Photographer Spotlight: Chris Knight

Bio: Chris Knight is a New York–based portrait photographer and educator. He combines his unconditional love of art history with his conditional love of technology, all with a flare for the cinematic and an uncompromising eye for detail. His work has appeared in Vogue, People, MSNBC, ABC, Ocean Drive, GQ, and other outlets. Chris is also an instructor at Pratt Institute and the New York Film Academy. He can be found online at chrisknightphoto.com. Connect with Chris on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

I would describe my style of photography as…

Dramatic, dark, painterly portraiture.

What’s your most memorable shot or shoot, be it challenging to capture or interesting subject?

Early on in my assisting career, I was working on a shoot and we ended up on the roof of a famous hotel in Miami Beach called the Eden Roc. I had to climb onto the outcropping where the stairs were and hold a reflector on a windy day – close to the edge with no rails and a sheer drop. Other than that my favorite things about photography are the challenges that come with shooting different people in different saturations. They’re all pretty unique and present their own set of obstacles and solutions.

What image are you most proud of from your photography portfolio?

I recently worked with RGG EDU to create a video tutorial and two of the shoots were long-term personal projects finally coming to fruition. Also almost any picture of my dog.

My dream gig would be…

Vanity Fair

My favorite piece of gear is…

Profoto Spot Small. It does this one really specific thing – it projects patterns – but it’s crazy fun and I love it.

My favorite piece of Tether Tools gear is…

The Aero Cup Holder. I love the whole Tether Table Aero system, but the Cup Holder has a special place in my heart.

What’s on your photography gear shopping list?

I’ve got my eye on some new lighting toys coming up. I’d also love a new laptop if Mac can figure out how to put more than 16GB of RAM in one.

The best advice I can offer a fellow photographer would be…

Shoot a lot and don’t underestimate the teaching power of time. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting the get better now, but let your learning and ideas ferment while you’re shooting as much as possible. You’ll eventually figure out what kind of images you want to take, and how to create photos that are a better reflection of you.