oprah, and my job was to photograph her with various celebrities, from Billy Crystal and Madonna to the Williams sisters and “The Greatest” himself — Muhammad Ali. I’ll never forget the day my crew and I spent with him on his Kentucky farm, the extra time it took to set up because this American icon […]

Categories: Features, Inspiration, Uncategorized • Tags: aarp, Ali, boxing, Caregiving, Lonnie Ali, Muhammad Ali, the greatest

Celebrity On White Portrait Series on display at E! Entertainment Network

April 26, 2014 by kwakualston

Kwaku’s career as a commercial and celebrity photographer began in New York where he worked for clients such as The New York Times Magazine, Sony Music, Rolling Stone and Miramax Films. Since opening his own studio in the pop culture hub of Venice Beach, California, he’s shot for top publications, film studios and TV networks as well as taken portraits of celebrities ranging from Tiger Woods, Samuel Jackson, Brad Pitt, Ashton Kutcher and Heath Ledger to Michelle Obama, Halle Berry, […]

Categories: Behind the Scenes, Inspiration, Personal, Uncategorized • Tags: art of studio, behind the scenes, Celebrity, fine art, hollywood, life photography, Los Angeles, photography, time lapse

Art of Studio featured by PDN

March 1, 2014 by kwakualston

Almost every photographer dreams of their own studio–a special private space to freely create and brainstorm, where inspiration and its precise execution is the only thing that matters.  A place where you walk in, and are warmly greeted by light as it splays across decorated walls, books new and old, and your unique tools of the trade.  At least, this was one of my many dreams: to own and operate my very own studio.  An artist’s studio is a reflection […]

Categories: Behind the Scenes, Features, Inspiration, Uncategorized, Venice • Tags: abbot kinney, american photo, art of studio, art of studio space, CA, kwaku alston, pdn, pdn february 2014, pdn magazine, pdn studio, venice, venice art gallery

Five Minutes with Nelson Mandela

December 15, 2013 by kwakualston

Last Friday, I was lost in the endless to-dos of production for an upcoming photo shoot. I’ve been there many times before. I enjoy what I do and the countless responsibilities that go with it. But in the past year, I began a new important job: being a dad.  So, amid all the preparation and paperwork for the shoot, I was also preoccupied photo-shopping images of Kaveh’s favorite toys to print and decorate the walls of our living room for […]

Categories: Inspiration, Personal, Uncategorized • Tags: 8x10, 8x10 deardorff, 8x10 film photography, 8x10Deardorff, art of studio, black aids institute, deardorff, film photography, history, Johannesburg, kwaku alston, kwaku alston nelson mandela, Large format, mandela, Mandiba, nelson mandela, photography, President of South Africa, south africa

Ghostagrams by Kathy Ryan

November 6, 2013 by kwakualston

Kathy Ryan’s Instagram feed is one of my favorites.  Witnessing the subtle beauty in the New York Times building and the way lights falls around the structure is wonderful. So for Halloween, Ryan harnessed the eerie spirits of light and captures ghostly shadows and other lit phenomena. In her words, “People passing by disintegrate into shadow selves, sometimes completely disappearing into the walls. The light along the stairs bookending the southwest and northwest sides of the building swelters at the […]

Categories: Fellow Creatives, Inspiration • Tags: art of studio, ghost, ghostagram, halloween, halloween photography, inspiration, instagram, kathy ryan, new york times

Inspiration: Burke + Norfolk

August 30, 2013 by kwakualston

I found this film to be very inspiring and wanted to share.  This film follows photographer Simon Norfolk, who goes to Afghanistan to document “the implications of war,” inspired by John Burke, a 19th century photographer.  As artists, we are inspired by history, whether we recognize it or not. Learn more about the work and see images here.

Categories: Inspiration • Tags: afghanistan, art of studio, inspiration, john burke, simon norfolk

Studio Visit to Gravillis Inc

July 24, 2013 by kwakualston

   I had the pleasure of recently meeting with fellow creative and friend, Kenny Gravillis, who has built his business up from a 2-person operation in his home with business partner and wife DeAnna, to a beautifully structured office space full of light, art, and creativity bursting everywhere. Gravillis Inc has created some of the top movie posters in the industry and I’ve had the pleasure of working with him on photo shoots. After witnessing his company’s growth and entrepreneurial spirit, I […]

Categories: Fellow Creatives, Inspiration • Tags: art, art of studio, behind the scenes, Business, Design, Design studio, fellow creatives, graphic design, gravillis inc, inspiration, kenny gravillis, Office Space, photography

Window shopping on a Wednesday afternoon

July 3, 2013 by kwakualston

Categories: Inspiration, Volkslivin' • Tags: volkslivin