Interview: Alex Kittoe
OCTOBER 2021 ● INTERVIEWS
Hey, Alex! It's great to have you – I'm excited to connect with another Colorado-based photographer.
In browsing through your collection, as well as the images you've chosen to present in this edition, it seems that you shoot a broad variety of styles in various locations with dynamic, thematic elements. What fuels your creative choices when you set out to shoot? Do you have any favorite locations or ideal weather and/or atmospheric conditions you prefer when you have the camera in your hands?
Sometimes I have an idea that I want to execute and sometimes I just aimlessly wander around taking photos, but I mix up my style based on my surroundings for sure. Shooting landscapes is very relaxing to me, so a lot of the time I just set out with a backpack, multiple cameras, and a lot of film and just see what catches my eye. I’d say what I am most closely drawn to when looking for scenes to capture, however, is lighting and color. Great natural lighting can give a photo a surreal feeling and colors really draw me in personally when taking photos or looking at the work of others, so I love to incorporate vibrant colors when I can.
I only really started shooting film in November 2020, so it has been interesting to go through different seasons with changing colors and weather. My favorite season to shoot is winter though, because snow looks so soft and dreamy – it's very fun to shoot winter landscapes after a snowstorm. My favorite place to shoot is in the mountains. I have always loved the mountains, which is why I moved to Colorado in the first place. There is just a very serene feeling when up in the mountains that I really enjoy capturing through photography.
Continuing on with your ability to capture a diverse mixture of photographic genres, I'm curious – where are you most comfortable behind the lens? Do you find that your creative spark remains a constant in all avenues, whether it be portrait, landscape, or street photography? How does your approach or vision shift between genres?
As I previously touched on, I think landscape photography is very therapeutic. When I am alone with a camera in a beautiful spot, it feels like the world just stops for a second. It’s a great way for me to unwind and reset, so I’d say that is where I am most comfortable. I think you can tell the story of someplace through landscape photography and can try to capture scenes in a cinematic way that gives others a glimpse into somewhere they have never been or may never even go. I also love taking portraits because I do think it’s very fun to try and capture emotions, moods, and people.
I’d definitely say that my creative spark remains constant because a lot of my portraits are essentially landscapes with the subject being a person instead of an object. That sounds kind of silly, but I keep the same style and look for the same elements that I do with landscapes and try to incorporate someone into the shot. I am not very good at posing people, so I don’t find myself in a studio very often, and instead try to capture people in a natural setting where they are comfortable and the light is already nice.
Let's take a step back for a moment. How did you initially find your passion for photography? Tell us a little bit about how you got your start and, more specifically, what you find appealing about film.
I started out as a digital photographer when I bought my first camera in college. It was the summer before junior year and I was going to live in Spain for four months, so I figured I would buy a camera to document memories, but I had no idea how much that purchase would change my life. I fell in love with photography so fast and began shooting for brands, musicians, magazines, and for fun. I was on a fun trajectory with digital photography and was getting very into shooting concerts. I was lucky enough to shoot some bigger names like Two Friends, Big Gigantic, and more. However, when COVID really hit hard in March of 2020, everything came to a halt. I was supposed to shoot for Action Bronson and Method Man, which would have been my biggest show yet, but it got canceled. After that show was canceled, I found my passion for photography dwindling and thought that I would take it back to the basics and purchase a manual film camera. I got a Pentax K1000 on eBay for about $75 and a few rolls of Kodak Gold 200. During that time I was living up in Steamboat Springs, so the possibilities for landscape photographs were endless. I wasn’t shooting for money, for Instagram, or for anyone’s liking, I was just shooting and it was such a nice change of pace.
What I really fell in love with about film photography, though, is the process. I realized it slowed me down so much compared to digital. I love the manual process of film and setting out on an adventure knowing I have limited shots. On a digital camera, I would take hundreds, if not thousands, of photos when I was out trying to capture scenes. With film, I find myself being much more conscious of what I am shooting before taking a picture. This slower level of photography has led to much better images because I really take my time with compositions and exposures rather than snapping away and hoping for the best. It’s also really fun to manipulate colors with different film stocks. I now do most of my freelance work on film, and it’s been awesome having people trust me to do good work when they won’t see the images for a week or so after a shoot. I still do digital video and photo work on the side; I just don’t share it as much.
Since then, how have you evolved as a photographer? What would you like to expand upon in terms of developing your craft? Are there any elements or techniques you'd like to build upon or start incorporating into your work?
I have evolved a lot since I first got started. As I have really gotten into film, I have improved my overall vision a lot when making photos. I have really been able to slow down and better compose shots, using camera settings to capture something exactly the way I want to. I used to rely heavily on the camera I was using rather than relying on myself. I now feel comfortable to capture a scene how I want, whether I am using a $4,000 camera or a $100 camera. I feel that I have taken my best photos this past year and I have achieved a lot of personal goals. I never really thought I would be taking photos at any sort of professional level, but people pay me for work and buy my prints, which is really motivating to me and pushes me to keep getting better.
