SUCCESS STORY | JOSHUA KESSLER SHOOTING for the stars

The Boardman native has photographed celebrities for many top magazines.
By NANCILYNN GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ASK children what they want to be when they grow up, their answer may be a look into their future.
"I've always wanted to be a photographer since I was 6," said former Boardman resident, Joshua Kessler, a celebrity portrait photographer living in New York.
Some of his photo subjects have included Al Roker, Susan Lucci, Selma Hayek, George Hamilton, Little Steven, Michael Stipe and John Mayer. His work has appeared in Alternative Press, Men's Health, Rolling Stone, Forbes, Teen People, Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide.
One of his recent assignments was photographing Ted Turner for the cover of the February 2004 issue of Inc. magazine.
"My older brother is a film editor. He edits TV commercials. Ever since I was 10 I knew that I wanted to live in New York and be like my brother. I still have my first camera. It's a little Instamatic 126 with a flashcube that says property of Joshua," he said.
History
The path to Kessler's career began when he was a senior at Boardman High School. While there, he took his first photo class.
After graduating from high school he attended Ohio University as a photojournalism major. He completed two years at OU and transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) with a concentration in advertising photography. Before completing his BFA in photography, he took time away from school.
"I took the year off to play in Figure Ground [a popular alternative band that drew crowds at Cedars Lounge, toured and released several recordings]. I thought, why not? It was the best thing I ever did," said Kessler.
His graduation date changed when he had a summer internship as a photography assistant for world renowned celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.
"I feel like I've had three educations. I learned a lot in school. Playing in the band was one of the greatest educations ever. It taught me how to work real hard. We made all our own posters. I learned self-promotion, which is a lot of what I do. Playing all those shows really made me realize that I definitely wanted to be a photographer. I can play the bass, but I'm not a musician. The third thing is, I really learned a lot working once I got out of school," he stated.
Leibovitz's assistant
A few months later, Leibovitz hired him as a full-time photography assistant. He described the year working for her as "some of the most amazing experiences of my life."
Kessler was part of a very talented staff of 10 people.
"It was such a good learning experience. Money was no object. We would just test everything if there was a new camera or new film. We would shoot 40 rolls of test film and try this background, that background, this exposure, that exposure," he said.
After a year, he decided to take his experience and knowledge and strike out on his own. He first needed a portfolio, a book that showed his work to potential clients.
"Luckily I saved up my money, because I had worked nonstop. I didn't spend a dime. I lived for six months without working. I just worked on my portfolio. My original portfolio was all celebrity impersonators. It let me show what I would do with real celebrities," said Kessler.
Though his portfolio helped him to get established in the field, he has found that most jobs no longer require them.
"So many times it's so and so recommended you. So much of it is based on a personal relationship. Only nine years ago when I started, you just called people. Dropped off your portfolio. Hopefully got an appointment. Now, It's hard to get in just to meet people. They're so busy. The Web site [joshuakessler.com] is a big part of it. They'll just hire you from the Web site," said Kessler.
Approach to work
By working with some of the best photographers in the field, Kessler has acquired knowledge of how to prepare for a shoot and the type of atmosphere needed to achieve the best photo.
"I always have a plan. I always do my homework. That is one of the things I learned from Annie. You learn everything you can about the subject. You just have to figure out that one thing that you can talk to them about. Knowing how to light it and how to expose it right is secondary. It's about what are you going to do to make that person feel comfortable?" said Kessler.
His research has paid off. He has only had two bad experiences with photo subjects, but both involved time constraints.
He judges his success by being able to live and work in a field he loves.
"The most exciting part is when you're done with the shoot and you know it went really well. You just first see the film and it's right. When you see it, it was exposed right. I got the right expression. I framed it right. That's the real cool high. It's a real sense of accomplishment. There's that weird moment when you know you got it," said Kessler.
Youngstown memories
Though Kessler can be found at any moment on a plane to an interesting destination with his Hasselblad (medium format camera), he still holds Youngstown close to his heart. He has fond memories of the friendliness of the people and of his many nights onstage at Cedars Lounge.
In his chosen career, he has found the perfect scenario where he can use his creativity and his expertise while interacting with others all over the world.
"The best part about it for me is not just celebrities, but everybody you meet, they're going to tell you a good story. I've learned so much from the people I've photographed. I've got to meet people and see places that I wouldn't have," he said.