Meet Kent Barker: Photographer & Brand Identity Specialist

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

Hi Kent, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factors behind my success and the success of my brand are quality, professionalism and dependability. I am a long time commercial shooter and what that means in practical terms is: a.) I know how to light people (and light them well) in just about any situation and I know how to direct people that are not models and get them looking their best. b.) After spending decades shooting for ad agencies, I understand branding and how that translates into imagery. Google the phrase “image is everything” and you will quickly see how important your “image” is to your brand identity and marketing. c.) I understand what it means to deliver a quality product on time. When you work for national ad agencies and magazines, the deadline is the deadline. The fastest way to never work for them again is to not deliver. I treat all of my clients (agency or not) with the same level of professionalism. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I came to Dallas in the late 70’s, assessed the photography scene and then worked for the very best photographers I could. After assisting for a couple of years, I teamed up with another photographer and started a freelance business. Fashion was my initial direction. There was a lot of catalog work in Dallas at the time, so my studio mate and I dove into that market. Because you are forced to shoot in so many different situations, catalog work really helped me grow technically. A few years later, I managed to pick up representation. I also started working with art director Fred Woodward, who had come to Dallas to re-design D Magazine. Fred’s dream was to become the art director of Rolling Stone and within about five years, he achieved that ambition. I shifted in this period from fashion to portraiture, in both advertising and magazine work. The move came from my own gradual understanding of who I was as a photographer and what I most loved doing. My reps and my working relationship with Fred enabled me to expand into the national market. The rest, as they say…is history. So what lessons did I learn from all of this? First and foremost, follow your passion and do what you love. As an artist, this is your guide and this is where your unique vision comes from. Second, relationships count in life and in business. As you start your career, make it a point to know who the movers and shakers are in your field and get to know them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in the Cedars just south of downtown, so a number of my favorite spots are in this area. Best coffee is at Full City Rooster. Another cafe that I love is Murray Street in Deep Ellum. Both of the places are big with locals and I really enjoy that. If I am stepping it up a bit for dinner, my wife and I love Parigi’s in Oak Lawn and Sloanes in the Art’s District downtown. For a casual dinner we like Nova in the Bishop Arts section of Oak Cliff. Again, this is a great “locals” hangout. I love cycling, so my favorite places to ride are the Santa Fe Trail (which takes you to White Rock Lake and beyond) and the Trinity Skyline Trail. I also am a supporter of our many museums in the area. The DMA and the Perot Museum in Dallas and the Modern, the Kimball and the Amon Carter in Ft. Worth.

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?
My shoutout goes to photographer Howard Waldren. Howard mentored me when I was just out of college in Orlando, FL. I was a fine art photography major that wanted to become a commercial shooter but had absolutely no idea how to accomplish that goal. Howard showed me how professional lighting was done and encouraged me to move to Dallas, which was the hottest photo market in the country at that time. I really owe my career to him.

Website: https://www.kentbarker.com
Instagram: kent.barker
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentbarkerstudio

Image Credits
All images ©Kent Barker