With his combination of urban and high fashion, vivid colors and eye-catching set designs, photographer Kennedy DeSousa’s work aims to redefine the boundaries of commercial photography, leaving his mark in the industry and proving once again that Philadelphia is a breeding ground for great talent.

DeSousa, 24, moved to California after graduating from Abington Friends High School in Montgomery County. There, he worked at a video store while attending California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. After growing tired of the monotony of the nine to five, DeSousa decided to quit his job and focus on his craft. Having been a painter and a sculptor since an early age, he had already developed a keen eye for lighting and form; this background would ultimately become a launch pad for his entry into photography, a career choice that DeSousa partly attributes to chance.

“A friend of mine had suggested that I try my hand at model photography,” he says. “We were at a party drinking and having fun and I just started taking pictures of another friend who was a model and I was amazed at how great they looked.”
Still, DeSousa wanted to do more than take a pretty picture. A self-described risk taker, he decided on an old abandoned hospital as the set for his first photo shoot. Such locations would become a staple in his future photography, showcasing his ability to find beauty in even the most unsightly things.

"Some photographers lack focus or concept. They just want to take pictures of beautiful people,” he explains. “I love abandoned spaces because to me, they’re places that were once beautiful and cared for. Now they look like crap, but they still have a story to tell.”

DeSousa soon realized that being talented was not enough to secure his place among more seasoned artists. He had to learn the business side of the industry.

“People like to test you, try to manipulate you,” he says. “You could be the most gifted photographer but still get jerked around if you don’t take the time to learn the business.”

After four years on the West Coast, DeSousa returned to Philadelphia. Since then, he has gone on to create a signature body of work. In addition to his own projects, DeSousa has done press for the 2005 NAACP Theater Awards, capturing celebrities like Magic Johnson and Vivica A. Fox. He eventually wants to take his work abroad to Europe, Japan and Angola.

“I’m a perfectionist,” he admits with a laugh. “People can say it looks great, but if it doesn’t to me, it’s not good enough. I’m trying to be the Tiger Woods of photography.”

Clearly, for DeSousa, everything appears to be coming into full focus.