Creation Location: Kamera House

clockwise from top left: Kamera House photo studio and art school located at 1531 Washington in St. Louis; a smiling photographer; creatives on set of photoshoot; founder/owner Kevin Hansome; a photographer on set with model.

Ready. Set…CLICK! – Kamera House is the place to POSE.

What do you do when “life serves you lemons”? That’s right– you throw them back and demand oranges. OR…you could also make a wickedly delicious lemon meringue tart, 5-star lemon custard, served with chilled “lemony lemon” drinks (giggles). What I’m saying is, you turn those trials into TRIUMPH. Pain into PROGRESS. Adversity into ARTWORK. That is the story behind Kamera House. One man’s vision, shared from behind the lens.

Kevin Mahdi Hansome, founder and owner of Kamera House photo studio and art school, knows all too well about life’s “lemons”. “When I was younger, I did a lot of stuff I wasn’t supposed to, which landed me in jail.”, says the St. Louis native photographer. “When I got out, I couldn’t get a regular job due to my record. So, I had to find a way to make a living for myself.”

Hansome says his father was a photographer, and that exposure to cameras helped him spark an idea. “I always used to bring cameras to school.”, he remembers. “One day I was like, Hey, I can use this to make money to support me and my family. I didn’t need to have a clean background or meet certain criteria. It was a way for me.” Kevin began gaining experience and growing his photography skills. “My first project was at a girlfriend’s house party. That was my first event as an event photographer. I took pictures of everything.”, he smiles.

During COVID in 2020, Kevin began taking photography more seriously. “We all had the time, in the house sitting around. So, I established an LLC as a photographer, and I was coming up with a name. I don’t know how I came up with it really.” He secured a studio, and officially launched “Kamera House”. Kamera House is an all-inclusive studio in downtown St. Louis, which provides creatives/models with various backdrops and settings, along with equipment and space rentals for photographers and videographers. Kamera House also provides visual art classes, teaching fellow creatives on photography fundamentals.

Top left to right: model at Kamera House, photo credit: IG: @creativelydes_. Creative director/photographer giving posing instructions to model, photo credit: IG: @thatboyart_. Middle left to right: models at Kamera House, photo credits: IG: @taz.shot.it @insposhoots @chassbash. Bottom: Kevin with fellow creatives, photo credit: IG: @thatboyart_

Kevin says the highlight of his experience was his trip to Hawaii, where he was the BTS photographer for a popular music artist. He is currently dedicated to building community, and a stable for other creatives to be able to faithfully utilize. “Right now, I’m focused more on keeping this place up for others to use to bring their vision to life.”, he states. These days, Kevin can be seen more behind the scenes, supporting the craft and providing his phenomenal service and space.