Meet the Photographer

A man outdoors in a scenic background with mountains and trees, wearing sunglasses, a black hat, a plaid shirt, and holding a Nikon camera.

Ken Kraus here, and this is what I do:

• Events
• Candids
• Wedding Parties
• Photojournalism
• Chefs + Food + Wine
• Environmental Portraits
• Landscapes & Waterscapes

A man wearing a cowboy hat and a black vest standing and holding a microphone during a speaking event. The audience includes people wearing cowboy hats and Western attire, seated in what appears to be a barn or rustic setting with metal walls.
A peaceful lakeside scene with a small boat tied to a wooden dock, calm water reflecting a cloudy sky, green hills in the background, and several sailboats in the distance.
Group of people protesting on stairs holding signs supporting wilderness preservation in Utah, including messages like "Protect WILD UTAH," "UTAH STANDS WITH BEARS EARS," and "Public Lands For The Public"; one person in traditional Native American attire stands in front.

This is what I don’t do:

• Wildlife
• Architecture
• Models posing
• Major & minor league sports

Only one photographer has my eyes. Only one sees as I do.

My photos resonate with honesty. Pure pictures that catapult you over the clutter.

I make friends in a flash. I revel in the camaraderie of the shoot. I pursue moments of joy.

I love land and water, of course, but I rise and shine capturing people at play and people at work.

Among the gazillions of photographers out there, how many actually capture the essence of your brand?

This is the moment when you should select the one photographer whose work amplifies your brand, so that, as I like to say…

You look mahvelous!

Two joyful women smiling and embracing in a lively indoor setting with other blurred people in the background.
A woman with long blonde hair in a blue dress and wide-brimmed hat standing next to a seated man with a beard, wearing a brown hat, both looking thoughtfully into the distance.

In the beginning, I flogged a Nikon D3100—a perfectly decent DSLR device that inevitably achieved antique status. It served me well during a ’10-‘13 gig running a cooking school for Harmons, the Utah grocery company.

Three men in a kitchen preparing food together, smiling and engaging in a cooking activity. Two of them wear aprons, and one wears a chef's hat.

How I got here:

I arrived in Utah as a cub reporter for KSL Radio & TV where I chased a lot of nasty juju. The kicker? The City Hall assignment—a bad fit.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, my early immersion in the news biz laid the foundation for my latter-day pursuit of images that fall within the realm of photojournalism.

After the news bit, I landed two separate gigs at the state tourism bureau:

• Produce travel brochures. Remember these? You know — sheets of paper with words and pictures printed on them.

• Host travel writers from all over the globe on tours all over Utah. The State also sent me to the UK, France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Finland to promote Utah as a worthy international destination.

***
In between the Utah Travel Council jobs, I produced a summer events program for the southern Utah town of Brian Head, whose economic engine — Brian Head Resort — had suffered through severe financial setbacks in the 80’s. The summer program is thriving now…winter’s doing fine, too.

A person holding a glass of white wine at a table with a pen, a menu, a plate of cheese and meat, glasses of water, a bowl of snacks, and a plate of grapes at a wine tasting.
Two men smiling and standing behind a table with books, and framed pictures at an indoor event.

Now what?

Now shooting with a mirrorless Nikon Z5.II with lots of glass—14-30, 35-150, 100-400, 50mm macro plus a big flash unit and an iPhone16Pro as backup.

So no matter what you throw at me, I can “shoot” it. Except maybe a moose.

***
The renowned mid-century photographer Ruth Bernhard – known for dramatically lighted nude studies – wrote “My quest, through the magic of light and shadow, is to isolate, to simplify and to give emphasis to form with the greatest clarity.”

Ms. Bernhard’s credo resonated deeply. So deeply, in fact, that I would like to share a personal anecdote about my brief but extraordinary encounter with Ms. Bernhard in the late 80’s.

Click on the Extraordinaire link for the whole story. Maybe have a Kleenex handy.

***
As an aside, you might be intrigued to know that I am an accomplished writer, as virtually every position I’ve held since
words were invented has involved writing.

My primary focus, of course, is photography. But if one photo is worth a thousand you-know-whats, I can put the camera down and pound out some pretty bold and lucid language, too.

See comments in the Praise link
Then drop in to my Contact link
A man with curly brown hair and a woman with long red braided hair pose together indoors. The man is wearing a black shirt and a silver necklace, holding a marker. The woman is smiling, wearing sunglasses on her head, a black top with mesh sleeves, and a cross necklace.
Brochure for Brian Head, Utah, featuring images of mountain biking, scenic autumn trees, a kite festival, and a map of the area. Text highlights summer and fall attractions and travel information.
People sitting at a long dining table having a meal, with plates of pasta, salads, and drinks, smiling for a group photo.