KASHKOBI IS TRUSTING THE PROCESS
Photos and Words by Cameron Dorsey
Kobi McCray, or KASHKOBI, as he’s more affectionately known on social media, is a photographer, graphic designer, creative director & writer from Newport News, VA. At only 20 years old, Kobi’s already lengthy resume is growing by the day. A creative advertising major at Virginia Commonwealth University, he also works for two publications on top of his impressive portfolio of conceptual photo work and brand collaborations. I sat down with Kobi to discuss topics ranging from how he got his start in art, managing time, and how music affects how he carries himself as an artist. Tune in below.
Cameron: So how exactly did your journey in photography get started?
Kobi: My journey with pictures starts with a journey of Photoshop & editing. Once upon a time I really wasn't into art like that and that was more of a thing to just look at, and I was born in 2002 so I was raised on computers, especially coming from a single parent home, I just had the internet and my mom. So over time, I saw Photoshop & stuff like that & at a young age, I just started to try it out & play with it. I got pretty decent with it just because I was on the program and was just having fun making pictures and that was like a super small hobby, like I would only pull it out every few months but it's important to me though because it led into photography.
I went to a school with an art magnet, we had a computer art class and because I didn't know what to do at the time, I was like oh, I'll just take the computer art class with my homies who also know Photoshop, it's gonna be easy. I always compare it to taking Spanish when you know Spanish, I was like bro it should be simple. So I got in the class, and that kind of got me a structure in learning how to do Photoshop. I started realizing I was good at it and I was just like, okay, this is something that at least I know I can do, because I felt like I didn't really have any other skills before, I wasn't doing great in soccer and stuff so I was like, okay, yeah, we finna hop on Photoshop. And I did that for a few years, I'd do edits of artists & musicians like Lil Uzi, Carti, The Weeknd people like that.
When the pandemic hit, it was really down bad hours. I felt like it was a transition for a lot of people to start doing stuff that they liked because there was nothing left to do. It felt like it opened up my mind and at that point, I was like, I really got nothing going for me, like I don't even know what I want to do, I don't have a talent so I was like, I'll stick with doing edits and stuff like that. And because I got so into editing and posting on my account I wanted to diversify.
When I was going to Google and just using images of people, it used to be so stiff and rigid like it's nothing to it so I was like okay, I need something different. And I just asked my friends to take photos for me and I can edit them. And at that point I was like alright, maybe I should get a camera myself so I can just edit, you know nothing crazy. So I copped a camera after saving up for like five months working at Busch Gardens. I was like, okay, I don't know anything about cameras, I'm not a photographer, I never seen it as that but I just needed that so I can take these pictures of people and make cool edits and I always wanted to do magazine style edits. Then I have my first photo shoot, and from there on out people were calling me a photographer. And then I kind of got good to the fundamentals because I just want to learn it and it became my thing, and it paved a way for me to, not only have my own way of expression, but to really enjoy the expression of art itself.
DEADSHOT by Kobi McCray
So would you say that you are a graphic designer first and a photographer second?
Well, I was, also asterisk on that graphic designing because I wasn't doing logos and stuff like that. I just was generally just like a poster designer, I wasn't really good with typography and logos. I remember the first time someone called me a photographer, I mean, I already had a few photos out but i was just an editor, so I'm just like "ah I dont know" but now I definitely see myself as a photographer and an editor second but I definitely try to show both, they're both really important to me.
So you're currently based in Richmond, going to VCU. Most people in the area can tell you that Richmond is somewhat of a mecca for the arts in Virginia, so how did that move affect your development as an artist?
