Hi there. I'm a producer, photographer, and filmmaker shooting editorial, commercial, and documentary projects globally. I also am the in-country director for National Geographic Student Expeditions Photo Workshop in Tokyo, Japan. I earned a Master's Degree in International Multimedia Journalism in Beijing and a BA in Philosophy. Before making media, I taught in many countries as a teacher of English as a foreign language and served in the Peace Corps. What's made me a successful photographer is a deep curiosity about people and culture and a desire to share stories. I have made choices/sacrifices to live my life differently: work my way around the world, learn languages, observe, listen, and learn. I wasn't interested in having an international experience to pad my resume or traveling for appearances (anyway, most of my life has been analog and offline before social media), or saving for my retirement, buying a house, getting titles, or living up to any society's ideas of success, etc. I live, I make mistakes, I seek out uncomfortable, difficult things, and continue to do so, just maybe in different ways now. I value nice, solid people, not smart and "successful" people...and I'm continually learning to tell the difference.

I currently create, produce, shoot, and edit all kinds of fun stories for Trek Bikes and lead the National Geographic Student Expedition Tokyo Photo Workshop.

Let's be friends:

jeffkennel@gmail.com

920.626.2560