KELSEA KOSKO

Photo by Sharon Gong

Kelsea Kosko captures… something. It’s like, femininity, rawness, imperfection and ephemeral light all rolled into one and featuring some beautiful but never overly-glamourized subjects.  At only eighteen, the girl behind the lens who is creating these wonderful images, has already been featured on the Urban Outfitter's blog, in various online magazines, and she recently shot the campaign for Modern Vice and their collaboration with bloggers, Dylana and Natalie Suarez so her work obviously hasn't failed to capture the attention of the internet, and for good reason. It seems that since Kelsea started with her mother's 35mm Minolta, she has slowly and surely developed her own style, and it comes in the form of a personal and intimate collection, the type that is shared with you in a moment of quiet confidence, the type you can't get enough of.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am an 18 year old girl born and raised in Fort Myers, a beach town in Florida... or what the local kids refer to as the 239. I spent a lot of my time on Captiva Island as well. When I graduated high school in June, I was very, very unsure of myself as far as college plans, and had reluctantly enrolled in a state university. Seeing the summer as my last chance to do something out of the ordinary, I went to NYC for an internship and never came back.

What's the best thing about being young and living in America? What's the worst? 

Best: you can basically do whatever the fuck you want here. If you have an idea or a dream there are so many resources available to you to make it fly. 

Worst: societal constraints may cause you to believe otherwise. 

If we came to visit you, where would you take us? 

- Grounded for a cup of coffee in the morning, then French Roast for a gimlet in the evening (don't tell Chris Lange I mentioned this to you). Somewhere in between these little restaurants we would pick up a nice zine or two at Casa and Dashwood Books.

- The Modern Vice factory in the Garment District for a behind-the-scenes tour of some hardcore shoemaking!! 

- Chinatown…. we'd meander down Grand and random side streets until we reached Seward Park, a tranquil place where you can do tai chi, smoke weed, and play badminton all at the same time.

Can you tell us about your influences and inspirations? 

Throughout my life I have been incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by individuals from all walks of life. It's always people; their mannerisms, words, habits, strengths and weaknesses…it's the beauty I see in those I fear and those I adore, and the knowledge I obtain from friends, idols, artists, and strangers..that will forever propel me forth.

Do you take your camera with you everywhere? 

Well ever since my apartment was burglarized, yes! Sadly (I'm very ashamed of this) that was the push I needed to do so. I lost a lot of sentimental things like footage of friends and personal writings.

A lot of your photographs feel very intimate and personal. How do you establish a connection with your models? How do you make them feel at ease? 

A photo shoot is indeed a very intimate ordeal for both sides... as the photographer you are gaining someone's trust in a matter of moments... it's as if you are ordering friendship from a takeout. Although... obviously... the aftermath is much more gratifying than a carton of pad thai. I would say humor is key. 

What are your hopes for the future? 

It was 4am in my friend's kitchen one night and neither of us could sleep so we just talked about how it's great to be happy and poor and how the last thing either of us want is to find ourselves miserably rich. 

And finally, words to live by? 

“I can’t praise a young lady who is alive only when people are admiring her, but as soon as she is left alone, collapses and finds nothing to her taste- one who is all for show and has no resources in herself.” —Tolstoy

Check out Kelsea's website here!