About
Hi! My name is Ryan Roberts and shortly after graduating college with a finance degree I set out on a mission to learn everything I could about photography. I submerged myself into practicing it and shortly afterwards I booked a one-way flight to NYC to start my photo career. The last 15 years I spent as a commercial photographer shooting for industry leading clients like Revlon, LOFT, Random House Publications, Fitness Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, etc. (BlankScreenVisuals.com). Then one day I was hired to create images for a campaign for an awesome music school for kids Mark Murphy’s Music. Little did I know that shoot, along with the birth of my son, would change my perspective and the direction of my photography. A few of the families asked for business cards and through the years we circled back to create more pictures as their children grew older. The genuineness of these shoots was something I had longed for in my commercial jobs for a few years. I started having fun with photography again and a crazy idea popped into my head: “Kandid Kidz”
The contrast couldn’t have been greater between the joy these parents experienced as they saw the pictures we were creating VS the experiences of commercial shoots. In the end the commercial work is a job for everyone involved and the stress can take away from the fun; whereas with photographing kids the only stress involved is when the parents have to narrow down all the pictures they like and pick their favorites. That’s what I call “good stress”. It dawned on me that these precious moments should have someone who can create magazine quality images for families to enjoy the rest of their lives. With my studio lighting knowledge along with the understanding of how to use the ambient light of a location, I knew I could provide a unique perspective compared to what was being offered. And so it began.
The last few years my son has been a great source of inspiration and frankly practice. As all parents know our little ones move fast. To get the great candid shots that really show off their personalities you have to have the right equipment, be able to quickly adjust camera settings to account for the surrounding light and become good at guessing if they’re going to zig-right or zag-left. That’s the fun challenge for me. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or to book a shoot Ryan@KandidKidz.com