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

Hi Kyle, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’d have to say risk taking makes a HUGE difference in what you can capture. Being at certain venues, events, clubs, etc most of the time organizers hold you back from being able to shoot in certain areas that can take your picture to the next level. Most times I’ve had to sneak around & go around barriers to get the look I’m going for in the moment. Now I’m not saying to be ignorant about doing it but to be passionate about your craft & never take no for answer even if it means breaking a few rules but do it respectfully. Taking risk have brought me to where I’m at now in Phoenix coming from Florida knowing not one soul & placing myself in different positions to network & find my way around.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Where I am at today surely wasn’t easy to get to & I definitely have a lot of room for improvement. Biggest thing I’m searching for is to get on tour with an artist and start traveling & getting more connected to other artist, groups, venues, businesses etc. There’s been many great people I’ve met along my path & hopefully one day I’ll be able to document that on video for folks to watch. One of the key things that separates me from other is my shooting style, I love portraits & getting up close with my shots to show everything going on in that photo. @Barteringforchange said it best “every shot you take is through your eyes & that’s what makes it different” with that being said in my opinion every photo on my page carries good energy & I hope all my viewers can feel it. There’s been many challenges along the way personal life & business as well. I’ve had some falling outs in certain areas that have set me back & made me go dark for awhile. I lost my older brother 2 years ago, fell out in very long term relationship that brought me to Phoenix, lost a few business relations & seen many things change before me. It’s certainly not easy here but it could be better & I feel that if people realized that for creatives the scene is some areas would be more supporting & welcoming. Overall I’ve learned to protect my energy here & focus on the bigger picture even when things are slow with everything going on in the world right now. Definitely have learned to also be more open to other styles of photography with that in my mind I plan on learning more about film & building a website soon to showcase my work for example more of the things you don’t see on Instagram.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a home body unless I’m working haha I would have to say when I do go out for food some of the spots I’ve been introduced too is Earth Plant Based Cuisine, Green New American Vegetarian, Forno 301, & True Food Kitchen. You’d find me at any one of those spots almost any day of the week when I am out & an about with a friend or after a shoot. Phoenix in general is beautiful there’s something for everyone here no matter what you’re into. I don’t party much or go out I really enjoy the architecture & vibe of the city, to me honestly I’m still a tourist here haha. There’s always something new being built or something changing downtown. I enjoy going to first Fridays and being able to see other creatives display their work & tell their stories besides that if anyone would like to show me something new I’m all game.

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?
Oh man there’s many many names to shout out & show love too I’d have to say currently for encouragement & growth two of the closest people to me is Lane @LaneMeredithHair definitely be on the look out for her hair page & the work she has going on out here in Phoenix also my guy & my barber @michaelangelthebarber also another shoutout to Jessie @J.Gensu & The Greater Good family at his shop located here on central in downtown. Photographers I want to show love too off the top of my head is @Barteringforchange @just_li_ @17kshots & @shotbydub there are so many others doing great work here in Phoenix, swing by my page & come check out things through my vision & see who else I work with. On a clothing level I have much love for the Oautica Wave family they’ve brought me in as one of their own. Owner Robert Nelson with his right hand man Marcus Ball. @OauticaWave @Nelson_Isle @oautica_beezzz also much love to my family @Turodes everyone listed is making big waves in the community & doing amazing thing to build up their area.

Instagram: Kaitobro
Twitter: Kaitobro_

Image Credits
All shot by me