Spotlight: Kane Skennar

This week we got in touch with photographer Kane Skennar about the inspiration behind creating his visual identity and his experience within the industry.

How did you first get into photography?

My step father Albe was a surf photographer and movie maker and he gave me his Nikon F3HP to use when we went to Deserts Lombok in 1990. I loved it and shot random stuff on that trip that got me hooked!

As a highly established photographer you have created a visual identity for yourself, how did your aesthetic come about?

Pretty much combining my love of the surf culture and environment with fashion, if u could work anywhere at the beach or on location i wanted that to be my thing…..

In today’s highly saturated market how do you stand above the crowd?

Creating images that appeal to my senses with a touch of spontaneity and timelessness that makes me feel it’s worthy and of a standard that i can be proud of….

You have travelled the globe for various high end publications such as Harpers Bizarre, Rolling Stone and Oyster, tell us a bit about one experience that stood out to you?

Ah well shooting a while back in Rajesthan for an active wear label with stylist Mark Vassallo and Bambi staying in incredible hotels was pretty memorable….it was so surreal where we were and what we were shooting at the time, castles, mountains, streets, animals, people, cites, sounds, smells…u know what Indias like, organised chaos but throw in lavish hotels and amazing food, kinda stuck in my mind….but then shooting for a surf label off an island in tahiti with Rob Machado and thinking as i was in the clearest, bluest water ever, how good is my job! I’ve had so many experiences that i can’t recall all of them…oh maybe shooting in South Africa for the late Tallow Gallery and trying to get cool photos of the model in swimwear on the plains with a massive Elephant kinda giving us the fuck off ear flicks was pretty wild haha.

Name two photographers we should be following and why?

Peter Beard Art, if u know who this guy is then u know, he’s just the original wild man fashion adventure photographer that’s been my hero for years and my favourite biggest expensive book purchase ever!

Bill Henson still blows my mind, his work always makes me feel like I’m looking at a bad dream, but i love it….def pushed the boundaries of what’s beautiful and exploitation and made it look like art, another of my top costly book purchases!