Kendall McCaugherty

“There is this human aspect to my work which I try to incorporate even if a person isn’t in the frame. Architecture is designed around human interaction and we naturally have some type of emotional response through its use of form and light. I think photographs should do the same.“

What was your first introduction to the field and why did you want to pursue it?

I’ve been interested in photography since I was about (3) years old. I took my first photo with my mom’s polaroid camera around Christmas time. My sister and brother were around the Christmas tree and as the very persistent (3) year old I was, I demanded to take the picture. I still have the polaroid with the date on it and everything.

I began to study photography in high school as a part of our photojournalism program. I shot on film, developed in a dark room, and I was photographing every event I possibly could, from state championships to theater. This established the foundation for my entire career. I was able to build a strong/diverse portfolio and was accepted into the University of Illinois’ Fine Arts Photography program. Since it was a fine art based and not a photojournalism program, I was able to explore a more intellectual approach to my work versus reactionary. Although the journalistic approach was still prominent in my collegiate portfolio. I spent (5) years photographing my track and field teammates, but I wasn’t just documenting their athleticism. I tried to evoke the emotional toll of failure, success, and the stresses of a student athlete through quiet photographs with a focus on light and shadow.

That still relates to how I shoot today. There is this human aspect to my work which I try to incorporate even if a person isn’t in the frame. Architecture is designed around human interaction and we naturally have some type of emotional response through its use of form and light. I think photographs should do the same.

After college, I started working for Hedrich Blessing Photographers. They had been around since 1929 and were true master’s of the craft. The studio had always relied on the mentor-mentee relationship model which helped retain quality over 88 years. Back in the day, each photographer had their own assistant, but it was just me and (5) photographers. 65+ hour weeks weren’t unheard of. The hours were long but I like to think I was lucky enough to have 5 mentors, all of whom I deeply admire. This opened me up to an entire industry I had previously known very little about. It was essentially an escalated graduate school in a foreign language. If I wasn’t on location, I was retouching, if I wasn’t retouching I was managing a massive archive. This allowed me to learn through absorption, it truly consumed every aspect of my day, but I don’t think I picked up a camera the entire first year of assisting. It was admittedly overwhelming but I was all in. Over the 88 year history of Hedrich Blessing, there were only (23) photographers, (2) were women, and I was pretty determined on becoming the (3rd). Unfortunately it closed in 2017 before I got the opportunity, but the studio atmosphere provided a wealth of resources to help guide my work.

Former Hedrich Blessing partners, and my mentors, Steve Hall and Nick Merrick started their own studio - Hall+Merrick Photographers. They have a combined 60 some years of experience, in fact Steve was Nick’s apprentice and I was Steve’s. While we all have our photographic style, I like to think there is a familial thread connecting our work. I officially went “on camera” in 2018 so I’m still very early in my career.

Altmeyer Building, HGA / Snow Kreilich Architects

What would you describe as your style of photography? How do you approach each project you work on?

I will always approach every job the same. Big or small. My personal opinion on the design, or how big the budget was shouldn’t get in the way of producing high quality images. My clients have dedicated years to these projects and it’s my job to treat every one with respect. I don’t want anyone to think it’s strictly transactional either, I think it’s actually quite personal. I spend a lot of time with clients on site and we’re all in it together. We’re a team. Chasing the sun, moving furniture, bonding over sore feet. It’s all worth it, and hopefully all that energy and care we’ve poured into the day translates into something beautiful.

I care a lot about my work and my clients. They’re placing a lot of trust in me. It’s my job to translate their design intent, the sensation of experiencing their work in real life into a 2-D image. If the photograph feels foreign, whether that means it’s too bright, too warm, too distorted, etc, then I didn’t do my job.

Mostly I just love what I do and I would describe my style as passionate. I love being in the right place just as the sun pops out from the clouds. I love the adrenaline rush from the perfect bounce light that may only last a few minutes. Sometimes you barely miss it, and you can’t stop thinking about how beautiful the shot would’ve been for the rest of the day. Sometimes you wake up at 4am only to discover dawn wasn’t as forecasted, but an hour later you have light that can never be replicated. There are very few creative industries that are affected by so many variables. It’s an emotional ride.

What has been your favorite project so far?

Oh boy. This might be every photographer’s least favorite question. It’s just too hard to choose!