In Richmond, I have to explore and be myself more, and it also made me put an emphasis on what I'm doing it for. Because when you shoot back home, you're just so used to being in one place. Then I move up to Richmond, and it's like, I've stayed in one house my whole life, so it's the first time I'm getting to experience living on my own. I have a roommate, but you know, just living without my parents and having to do stuff for myself. I think that worked in a positive way because I had to figure out how to manage my own time and what I do with it. That gave me more tools to be artistic, expressive, and I think it made me really grateful and also more appreciative of Newport News. I feel like Richmond is really a connector city to bigger cities and bigger things but you can make it anywhere, and Richmond was a city where I came and I felt like I get to absorb it and practice and do all this stuff for real. So many artists out there and it's inspiring to see them take on art. VCU and the passion that they have it feels like going up another level and you're gonna have to work and believe in yourself to really be in there but I felt like I was at that point already, so when I got there, I was like this just fits me. And since I got to Richmond, I've had so much more time to focus on concepts, I have more opportunities and places that I can shoot so that's been really good for me. And that was one thing that was big for me when moving, it gave me an environment change was can lead to a mental change which can lead to more growth as an artist.
Speaking of concepts, where did that come in for you? How did you transition from just taking stock images of people and making edits to actually writing out your own concepts and turning that into a reality?
I think concepts for me kind of came from the edits, I've kind of realized they were conceptual even when they weren't really planned out. I'm a big fan of thematics and having one core design or one core idea for it, and when I first started out, the first shoot idea I did, I didn't shoot it, my friend shot it and I just edited it, it was called "Forged by Fire". It was like a heavy edit of me in fire and stuff like that, and it wasn't like a like story or something like that but it was like a thematic story, I just had this idea of playing with fire and becoming a new person. And it wasn't really too intense but I think that really sparked it for me because I felt like it stood out from the crowd and it also gave me a form of expression. Like I said, one of the biggest things I've learned from doing art was how much I can express myself. I think the next level that I'm starting to understand now is, not expression for me, but how I helped make other people want to express themselves. So, making that and seeing how a story kind of helps me express myself but also influence other people that want to express themselves or they see a certain value or see an idea, it was like yeah, I want to keep doing this, I want to make stuff about things that people want to think about. Like, it's cool to get photos that look nice and I have plenty of those but, I really like ones where something is being transmitted through it and it changes you, I feel like that's the most impactful so that's really what I want to do.
Was there anyone or anything that had that type of impact on you, that sparked your journey? You know, everybody has those little things in the back of their mind that they pull inspiration from so, what were those things for you that you're trying to be for other people?
I remember my first time listening to Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst by Kendrick Lamar, and actually before that, M.A.A.D. City and I was like 12, 11? I really didn't understand at that time but the song was communicating a lot of heavy themes and concepts. And as I got older, those songs resonated with me because they were like my first introductions to things that spoke to ideas, and stories, and concepts, and people that really matter to me. It's the first time I'm like, wow, something is being drawn from this and it's like, human, this is something that means a lot. I feel like when you're growing up, art is kind of just seen as like this big bougie thing or like Western European paintings and shit like that. I know even some people don't think music is art, but I think there's a deeper connection but I think music was the first form of art that made me value personal connection to art and humanity. Like, Day 'n' Nite by Kid Cudi, the first time I heard it on the radio, I never understood it, but as time went on I understood it more and more, you grow into it. So for me to implant that using images was something I wanted to do.
TIRED OF SEEING ILLUSIONS by Kobi McCray
Since you've been out in Richmond, you have two positions for two different publications, Ink Magazine and Commonwealth Times. So, talk about what you do for both of those publications and how exactly those opportunities came about.
For Ink Magazine, I'm a photographer but I'm also the general staff so we write, I do photography, if I wanted to, I could practice doing graphic design, they have committees for all that but that's my roll over at Ink Magazine. And then Commonwealth Times, I'm just strictly a photographer. I take photos for any news article, any event going on that they want to capture and need a photographer. So how those came about, Ink was most recent one I got. That came from just being on social media and one of my friends who shot for them was like, yo, they got applications like try it out, and one day I was like I might as well apply like I got nothing to lose. So, I sent my application and saw their social media and I followed a few people work there and I was like wow this is really dope like I really like this stuff, and I'm trying to start my own magazine so I was like this would be a dope pickup. I had no actual portfolio, my Instagram is my portfolio, I got no art experience in any job or publication, it's just straight off Instagram and just posting up there. I don't know the level of prestige they have, I don't know what's going to happen but I'm like, I might as well try. So I apply, went through an interview process, after that they emailed me back and then just that day, I got put in and that was super dope man, I was lit that night.
