contact/bio

Contact

If you would like to utilize our services, you may contact us via e-mail or phone at:

joe@jmk-photography.com

(215) 740-2085

Bio

When I tell some one I’m an architectural photographer, they always light up with interest and want to know more. Who do you shoot for? Do you get to travel? What is the coolest building you’ve shot? How did you get into do this?

Well, I’ve always had an interest in photography, but it was not until college when I took Intro to Photography to satisfy my art credit that my passion began. I can still remember that first day of class, going in, being greeted by the professor, and being shown his camera, an 8x10 view camera (looks like an accordion). I was like everyone else, I thought nobody used these things any more, let alone that they still made them. My interest was sparked instantly; I think it was from all the knobs and dials. Most cameras only have three movements you can control: focus, aperture, and shutter speed. This had those, plus a dozen more. That summer I bought my own 4x5 camera.

Working with a camera that takes large expensive sheets of film causes you to slow down a bit and I naturally trended towards shooting static objects. That coupled with my strong math background led me to look towards building design for subjects. Soon I could not help myself; every building I came in contact with I would critique and think how I would shoot it. When would be the best time of day, or how would I light it? But still, after all this, my feelings on being a professional was that they either did weddings and events or worked for a newspaper, neither of which I found exciting.

I went into teaching after college and eventual became bored of it; I started looking for a career change. Then in the spring of 2007 I had a conversation with my former professor, whom I am now friends with. He told me after he graduated college, he assisted for a photographer who shot nothing but architecture for various professionals in the building industry. All summer and fall I worked for start up capital and began researching the business of architectural photography. I opened shop in November 2007.

That’s right, I am a month older than the recession, and it’s been a little tough, but I can’t imagine enjoying anything else. Before becoming a pro, I always said if I could nothing but take pictures all day (so long as it was a subject I wanted to) I would do it in a blink.