My Work
MOTORSPORTS
I have always been fascinated by engines and locomotion. As a kid I would tinker on motorized scooters fabricated out of old weed eaters or go-karts built on discarded lawn tractor frames. By the time I could ride a bike I was already blasting around the neighborhood on a homemade Briggs & Stratton powered miniature Harley. Once I was old enough to drive I worked two summers doing concrete and masonry to make enough money to fix up a broken down 80s era t-top Camaro. The first time I got behind the wheel of that car my adoration for everything motorized was firmly cemented. There was no better feeling in the world than stepping on the gas, looking out over that fire engine red hood that stretched to the horizon, and feeling the torque of the five liter V8 engine thrashing and kicking as it glued you to the seat. For me, photography is a way to share that thrill and my passion for all things automotive with the world.
—Aiden McKahan
Portraiture
Portraiture is all about capturing a moment. Truly compelling images can not be staged or posed. They are formed as organically as the precious memories they contain. These images transport us instantly to a different time and place where we may, if only for a brief instant, enjoy the same feelings that made us want to capture them forever. They tell a story that deeply impacts the viewer by conveying personality, mood, and a sense of presence. Everyone can remember sitting for cringe worthy yearbook pictures, or visiting a local department store for an awkwardly posed family photo session. We all have a dearly held album full of cheesy smiles and trite backdrops tucked away collecting dust somewhere, but our most cherished photos are almost always those that display the fleeting candid moments that fill us with joy and nostalgia. These are the images that I strive to provide. Whether shooting a live event, a professional portrait or covering a story, I always seek to capture those moments that connect with the viewer to forever preserve them in an aesthetic light.
—Aiden McKahan
Documentary
Light: “the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.”
Contrast: “the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association.”
Emotion: “instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge.”
“In the transformation and growth of all things every bud and feature has its proper form. In this we have their gradual maturing and decay. The constant flow of transformation and change.
—Chuang Tzu