Kenneth Nelson
Email: knelson101@gmail.com
Born and raised in Brooklyn NY, I've been a student of photography since my early teens.
I continue the practice of film photography using traditional wet darkroom processes to this day.
Like many photographers, the joy of watching a print develop in a processing tray is the magic that put me on the path to a lifetime of photography. The first photograph I ever took, was using black & white film with a 126 Kodak Instamatic cartridge camera. You know, the ones that use those four-sided flash cubes (go ahead, search the www for “GE Flashcubes”). Naturally, photography traveled with me throughout my teen years.
In my early 20s, I found work as a professional camera salesperson, selling small cameras, accessories & film. This is where I learned to teach the art of photography to the general public. Ten years of preaching & teaching people how to use a camera. Explaining the science of ASA/ISO, aperture, shutter speed, F-stops, etc.
After camera sales, I began working at a NYC in-house advertising studio. Shooting, and perfecting studio lighting techniques in still-life photography. These were some great years of immense learning. Coinciding with the period of time where digital photography in commercial studios was growing and gaining its foothold.
Subsequent to working the advertising studio, I began exploring long-term fine art photographic projects. Seeing the world’s people. Exploring the who, what, where, why, and how of human nature. The projects include: "Harlem Nocturnal", "Coney Island House", and "Theory Over Time".
As photography is what I live and breath every day of life, it has allowed me the ability to chronicle experiences and share them with others. To which, I'm humbly appreciative.
Solo Exhibitions:
"Harlem Nocturnal"
En Foco Touring Gallery
Bronx Library Center, Bronx NY 2010
"Harlem Nocturnal"
Gallery at Adam C. Powell, Jr.
State Office Building, NY NY 2006
Group Exhibitions:
-Museum of the City of New York, NY Responds - Dec. 2020
-Museum of the City of New York, ActivistNY - Aug. 2020
-Rush Arts Gallery, Curate NYC - 2010
-BWAC/Van der Plas Gallery, Brooklyn Show - 2006
-BWAC, Fall Art Show - 2005
-BWAC, 25th Anniversary Spring Art Show - 2005
-BWAC, Solo Works Show - 2003
-Amber Gallery, 9/11 Remembrance - 2003
Publications:
“Harlem: A Century in Images” - October 2010
By Deborah Willis, Cheryl Finley, Elizabeth Alexander
Studio Museum in Harlem/Skira Rizzoli
“Red Hook”
Nowy Dziennik (Newspaper) - July 2003
Education:
Pratt Institute – BFA w/Honors, Photography
Commercial History:
-Studio Photographer, A&S/Jordan Marsh
-Camera Sales, Abraham & Straus
Associations:
Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Coalition
NAACP/ACT-SO Program, Photography Judge