A high school teacher introduced me to a class on black and white photography…even turning one of the classrooms into a darkroom and from there a love for photography was born.
After graduating high school I started work in the city of Adelaide at one of the three commercial television networks at the time, the Seven network. Working firstly on the studio crew with responsibilities for staging and camera I quickly became immersed in the thrill of it all. On the third day of work, a camera operator called in sick and I was told that I was to operate one of the cameras for a daytime live show! Until this day I'm not sure I've ever been more terrified!
Moving from studio work I started shooting a magazine style program based on current stories from around the state, both lifestyle and harder hitting news. As our station was quite small I had the responsibility of not only shooting, but recording sound and then rushing back to the station to edit the footage that would air that evening….and these were not thirty second news stories…and at the risk of showing my age…were cut on linear editing systems.....I remember shooting and editing a seven minute story in one day that aired that same evening. This experience honed my skills for efficient visual storytelling so there were no "wasted" shots.
When I started freelancing I found work with a production company based in Sydney that was producing a science and technology program that aired on Discovery for twelve years, entitled "Beyond 2000." It was a ground breaking show that used quick cuts and fast paced music to liven up what could be "stuffy" scientific subjects. We flew around the globe to hi-tech centers in Japan, Western Europe and the States but we also shot stories in places like Africa that were using applied technology such as paper mache casts for broken bones because they were cheaper and the materials more readily available. It was a wonderful life learning experience.
It was during one of these two month long shoots that I met my now wife in NYC and we settled in Los Angeles. We have one beautiful daughter.
Since then I have continued to shoot for broadcasters such as National Geographic, Discovery, and the BBC.
The Australian Cinematographers Society have awarded over twenty of their peer reviewed cinematography awards for my work.
I am constantly excited by the new technologies our industry avails us both in camera and lighting.
I love people. I'm curious about the world. I care deeply about the planet and feel like everyone has a responsibility to expose injustice….our industry has an important role in that.
Kris
Ph +1 310 344 5159
kris@krisdenton.com