Page 10 - OCEAN ARTISTS SOCIETY - WInter 2017

OAS Q&A with Ken Kiefer
Just outside of Houston, at the Williams Indoor Pool Rec Center, underwater photographer Ken Kiefer gives hundreds of children a daily dose of whale sharks, hammerheads, schooling mackerel and giant mantas. Marine life is a life long passion for Kiefer, so as manager of the center, Kiefer thought what better forum to engage children about the undersea world than by simply displaying the results of his many travels to epic dive destinations like Mexico’s Revillagigedo Islands and the Bahamas. OAS caught up with Kiefer to discuss his connections to the arts, kids, and his own self- taught approach to photography.
Ken Kiefer with some of his students at the Williams Indoor Pool Recreation Center
Q. You have a unique sense of style in your photography. Did you start as a fine art painter?
A. I have zero painting talent, unfortunately. I can barely draw stick figures. But I always loved capturing a moment in time when I was little. That led me to cameras. Basically anything I could get my hands on, like the point and shoot stuff back in junior high. I was never consciously trying to make art. I just wanted to show people what I was seeing
Q. When did you discover your passion for the ocean?
A. Like most kids, I was fascinated by sharks, whales, and manatees. I read everything I could. Then later on I got into scuba. To this day,
I love everything about the ocean.
Q. Inspiring children seems to be a focus for you. How did that come about?
A. I’ve been around water most of my life. I’m not really a suit and tie guy. So when I went to manage a recreation center, I was coming
in contact with kids every day. A lot of the kids are the children of employees and contractors over at the Johnson Space Center. They were very receptive to the arts and very into sharks and stuff, always asking me questions. So I thought I could bring it all together for them with a curated photographic exhibition. It’s like having an aquarium without imprisoning fish.
Q. What has that experience taught you?
A. I think it’s important to start the conversation early with kids. They’re creative and naturally interested in science and wildlife. I’d like to see them carry these interests forward. Unfortunately, too often we see people’s interests narrow as they get older. They become focused on the things that occupy most of us, earning money, paying bills. But I think repeated exposure helps people keep their eyes open to what’s going on in the world around them. Kids now have access to almost unlimited resources for arts and information. The schools just need someone to push the agenda.
Q. What has inspired you?
A. There are too many to name, although many of them are members of the Ocean Artists Society. There are countless numbers of talented people on forums like Wetpixil, Facebook, and Instagram.
— Steve Creech
Age:
48
Resides:
League City, Texas
Favorite Gear:
Canon EOS 5DSR body; Ikelite housings
Lenses:
Canon 8-15mm f/4L USM Fisheye and Canon EF 16-35 mm f/2.8L USM Lens Website:
www.kenkeifer.com
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