I think I have gotten pretty good at landscape photography, but I still have a lot I can improve on. If you are keeping yourself inspired, there is always more to learn and there are always areas to improve in. There are two things that I would really like to build upon moving forward and that is nighttime photography and studio portraits.
This is a question I love to frequently ask other photographers as there can be so many different answers and insights to consider: There are many different reasons why folks choose to create art, or in our case, shoot film. Maybe it’s to document the world around you, inspire others, express yourself in ways that are easier to convey through pictures, or maybe it’s something else. What do you find most satisfying about shooting film?
There are a few things that I really love about photography and specifically film photography. First of all, I think it is a really interesting and fun way to express myself while documenting the world through “my eyes.” I think everyone sees things differently, and it is super fun for me to show others how I see the world. It’s the same reason I love looking at others' photographs. You kind of get a glimpse into someone’s life when you look at their work.
Another reason is that I think photography is very therapeutic. I do a lot of travel photography, but if I am having a tough week and need to clear my head, I will just start walking aimlessly around Denver with a few cameras. Time seems to slow down a little bit when you are looking for scenes to capture. Things that don’t ordinarily stand out as beautiful start to seem a little bit more extraordinary, and I kind of forget about everything else going on in life for those couple of hours.
Lastly, I love shooting film because it allows me to live vicariously through the past. I shoot pretty much every week and typically don’t see my scans until a week or so after I press that shutter release button. This allows me to really reminisce on all of my trips and adventures a week after they are over. Sometimes, I don’t fully appreciate the beauty of something I captured until I see the scans and really sit there taking it all in, re imagining myself in the scene.
Let's discuss your creative process. Do you usually head out with a plan in mind in order to portray certain vibes? Or do you just kind of go with the flow and shoot whenever you come across something you find interesting? How does your frequent travel play into this?
I’ve found that too much planning can lead to disappointment, so I kind of just go with the flow when I am shooting. I have creative ideas that I want to execute and plan out shoots for. But being really into landscapes, you never know how something you’ve never seen in person before is going to look, how the weather will turn out, etc. This is especially true with all the traveling I do. With a lot of the places I photograph, I have never been to or seen them before. I'll sometimes plan on capturing a scene from somewhere I have seen on the internet or read about and I get there and I’m inspired by something completely different. I really like this style of working, though, as it allows me to get inspired while I am shooting. I will just shoot whatever I am drawn to at that moment and that’s how some of my favorite photographs are made.
In scrolling through your Instagram feed, I noticed so many different location tags. Your feed suggests that you're always on the go! Is there a particular trip you'd like to elaborate on – maybe one that really sticks out as special to you? Are there any adventures or locations that really effectuated your best creative efforts? I'm sure some locations had to have just resonated with you more so than others, allowing you to feel especially comfortable peering in through the viewfinder.
I am almost always traveling and have been really fortunate in my life to do so. I have been to 31 countries and have explored some awesome places in the United States, a lot of which came before I was big into photography, though. Anything that is very outdoorsy and in nature always brings out my best creative efforts. I love the mountains, the ocean, lakes, and everything in between. I just love exploring naturally beautiful settings and that was true long before I picked up a camera. One thing that often inspires me is just being somewhere new. It’s so exciting seeing something for the first time and being able to capture it the way that I want to.
I have gone on a lot of adventures and trips that are very special to me, but I am discovering new aspects of my work on each trip I take, so it is kind of hard to choose a favorite adventure. That being said, there’s definitely one location that really brings out my creative efforts and that is Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I spend a lot of time in Steamboat Springs with family and friends, but I also spend a good amount of time there alone just hiking. It’s such a special place to me and it’s somewhere I am always very inspired, relaxed, and happy. There is so much beauty in Steamboat and the surrounding areas, every season makes it feel like a new place. I love to just start wandering and stop whenever I get some inspiration when I am up there, and I think that I have done my best landscape work in Steamboat.
Do you have any creative pursuits outside of photography? And I'd also love to know who or what your biggest inspirations or influences are, photography-related or otherwise.
Outside of photography, I do some videography work that I think is really fun. It’s a little bit more challenging, but I have always really enjoyed piecing stories together through video. Additionally, I am really into fashion, but just on a personal level. I think expressing yourself through clothing is very cool and I have a lot of fun with my wardrobe.
My biggest inspirations in photography are new places and travel. Traveling is so inspiring to me because it always creates so many memories and special moments, even ones that are not photographed. When traveling, everyone is just so full of excitement and I love the energy it brings out in people.
Alex's Instagram handle is @alexkittoephotos and he can also be contacted via email at akittoe83@gmail.com.
This interview was featured in Y35 Mag Issue No. 10. To see all of the photographs Alex chose to present, check it out here.