And then for Commonwealth Times, that was more so like hook up in a way. When I first came to VCU, they had thing called the SAVO Fair which is a fair full of like little clubs and events and stuff like that. One of my friends was at the Development of Color one so I was like let me go visit him real quick, I'm gonna say what's up. And I was like, I'm gonna bring my camera and I'm gonna shoot pictures of any of the clubs that want pictures on the day for the free like I was only doing just to meet people and also just practice. So there's one guy I met Thai, shout out to Thai, he worked in the newspaper and he asked if I could get a pic of him and this newspaper because he wrote it. I was like, yea for sure, so I finish I gave it to him and from then on we got in contact. And I see him in a meeting and I'm like, yo, what's up, man, like you still do Commonwealth Times stuff? And he was like, yeah they need a photographer like I know someone if you're interested. I'm like, yeah, so, after they saw my work, they brought me in and got me out in the field.
So that's two instances where networking and your social media presence got you some opportunities. And you've also done a number of collabs with different brands out there. So is there any any conscious decisions being made in terms of the way you're building your online presence and the way that you put out your art?
Yeah, 100 percent, definitely, I feel like there's a lot that goes behind that. Because I feel like to me, there's art and artists and then like there's artists who are a part of this art journey. I think that's kind of where I get my view of me as an artist from because, not to say like, I'm a rapper or superstar or anything, but, you know, like I said, music was like the highest degree of art for me since the beginning. I always looked up to musicians, rappers and stuff like that, and I always liked how it felt like when they released art and it reflected them as a person and they would also reflect the art. Their own branding, theme, fashion, styles, and ideas from them is what also appeals me to the artists and the art itself as well. So for me right now, I'm majoring in Creative Advertising. I love branding, I love advertising, I love seeing what makes people attracted to things.
Bunny by Kobi McCray
One of the first photographers that inspired me was Gunner Stahl. And it's a lot of people that take pictures of rappers but I think Gunner was always interesting to me because he had an online presence as well like he got a he grew a deep network with people. And I believe networking comes from actually being like a social person and that comes from actually being interesting. He had the pink profile picture that stood out, the cross, like it was all on Twitter a lot back in the day and like all that kind of appealed him to people and then the art itself just backed up everything he was doing, and I felt like it gave a lot of depth do his art too. As a person, he seems cool, down to earth, but is also doing this & that, the art is a picture of this person, that person. I think that all led me to feeling like his stuff is legendary. I think influence is what I'm trying to get to, like not everyone wants to or should be influential because influence is a lot of responsibility and a lot of work. Since the beginning, I've always tried to be like a leader, I want to be influential. So for me, I think about stuff like how I come across to people, how my pictures are presented, my Instagram and how everything is put together to brand it, to get these ideas and concepts across to people so it will always be memorable. It's also not even fully about advertising at this point, but how my art can help me improve as a person and also help improve other people and be somebody who does this for the right reasons and has an impact on the world, because that's really what I want to do, that's what that kind of comes from.
Your archive page, @kashkobiarchive, how did that come about because you don't really see a lot of photographers having a separate page, especially considering the majority of your main page is already your shoots so what's the purpose behind the page?
