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John Keatley

In this exclusive interview, Seattle-based professional portrait photographer John Keatley discusses his work with a diverse group of clients and celebrities around the world. Among the topics Keatley touches on are the ethics of portraiture, balancing his professional and personal lives, using business to serve the marginalized, and integrating his faith and work. Learn more at his blog and follow him on Twitter.

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Watch these video extras.

• How he prepares for a photo shoot
• How he balances work and his personal life
• How he integrates his faith and photography

A Quick Snapshot

John Terrill: So John, tell us a little about your background — where you grew up, went to school, and what you studied.

John Keatley: I was raised in Southern and Northern California. While growing up, I was encouraged to be creative but I never had a specific outlet on which to latch my creativity. After my freshman year in junior college, I traveled north in 1999 and began studying business at Seattle Pacific University. A couple years later, I picked up a camera for the first time.

Donovan Richards: Were you interested in professional photography?

JK: I did not have an interest in photography as a profession; I really just wanted pictures of my life and my friends. One year, back home in California during Christmas, a photo-lab manager at a drug store pulled me aside while I was picking up prints and asked if I had ever considered becoming a photographer. Then and there I decided — without knowing what it meant — that that was what I wanted to do.

From that point forward, I pretty much made photography my unofficial major. I continued attending class but I poured my time into photography.

What did the photo-lab manager notice about your photography?

JK: Probably that the photos weren't blurry! It was a typical drug store lab, and maybe my snapshots were different enough from the family photos she usually saw that she thought to say something. I suppose those pictures were better than average. Who knows, maybe it was just one of those moments where she was in a good mood and felt like being complimentary. Obviously, it made a huge impact in my life that she decided to say something encouraging.

Sarah Palin, by John Keatley

JT: Tell us more about the story of diving into photography. What happened after that?

JK: After Christmas break, I went back to school and took as many pictures as possible. Anytime I heard about a professional photographer, I made sure to seek him or her out. I took advantage of anything I could in order to move myself forward. After graduation, I worked anywhere I could, for organizations and weddings, but my deepest desire was to do portrait photography.

How to Handle a Celebrity

DR: What led you to focus on portrait photography?

JK: Around 2005 or 2006, I first explored this style of photography by taking pictures of friends. I realized that if I tried to do too many things at once, I could be good at them but not great at them. I decided that I really wanted to be great at something. I needed to put 100 percent of my time and effort into portrait photography — the style I was most passionate about. It took a while, but my work started to expand as I mastered the portrait style. Now, my business has grown to the point where I am taking pictures of celebrities and working for large companies.

DR: It must be exciting to work with celebrities. What is your favorite experience with a celebrity?

JK: That is a tough question. It is always a bit of a thrill to work with celebrities for a number of reasons. First, there is a certain level of exposure that comes along with these projects. Typically, the reason I am hired to photograph a certain celebrity is because they are working on a new project or they are involved with something that is going on at the time. In that sense, I enjoy being involved in current events and news by working with celebrities.

Anthony Hopkins was my first high-profile celebrity I photographed, and he will always stand out in my mind for that reason, but I suppose my favorite experience with a celebrity was when I shot famed portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz. For obvious reasons, that was a really big shoot for me. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but she was really kind and down to earth. We talked about cameras and photography for a few minutes before one of the PR people reminded us we needed to get on with the shoot. She worked really hard at putting herself into the shoot, and I really appreciated her level of interest in working with me.

Jake Locker, by John Keatley

Another celebrity I enjoyed working with was Jake Locker, who I have actually photographed three different times. He is a fantastic guy, and someone who won me over as a fan. Running around on the football field and playing catch with a pro football player, as well as taking a few pictures, is not a bad way to spend the day.

JT: Do the celebrities have handlers?

JK: Usually. There can be anywhere from one to several people. Also, the client will have several people in attendance. Working with celebrities involves a lot of psychology and politics. It's more about managing people than it is about taking pictures.

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