Meet Kelly Knisel | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Knisel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks is a huge gamble. However, without taking those risks, my career would have never climbed to where it is in such a short period of time. I believe taking risks is incredibly important for growth. If that risk you take doesn’t work out, you will ultimately learn from it and be able to improve for the future. I took some crazy risks in the beginning of my career and I still take massive risks now in order to continue to push my career further. Being a creative full time is a risk in itself. I left my full-time salaried job to pursue a career in photography very shortly after picking up a camera in 2021. Leaving a good paying job was scary, but without doing so I would have never been able to take advantage of some of the opportunities that were presented to me. Leaving my job was the greatest thing I could have ever done for my career. Without taking that risk, I wouldn’t be half the creative I am today.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I picked up a camera in 2020 in order to get myself more involved in the music industry. I am incredibly passionate about music and I can’t live a day without it. Festivals and live events are what I live for and I wanted to find a way to be more a part of the scene. When I picked up a camera at first I was also dealing with a huge road block in my life that I couldn’t seem to get over. I was drinking every day and just didn’t have the motivation to do anything. On October 4th of 2021 I finally got sober. My career up to this point hadn’t really evolved into anything yet. I had a camera, I was shooting at Avalon Nightclub at Mohegan Sun every weekend, but my boss was actively looking to hire someone with more motivation. This was one of the main reasons why I got sober and knew it had to stick this time around. I had a massive opportunity in my hands, working at a Nightclub at a Casino and I was messing it up. So on October 4th, everything changed. My work got better, my motivation improved and I finally started to shoot other events around the country related to music. I also started to shoot some commercial work and got involved being on sets of major productions. Within 1 year of being sober I had accomplished what would have taken me a lifetime in active addiction. I got to shoot during Miami Music Week which was a huge breakthrough for me. I have photos on billboards across CT for the DOT. I have been able to travel the country shooting all sorts of events and be a part of all kinds of productions. During this past year and a half I have really got to develop my own style and become creative in my own way to develop some amazing art, both in the music scene and commercially. I have learned that I can’t take a day for granted and I need to continue to put myself in uncomfortable situations in order to grow. Getting sober was very uncomfortable for me in the beginning, but it ultimately is the reason for my success today.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Wynwood is hands down the spot to be in Miami. Nightlife, great food, art. It has it all. Coyo Taco is definitely a place I would never skip over. There are so many great spots in Lynwood its hard to really pinpoint where I would go. I would also recommend Bayfront park for some beautiful views of the bay and a great place to be downtown Miami.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a huge thank you and shout out to two people in particular… Ana Wigmore and Tom Shaw. Without these two pushing me to better myself and giving me the opportunities to learn and grow, I wouldn’t be where I am today. These two helped me get started and they continue to teach me every day. So thank you both for everything you do for my career and my personal life. You guys mean the world to me.

Website: kellyknisel.com

Instagram: @kelz.knisel