Leo + Kat Evidente
Leo + Kat Evidente
Documentary Photographers
Los Angeles, CA
www.thegatheringseason.com
Instagram @thegatheringseason
Instagram @weareleoandkat
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“We are photojournalists. We tell stories of people and weddings through photography. ”
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
Leo has a background in Arts & Design, as well as a degree in photography. An observer - he finds photographing people in their most unguarded state exhilarating. Leo has a sincere appreciation of the in-between moments that are often taken for granted.
Kat has a background in photography. As someone who deeply enjoys being around happy faces, she found a passion in documenting people in their natural elements during one of the most important moments in their lives.
We dove into wedding photography in 2010, after Leo's 5-year stint in the military, and never looked back. In what we do, we find being married as a good thing. We honed our craft by learning from the past, and by observing the present trends, we took note of the things that speak to us.
We slowly but surely learned how we can create photos that are true to who we are as story tellers, understanding that photography is nothing but a tool to document what makes us feel something inside.
FOR OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FIELD, WHAT DO THEY USUALLY LACK?
Wedding photography is a saturated industry, never lacking of extremely talented photographers that so many are trying to emulate. With that, it's very easy to lose your own voice and identity as an artist. We learned that to be true to who we are, and to be able to portray the truth, It's very important to understand who our subjects are. Equally important is making sure that we are providing the quality of work that clients are expected of us.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Weddings! We process all our work in-house and with our own eyes.
This year is about finding a better life/work balance. We are working on improving our health, as well as our relationships with family and friends. As an effort to be well, we are learning to find value in having less, and at the same time, organizing our new home. Also, we are training our little pup, Ringo to be the best little pup he could be.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
As photojournalists, our approach has always been to capture what is presented in front of us. Incorporating spontaneity, sincerity, mystery, love, and humor when we can. We are enamoured by natural light and find satisfaction in utilizing it.
Our body of work has been described as authentic, raw, and contains cinematic/film-like quality.
Documentary photography is our way of telling visual stories of people, places, and of the moments that may otherwise be forgotten. In some way, this is our way of leaving our legacy, and our personal contribution to the people who find value and appreciation in our work.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
Leo - If given a chance, I’ll most likely try my hands on building tables again. I enjoyed woodworking. As well as screen printing. I will probably teach myself how to weld, or maybe learn a few songs with my guitar.
Kat - I love to cook and host dinner parties. I have a background in nursing and I am the CEO and co-founder of Caring Ride, a Non-Emergency Medical Transit company for wheelchair-dependent clients. I love that I’m able to do both as it gives me balance and a different perspective.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
The business aspect of things! It's the most frustrating part of running a wedding photography studio. Due to the nature of work, it’s easy to get burnt out if you’re not careful about living a balanced life. It was definitely a learning experience, and something that we constantly have to be aware of. Also, since we are visual-storytellers, writing about our experiences can be challenging.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Make breakfast and lunch, buy groceries and do laundry, and write emails :)
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
Embrace being bold and different and not to get discouraged easily.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Looking to collaborate with like-minded individuals who find value in what we offer. Definitely available for commercial and personal work.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
An ideal job would be when the client say - ‘You do you, boo’. Kidding aside - it would be ideal for collaborators to speak the same language as us.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
Portraits start at $500 and weddings start at $3500.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Everybody loves friendly email, and that includes us - thegatheringseason@gmail.com.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
We find creative fuel and inspiration from traveling, watching Vimeo Staff Picks, having great conversations with great friends, among many others.
This member profile was originally published in November 2016.