I think the project that stands out as the most formative in my career, so far, would be the CME Lobby renovation in Chicago by Krueck Sexton Partners. Their design turned a dense, dark maze of a lobby into a bright expanse surrounded by a curvaceous glass curtain wall. I’ve photographed it twice at this point, but our first day was just the perfect example of organic photography. It’s just pure architecture. The light was gorgeous, the space was minimal and we could concentrate strictly on composition. The client trusted my vision and allowed me to take some risks. I couldn’t be happier with the set and it was a real reminder of why I love what I do.

How do you make sure that you are constantly growing as a photographer?

I think if you love what you do you never stop learning. I’m constantly looking at work or reading up on projects around the world. I have a few instagram chats going with other photographers and it’s important to stay connected to others in the industry. Obviously I’m very lucky to continue working with Steve and Nick, they keep me honest.

Being open to criticism and allowing yourself to consider other perspectives is healthy. Just because you’re talented doesn’t mean you don’t make mistakes or fall into bad habits. I also think it’s important to be flexible. If a client wants you to try something, don’t just put your foot down and say no, it’s not going to work. It might, and it could surprise you.

What is the initial process of talking to a client like, prior to shooting a project?

It starts off pretty rudimentary. A potential client will contact us and go over some basic information about the project and anticipated needs. From there I schedule a scout and walk the location with the architect/designer or firm representative. We go over what’s important about the project and I make a set of loose, first impression shots that I later send out for them to review. From there, we discuss possible shot selections, why they’re leaning towards certain compositions etc, so by the time we schedule final photography everyone is on the same page.

Once we make it to shoot day, I make sure a client rep will be present on site. It’s imperative they are so we can make decisions in real time. I can go on site and make some great photographs but if it’s not what they need or will use then it’s time wasted. I consider us a team and that’s the balance in this industry. I very much consider myself to be an artist but I’m producing a commercial product. How can I help you translate your vision? From start to finish my clients have a voice in how they want their work represented.

Private Residence, von Weise Associates/Leslie Jones and Associates

What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far? What has been your biggest success?

Some inherent indecisiveness was challenging to overcome at first, but it got better with experience. I make hundreds of decisions per photograph, thousands per day. The pressure to be decisive and keep the shoot moving forward produced some anxiety. I also believe my reservations came from being acutely aware of the negative perception of overly confident women. Especially young women. To this day I’m constantly thinking about how to balance assertiveness and confidence without coming off as argumentative or unpleasant. Sometimes straightforward conversations need to happen but it’s a fine line. It can be an exhaustive exercise in mental gymnastics.

I consider my biggest success to be my growth over a relatively short period of time. My eye has matured significantly since my time as an assistant.

A few years ago I was admiring the work of top photographers in my field, hoping one day I could shoot projects of similar caliber. Now it’s not uncommon to see my photographs published alongside theirs in the same publications. Still waiting on that cover though.

How do you see technology influencing your work in the future?

It’s kind of mind blowing to think about how much photography has evolved. We were making photographs on polished copper plates less than 200 years ago and now they’re recorded to microchips. We’re in this digital era where the file sizes and resolution of the cameras are accelerating at a much faster pace than film ever did. It’s hard to say where we’ll be in 10 years. Every advancement changes workflow, some things will become easier but others might become harder. I do see the inclusion of other tools, such as drones, becoming more prevalent. I personally don’t love drone photography, I think in general it’s a little gimmicky, but every once in a while I see a shot that's really interesting. I have plans to start including it within my practice next year but I want to challenge the medium. How can I use a drone in the most engaging way possible while retaining my high standard of quality? It’ll be a fun challenge.

What is your advice for women who may be considering the field or are starting in the field?

I don’t think my response is gender specific, architecture and design photography is just something you need to experiment with. Luckily we’re surrounded by the built environment and photographing simple structures can be a really low pressure, educational exercise. Figuring out what time of day to shoot is one of the hardest parts of the job and you really need a strong understanding to be successful. Why not just pick a location and study it for a day? Try it out, absorb the material, study historical photographs and learn from the greats. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other photographers in the industry whether it's on instagram or email.

One thing I feel the need to point out is there is a big difference between real estate photography and architectural photography. If you are interested in transitioning from real estate to architecture there needs to be a mental shift in how you see space and light. Real Estate photography is purely documentary, while architecture and design photography is interpretive. The client needs are totally different and 8 shots could take 8 hours.

Private Office, IA

Melissa Burton

Joan Blumenfeld