Artist Interview: Kyle Norris

Meet Artist Kyle Norris- Portrait Photographer! 

Q: What inspires you about Bremerton?

A: The thriving artistic scene is continuously growing. Over the last 10 years, I've had the opportunity to see the art scene grow into its own here in Bremerton. From the Graffiti wall and local businesses of Manette through downtown and up to Olympic College, the quality of self-expression and community shown throughout inspires me to improve my own skill sets.

Q: What drew you to your medium?

A: It was a combination of my grandparents and self-healing post-military. Starting with my grandparents, specifically my grandma, who was very much of the late 1960's -1970's generation of self-expression and creative wonder. I was always given something to whenever I would visit, whether it was drawing, painting, or even sewing at a point. However, what stuck with me was being given hand-me-down cameras, in which I would just go out in the woods or out in town photographing whatever I could.

They’re still alive for the record – Hi Mary and Jim!

Fast forward to my time in the Air Force, I got medically discharged and decided to go back to college. I graduated from Olympic College from the BASIS program, but during my time I took a couple of multimedia and photography classes. I knew I needed some sort of creative output to help with work through some of my darker moments at the time, and it took off from there. What led to specializing in portrait photography - whether it's a formal family portrait, a fashion shoot, or a cosplay (costume play, think San Diego Comic-Con or Emerald City Comic-Con) shoot, just having the opportunity to connect with people on a personal level and help people feel confident about themselves, even for a moment, is what sealed the deal for me in terms of been drawn to the medium. It kind of allowed me to 'Return the favor' of those who helped me through the crisis, which allowed me to want and help people out, even for that one photo or session.

Q: What is your favorite local spot?

A: Bit of a list but no doubt Ashley's Pub, Caffe Perfetto, and Triple Crown Tattoo studio! While a combination (please do not drink and then get a tattoo), both are just immaculate when it comes to overall amazing vibes, top-tier customer service, and are just great places to be in their own right. Ashley alongside their crew just makes the pub so welcoming! They also host board game nights and pinball tournaments which are fun to attend. I still have fond memories of video game nights there with classmates when I was in college. I'm also fairly tattooed and have gotten a fair amount of work done by the crew at Triple Crown. Mandy, Denise, and Bink have all done top-tier work, and can't recommend them enough! The studio itself is also really clean, which makes for a nice first impression.

Lastly, if tattoos and pubs aren't your scene, Caffe Perfetto rocks some amazing coffee, and Bryan is great to chat with. He does an amazing job making everyone he has the opportunity to talk to feel welcome, please check out the Cafe' when you can!

Q: Where do you find inspiration?

A: I take a fair amount of inspiration from comic books, anime/manga, and fashion. When I often work with clients, I often try to garner a vibe that helps them become 'larger than life'. From posing to utilizing color (via colored gels and external lights), and doing composite work, I often try to create a scene that you would from a comic book or manga panel. With my current primary work being with cosplayers, they often really enjoy that feeling of being larger than life and creating their scene within a space.

Regarding fashion inspiration, I often try to at least see what's current. This can be in terms of posing style, lighting style, or just overall the most current trends. For me, there's a surprising amount of overlap between cosplay and fashion, and admittedly I cherry-pick a bit within the fashion world, mostly finding material that will help with my cosplay shoots. However, I am starting to dive more into this space of fashion. There's a portrait photographer that I take a lot of inspiration from in this regard, and his name is David Suh, a New York-based photographer who's collaborated with a few big brands and has been on the Today Show.

Q: Where can we find more of your art?

A: I'm most active on my website, www.ken-imagery.com, Instagram @ken_imagery, and Facebook: @KenImagery9

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Are you an artist interested in sharing your work with the community?

We’d love to feature you on our blog and social media! If you’d like to be interviewed and showcased in a future post, reach out to us at firstfriday@downtownbremerton.org. Let’s celebrate the amazing artists in our local art scene together!