I'm Kennyatta. I photograph, strategize, and publish stories through a cultural context.
This is my publishing platform about the power of cultural storytelling with a studio and framework for people building with people in mind. Suppose you believe your brand, work, idea, or your audience deserves more than algorithmic relevance, or you're building something that should compound over time rather than evaporate with ever-shrinking trend cycles. In that case, you're in the right place.
Curiosity: How does an Olympian get ready to compete again? Category: Photography
Working with Alysha Newman and photographing moments during one of her training sessions before her return to competition was a sobering reminder that success stems from intentional action and is never an isolated effort.
That day’s training session focused on reacclimating her body to the demands of training after taking some time off following her Bronze Medal win at this year’s Summer Olympic Games where she earned team Canada their first medal in Pole Vaulting. As we were going through her training Alysha explained to us how essential it is not to shock the system back into routine but instead to reawaken it properly. In doing so, you reconnect with the physical and mental sensations of the process. At this level of competition, the interplay between mental and physical connectedness can’t be overlooked.
For the training, I aimed to capture moments that could tell the story of the entire day on their own—or, when combined with one or two other photographs, narrate the complete experience.
I drew inspiration from Nike advertisements, especially the newer ones with slogans that emphasize “WINNING ISN’T FOR EVERYONE”.
I also thought of training montages from sports movies, something I’ve always loved for how effectively they reveal everything about the athlete: their motivations, inspirations, and the hard work behind their success.
I wanted these photographs to feel like stills from a real-life montage about an Olympian returning to claim it all.
Do you have a story waiting to be captured, or are you looking to test shoot a concept for your book?
Reach out HEREand let's tell that story together.