Written By Elaine Bean originally for The Courier of Ocean Pines
Got an iPhone? Tom Kennedy can teach you how to take great photos with it. Or with whatever camera you have. Take Janice, for example. She wanted to take pictures of her beloved birds, but knew nothing about her new camera.
“Janice’s family bought their mother a camera so she could take photos of birds from her deck, but she was not familiar with photography,” Kennedy recalled. “Janice let me know that all she wanted to learn was how to take good pictures of birds. Not exactly where you start with a beginner. She was a great student and within a few months we were friends. Tutoring ended, as two friends we would just sit on her deck, and I would answer her questions, and she could practice. Janice has become an incredible photographer. I brag about her in all my classes as a great success … Her picture was chosen to be the title page one year for the Cornell Lab Feeder Watch calendar.”
Kennedy currently teaches photography in regular monthly classes at the Art League of Ocean City. On May 31, he’s teaching “Introduction to the Art of Photography,” a beginner’s level workshop using traditional DSLR cameras and covering photo composition, lighting, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. On June 21, he’s teaching “Photography with Your iPhone and iPad,” covering how to capture professional-looking pictures with a cell phone, share photos and move them among devices, and use the built-in apps to crop and apply special effects.
No photography experience is necessary, and Kennedy will even come to private homes to teach those who cannot travel. “Teaching and tutoring photography locally keeps me in touch with the community,” he said. “You do not have to spend a lot of money to enjoy photography, and you can do it for your entire life.”
Kennedy’s interest in photography began in high school in New York, where he photographed landscapes and wildlife. “I have been interested in photography most of my life … My interest peaked when I was asked to run my high school’s dark room.”
After years of working as a Special Agent with the Department of Justice and then as a contractor with the U.S. Army serving in Iraq for 14 months, Kennedy moved to the Shore in 2014 and is now a freelance photographer.
“While attending training in Washington D.C. in the early 1970s, I went to the Eastern Shore almost every weekend,” Kennedy remembered. “I thought this would be a great place to live one day and never changed my mind.”
Kennedy works part time at Glen Riddle Golf Club and can be seen on the beach during the warm weather taking family portraits. He also photographs golf tournaments and sporting and special events, served on the Ocean City Community Emergency Response Team, and is a member of the Ocean City Elks Club. He has traveled the world taking photos in more than twenty countries, continually expanding his skills and techniques.
“My love of photographing wildlife has taken me from the Andes mountains in South America, to the Galapagos Islands, and most recently, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. I have taught photography in South America, Europe and Asia. Photography allows me to be creative and connect with nature and individuals.
“I see the world differently through a lens and admire what I am seeing, then try to capture the moment, emotion or story of the scene, individual or animal as I see and feel it. “
The local landscape is also an inspiration for Kennedy. “Quaint towns like Berlin, great landscapes, sunsets, water ways, abundant wildlife and the activities in Ocean City, Berlin and Ocean Pines offer great photo opportunities all year round. I recently discovered Mariner’s Country Down. An unbelievable find.”
Kennedy believes continued growth is important in his personal work. “The Art League of Ocean City is a great place to admire other artists work and observe and learn from their techniques. What keeps me passionate is trying to stay current in this great art form.”