Cameron Knudsen

BEHIND THE LENS

​

I am Cameron Knudsen, the founder and lead photography instructor at ISO Photography Training. Photography is not just a job or a hobby for me; it is my happy place, my therapy, and my way to reconnect with nature and reset. Photography has brought so much joy into my life and I love the chance to share that with others. 

ISO Photography Training was born from a deep love of photography and a desire to share that passion with the world. I was introduced to photography at the age of 10 on a weekend trip to Yellowstone with my grandparents. It was on that weekend that I first held a camera and was free to take hundreds of photos as we explored. A few weeks later when all the rolls of film had been developed, we realized, to everyone’s surprise, that the majority of the photos were really quite good.

Nine years later  I was on active duty in the military living overseas. As I began to travel and explore Europe my camera was always with me. The more photos I took the more I wanted to learn. Soon I was buying every book I could find to learn new skills. Before long, word got around that I took photos and I began taking family portraits for other service men and women and their families. Eventually, I moved to Japan where I ended up working for the base photographing military events, and on occasion, documenting disaster relief efforts after earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons.

Fast forward another 10 years to when my service with the military was done and I needed to make a decision about what to do with my life. For me the choice was clear. I wanted to follow photography wherever it would take me and I decided to go to school and get my Bachelor’s degree in Photography to expand my knowledge and skills even further.

While finishing school, and for a few years afterwards, I did a variety of different photography jobs. I ran my own portrait business, took product photography for companies to use online and in catalogues, did some real-estate photography, as well as wedding shoots and other events.After a couple of years in the corporate sector I was ready to focus on my passion. That is when ISO Photography Training was born. It gives me a chance to give back to the photography world and share the knowledge I have gained over the years.