Kyle Huber. Courtesy of the International Photography Hall of Fame.
This fall, a new class of International Photography Hall of Fame (IPHF) inductees will be honored at the 2022 Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony, set to take place on November 4 at .ZACK in the Grand Center Arts District. Each year, the event celebrates photographers and industry professionals who “demonstrate the artistry, passion and revolution of the past and present art and science of photography.”
The 2022 class includes photographers Edward Burtynsky, Graciela Iturbide, Helen Levitt, Sarah Moon, Danny Lyon, and Chester Higgins, in addition to visual artist Kyle Huber and The Association of International Photography Art Dealers, who will receive special awards at the event. All of the inductees will be present at the ceremony except the late Levitt, who will be represented by her niece. An exhibition featuring the work of the inductees will open at the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum on November 5 and continue through February 11, 2023.
We spoke with Huber, the recipient of the IPHF’s 2022 Visionary Award, about his career trajectory and future aspirations. Since getting his start as a photographer, Huber has amassed nearly half a million followers on Instagram and created sponsored content with brands such as Uber, Netflix, LEGO, United Airlines, and Target.
Your Instagram bio says that you’re “Missouri raised, California amazed.” Where did you grow up?
I was born in Cape Girardeau, and then my family moved to St. Charles, Missouri. We lived there for the earlier phase of my life, and then when I got to middle school, we relocated to St. Peters. I moved to Kansas City for art school after I graduated high school in 2006.
How did you end up in California?
I graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute with my BFA in graphic design in 2010. I was looking for design work and trying to land a job, but nothing was really working out. I decided to make a big life change and bought a one-way flight out to Los Angeles. When I arrived in Hollywood I was still intending to be a graphic designer, so I started networking and got into some really lucky positions. I was designing newspaper ads for Beverly Hills real estate agents, designing logos and business cards for different realtors and chefs and actors—I would get hired to basically create a brand for them.
Why did you make the switch to photography?
I found myself starting to explore California. I was going on hikes to the different beaches and exploring national parks, and along with that came my iPhone. I started just taking pictures everywhere I went, and before I knew it I was just obsessed with photography. It kind of just fell into my lap.
Tell me about how your social media took off.
I left corporate graphic design and started doing full-time freelance graphic design. I got featured by Instagram—they reposted my pictures, followed me, and showed me a lot of support during my early years, so I was able to grow. There used to be something called “suggested followers,” and if you landed on that prestigious list, that’s what was suggested to you. Now we have the Explore page where people find new users, but back then that’s how you could really grow. That’s how my audience started to take off. After I hit about 50,000 followers, I got my first influencer job, which was working for a T-shirt company. It kind of snowballed from there; I started getting emails from brands asking me to create content for them. I just kept doing it, and after about a year, I realized, “Wow, I don’t need to do any more graphic design.” I transitioned completely to photography and advertising. Before I knew it, I had worked for 100 brands and traveled to 30 countries. I really got to see the world through those opportunities.
How would you describe your photography aesthetic?
I’ve always been obsessed with details, and I’m a perfectionist. I’ve tried to keep my craft as clean as possible throughout the years. But it’s like with anything—the more you practice and the more you do something, the better you get. My style has evolved, but it’s stayed true to the playful, creative aspect that I’ve always been interested in.
Are there any past projects that stand out to you as particularly fulfilling?
This is kind of funny. I love turtles—they’re my favorite animal. I had these baby turtles that you can buy here in L.A. Chinatown for a dollar, and I was trying to save them. I started taking pictures of them every Tuesday, and for about five years, every single Tuesday, I posted a picture of the turtles somewhere around L.A. They would go on field trips and adventures, and I would photograph them in fun places. It was this series that people started to know me for. It was one of those things that Instagram reposted years ago, and I got over a million likes. Basically it was my little niche that I was doing that people looked forward to. I took those turtles everywhere—they went on road trips, they went in a helicopter, they went to San Francisco, they went to the desert. Those turtles had a good life.
I have to ask—where are the turtles now?
When the turtles got too big I would take them to different ponds and let them go.
What do you think is the most rewarding part of this job?
Being an artist, I like to inspire other people, and I also appreciate being inspired by my peers. The most rewarding part is seeing my fellow photographers and people that I’ve been doing this with for years getting work and succeeding. Everyone’s kind of doing it in their own way, but it’s rewarding to know that this is a career we can have and that we get to see the world and do something pretty unique.
How does it feel to be receiving the Visionary Award from the IPHF?
I thought it was pretty cool that the Hall of Fame is located in St. Louis. I also know that they typically recognize people that have a lifetime of work and are much older than I am, but I think it’s kind of a nod to what I’ve been doing for so long now. I’ve been an artist and created since I was a little boy, and I think I just have an obsession with making things. My medium that I’ve done it through has developed and changed over the years as I’ve evolved with the times, but I’m still an artist and the work I make is what I’m most proud of. I put all of my time and 100 percent effort into everything I make. So getting recognized is—it’s a very big compliment.
The International Photography Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony is Friday, November 4 at 6 p.m. at .ZACK in Grand Center. Tickets start at $500. The Hall of Fame Exhibition runs November 5 through February 11, 2023.
