ABOUT

Kevin Blackwell

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

I’m a photographer and Creative Director, but photography is the thing that drives me. I’m an old punker who somehow skated his way into a career I love, one that has taken me around the world, introduced me to some incredible people, and continues to push me.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve built a career around stories. Sometimes that means photographing an orchestra performing inside a historic recording stage in Vienna. Sometimes it means following Buddhist monks on a journey. Other times it means standing backstage with a band I have listened to for most of my life, trying not to think too much about how strange and incredible it is that I get to be there.

Lately, music has found its way into a surprising amount of my work. I have photographed artists like Dinosaur Jr., Spoon, Band of Horses, and Blink 182, and a lot more. I also had the chance to photograph Ian MacKaye, which meant more to me than most assignments ever could. Ian has been a lifelong hero of mine and one of the people who shaped how I think about creativity, independence, and doing things on your own terms. Getting to spend time with him and take his portraits on the historic steps of the Dischord House was one of those crazy moments when my past and present somehow met.

The people and stories have gone far beyond music. I have photographed three Michelin star chef Grant Achatz, legendary designer James Victore, artists, filmmakers, travelers, and people doing work that means something to them. That is usually what pulls me into a story. I want to understand what drives someone, what they care about, and how to capture something that feels real rather than overly polished or staged.

I also continue to work as the Chief Photographer for the Amphibian Foundation in Atlanta, a nonprofit determined to raise awareness about the global amphibian extinction crisis. That work has taken me deep into caves, high onto hills, into the water, and through the woods, photographing reptiles and amphibians with one purpose. To help people see these animals differently and understand why protecting them matters.

I was always an artsy kid. I drew on anything I could find, screen printed shirts, shook spray paint cans in the dark, played in bands, and looked for any excuse to make something. Photography finally connected all of that in the early 2000s when a friend gave me a Mamiya RB67 medium format camera. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I loved it immediately.

That eventually led me to Portfolio Center in Atlanta, where I studied creative direction and photography. From there, I landed my first agency job at Fitzgerald and Company and went on to work with teams at Digitas, LBi, Ogilvy, Razorfish, and others. Those years taught me how to build ideas, lead creative teams, solve problems, and survive a ridiculous number of all nighters.

I’ve also been fortunate to create work for brands like Coca Cola, Virgin Atlantic, Durex, Delta Air Lines, and more food and beverage companies than I could name. Thankfully, the list goes on and on. Creative direction taught me how every part of a story fits together. Photography became the way I wanted to tell it.

Whether I am working with a global production team or a lean crew of creative hooligans, my goal is always the same. Make something honest. Make something that matters. Make something people can actually feel.

I am still chasing the next great story and hopefully finding a few more all nighters worth staying up for along the way.

SOME HUMBLE HORN TOOTING, RECENT AWARDS, AND RECOGNITION:

NOW THAT YOU KNOW, LET'S TALK.

Send me an email to chat about project ideas or just to grab a coffee and talk big dreams. I might even reply... eventually. Stay bold, my friends!

© 2025 Kevin Blackwell.