I recently read about a videographer on his way to a movie set who got into trouble on a plane because he kept talking about the people he was going to be “shooting” that day. With that in mind, I asked photographer Karen Cornell, proprietor of “Eye Shoot You,” if she had any second thoughts about her company name during these days of hyper-vigilance.
KC: [Laughs.] I hadn’t thought about that. But it’s funny that you mention this. When I was at the Jingle Ball last month, my friends were telling me they have to be careful what they say at certain gigs, like at political events, etc. They can’t say “shoot.” Also, I recently was looking into a new camera bag from Newswear. They have all sorts of compartments and wrap around your body. But it looks like something a suicide bomber would wear.
PGN: Are you from Philly? KC: Yes, in the Germantown area. We lived there until I was in high school, and then we moved to the Northeast.
PGN: Any siblings? KC: I have a younger brother. He tells everyone he’s the oldest, but it’s really me. My parents are both gone, but I have two nieces and two nephews and a grandnephew.
PGN: What did the folks do? KC: My mother was a homemaker. She didn’t have a job until after I went to college. My dad was a truck driver.
PGN: Was he away a lot? KC: No. He didn’t do overnights, he did local deliveries for companies like Tastykake and Stork Diapers and came home every night.
PGN: What’s a good childhood memory? KC: My brother and I used to ride minibikes and motorcycles. We’d ride around the neighborhood and with friends. I don’t really remember much from those days: Looking back, it seems kind of a blur.
PGN: So you were riding minibikes back in the days when we didn’t need helmets? KC: We were! I was fearless back then; we’d ride on the back of each other’s dirt bikes and go flying down the street. Half the time, the brakes weren’t working and you had to jump off to stop.
PGN: So, where did you go to college? KC: I went to Peirce for two years when it was a junior college and then I transferred to Penn State, Harrisburg campus.
PGN: What did you study? KC: I had an associate’s in science degree, which they called automatic accountancy, which is basically accounting with computer science. My bachelor’s degree from Penn State is in business administration. Oh, and photography on the side.
PGN: How’d that come about? KC: I loved the creative arts. I played the trumpet in high school and loved photography. As a kid I always had a camera in my hand. But I knew I’d probably starve if I focused on that alone. So I’ve been a computer consultant for 30 years in addition to my photography, which I’ve also been doing for over 20 years.
PGN: Do you apply your computer/analytical thinking to your picture taking? KC: Absolutely. It’s one of the reasons that I like photography in the first place: I’m very technical. I get excited about all the equipment, the different lenses and lighting and filters. I’m not so much the artsy type. And with digital now, so much is tied into the postproduction on the computer, it’s right up my alley.
PGN: Looking at your photos, I was impressed at how clear your concert and on-the-spot pictures come out. It’s hard to get the lighting right in those scenarios. KC: Thank you so much. I put a lot of time and effort into learning how to get it right. I got my butt kicked in the beginning trying to figure it out. Especially in clubs, it’s a challenge. I wasn’t able to take photography in college because I didn’t have money for a camera, but as soon as I got a job, that’s the first thing I bought. I took classes and went to workshops — I still do — and I belong to several “meet-up” groups and talk with other photographers. Lighting keeps me up at night, it really does.
PGN: You’ve shot a lot of celebrities. Do you have Bieber fever? KC: That’s funny! Yeah, he’s actually really adorable. I shot him a couple of times and he’s a really sweet kid. But I was most impressed with Adam Lambert. I did Jingle Ball last month and I confess to blowing kisses at him!
PGN: What was a great experience in your line of work? KC: In the beginning, I did mostly outdoor stuff, landscape and nature photography, which was a nice contrast from the office work. But in recent years, I’ve been doing a lot of nightlife and entertainment work. It’s nice because it forces me to get out into the world. I was never a nightlife person before and was feeling a little disconnected from the community. I’d moved out of the city to South Jersey and was in a long-term relationship, my mom moved in with us and then later passed away. When the relationship ended, photography allowed me to connect with new people. I met people I never even imagined were out there.
PGN: Favorite celebrity encounter? KC: I do a lot of reality stars and other celebrities — Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian, Snookie — and a lot of them have these attitudes. But there are a few nice ones that stand out. I met Rob Reiner a few years ago when he was doing a pub crawl for Hillary Clinton and he was kind to everyone. But the nicest of them all was Sharon Gless. I got to take a lot of pictures of her and she was really down to earth. It helped that I still had a crush on her from her “Cagney and Lacey” days.
PGN: You mean Snookie wasn’t your favorite? KC: I actually got a great picture of Snookie and her mom that they printed in “Us Weekly,” so I thank her for that. She was what she was supposed to be. You put her in a crowd and she does her thing. I felt bad for her mom because Snookie got really drunk and threw up all over the place and acted up, but that’s why they pay her to be there.
PGN: So tell me about coming out. KC: Well, I never really “came out.” I actually don’t believe in making an announcement or “confession” about being gay. Maybe because my parents accused me of being gay in high school, before I even knew I was. So when I started dating a girl at 15, I already knew I wouldn’t have their blessing. When I went to college, I did what I wanted and had some interesting reactions. I played sports and had friends who worked at a lesbian bar, so I felt pretty comfortable. As for work and family, I was pretty private. They didn’t know who I was dating or if I was dating, etc. It’s pretty much been that way my whole life. I kind of lead a double life. I try to keep things separate. If I’m speaking with a potential computer client, I don’t identify myself as Karen the gay programmer. I think Karen the programmer is probably good enough. If someone asks if I am in a relationship, then I talk about it. Does that make sense? In the last few years, things haven’t been so bad for me as I am pretty involved in the gay lifestyle and have many chances to talk freely and be free. My parents passed on as well, which also freed me to be more open. They knew, but it wasn’t talked about and still wasn’t totally accepted. It was interesting: I was in a long-term relationship and my mother moved in with us. When we broke up, my family seemed more affected by it than I was. Those close to me — family, friends — know my partner Beth. I don’t hide her. They include us in events, etc. They are nice to her/us. But how much do they really need [to know]? Trust me when I say I don’t want to know all their couple stuff either!
PGN: Tell me a little about your partner, Beth. KC: She’s a sweetheart. Smart, kind and she accepts what I do. It’s not easy to be with someone who’s out working almost every weekend. She’s not really into the club scene so it’s not fun for her to come along unless it’s a show or something special. Beth’s a probation officer, so when she comes home, she doesn’t want to have anything to do with people. There are a lot of great things about her, but understanding my passion for my work is one of the best things.
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