I saw a few photographers and brands had archive pages and I wasn't really thinking about it. But then it got to a point when I started shooting a lot where, there was stuff I thought was cool to me or maybe it just wasn't perfect, or just extra shots, it's only 10 photos I can post on Instagram. I think it’s cause I’m low-key a nerd like when it comes to photo stuff and social media stuff. And one of the biggest revelations I've had is to create what you want to see, you kind of have to see yourself in your art like you're a spectator as well. I just know, if I was somebody looking at photography, and I find a person I like and I like their stuff, I'd be into an archive page because it adds more depth to their art. It’s kind of like adding Easter eggs and lore to the shoots I do. I just want you to see the outskirts of this stuff and also see it's not perfect and that there's a lot of cool stuff behind it. You know, I just want to show the real parts of it as well, I think that's really interesting for people who care like it's not for everybody. It's just like music video behind the scenes. I was really into those like back when I was growing up like, this is how it all comes to be. So the archive gave me a chance to spam and give more photos, to give myself a reason to stay on media and keep posting because even if I didn't like a shoot or a photo, I get to post stuff somewhere else and the people who appreciate it will appreciate it but I don't have to put it on my page either, I can keep it in a specific order, quality level and stuff like that. So the archive is basically for me to be more free to do that and I think it's helped a lot because I think I understand now what I want to be on my page and then what is like, I still think is good photography, but it's like, I want to get it out to the world but I don't want it to be in this portfolio. Another big thing that I learned that I think is really interesting, seeing people and seeing art and how the decision of not including something in it impacts the art. So when I show people the shot that didn't make it in, I feel like it's an added layer of depth into my artwork and who I am as a person, so that's why I try to be open with that.
Iris. (self portrait) by Kobi McCray
So lastly, you are a full time student, work for two publications, and also have your own heavily conceptual personal work that you do. So how do you juggle all of those things, and still maintaining some sense of like sanity, if any?
For me, I have ADHD so, I'm really just trying to get out, I hyper fixate on things, I get dopamine rushes and, I think, especially after the pandemic, I kind of realized sitting and doing nothing was, as fun and comfortable it is, after I got so many days of it, I became so depressed like it just wasn't for me. I like to work to a healthy degree. I like to work. I like to get stuff done. I like to do things and I feel like for me, it's just this drive. I feel like I have this drive kind of, I don't want to say like innately me like I'm some mythic beast or something because I feel like everyone has the drive they've just got to tap into it. And that's sometimes based on luck, sometimes based on race and stuff like that. I think, luckily for me, I kind of found that during the pandemic and also just being mindful and learning a lot about myself. I feel like for a lot of my life, I was really complacent with things, like my grades, I knew I could be better but I wouldn't put in extra work because I knew I could just be better so I'm like, I'm fine. I think art was the first time I felt like I can express myself and really get good at this. And the process is fun, I think once you start to learn about the process and how that's really the journey, it became a thing for me. So between school, and work, and art, like a lot of times it definitely can be a little overwhelming, but for me, I feel like it's kind of what makes life what it is. There's going to be issues regardless if I'm doing something or not. It's just maybe it'll look more comfortable but I'm fine with work, I'm fine with the hard parts, I'm fine with all this. It's not fun, but there's a lot of fun in the work as well, and I feel like for me it's just knowing is a learning process. I learned to manage, you know. I've learned to manage my schoolwork, and that came from messing up many times, I got better at photography, just taking more flicks, seeing what works. I'm learning how to be better at work, learning to manage that just from being in it, I feel like if I don't throw myself into these opportunities, I'm not doing anything and I just hate not doing anything becasuse like I said, I'm trying to be a person that's impactful. I know what people have done for me and how much that really impacts me so I feel like, I need to be one of those people as well. Cause we're only here for a little bit of time as well so, I wanna just try to be impactful, influential, and I really do a positive thing so that also drives me.
You gotta have a drive for it. If I didn't like art, I couldn't force myself, if I didn't like the fun of photography, if I didn't feel like it was something that matched my my inner purpose, I couldn't do it. But because I feel like every time I click a button or edit something, it fufills something , it gives me a purpose, I feel like that's what keeps me going. And then all the other bullshit, the emotions, and the sad parts is like, yeah it sucks to go through but, I feel like I'm growing, I gotta be resilient because it's just stuff bigger than me, like it's beyond me. everyone's got their issues like that. So I just manage it by being in the process just enjoying the process and knowing it's not gonna be perfect all the time.
