Kevin Dowdell

Seeing Life Through Multiple Lenses

Story By: Mia Brabham

You might not immediately recognize him if you pass him on the street or see him in the grocery store, but there’s a good chance you’ve been in the same room with him. Kevin Ian Dowdell is the man behind the lens; the event photographer who has captured Gainesville Black Professionals’ mixers since 2017. And there’s more to his story than meets the eye.

Not only is Dowdell the photographer and videographer for Gainesville Black Professionals and SYNERGY Magazine, he is a kind, creative, and free-spirited photographer, artist, and educator who is constantly seeking out inward-tranquility through art, music, and storytelling.

“Most of what I do is born out of trying to find my inner peace. Took me a while to find the rhythm that works for me. Still working on it, honestly.”

When asked to describe what inner peace looks like for him, he explains that it’s the aftermath after he’s given all of his emotions an outlet.

“It looks like, or feels like, making an arrow. Finding the wood, whittling it down, and forming a good point. Then, nocking that arrow in a bow, pulling back on the string, and releasing it. Making things helps me get to this point [of inner peace] by freeing me to focus on one particular task with all of my mind and release some of the tension that comes from worrying about many things constantly.”

As someone who has found a way to achieve inner peace, he finds himself hoping others find it for themselves.

“Most people have already found the thing that can bring them peace, they just don’t realize it. Most people have something they love doing, independent of anyone else’s feelings or input, but maybe they don’t do it ENOUGH. That’s finding the balance. What is ‘enough’? That’s for each of us to find out.”

Dowdell is always challenging himself and views his life and work as a playground. Although he may not be a loud person by nature, he is bold in his art.

“I think what I find the most interesting about my work as an artist is my use of color and my color palette. I enjoy loud colors in the majority of my work. My medium varies, sometimes it’s painting, sometimes it’s digital art, sometimes it’s resin art, but the colors are consistent.”

For his work with Gainesville Black Professionals and beyond, he’s captured everything from light and airy outdoor events to neon nightlife functions. From anniversary videos and event recaps to podcast art and portraits, Dowdell does it all and is finding a way to connect with others in the process.

“I mostly focus on taking portraits and headshots of people. I think the most satisfying part of my work is feeling like I was able to capture what makes that person beautiful.”

To Kevin, the process is simple. He engages with his photo subjects and meets them where they are.

“I am often taking photos of someone who ‘never takes photos,’ so I talk to them about a subject that they’re comfortable with, or something I think we have in common. Whatever I can do to get them to open up.”

No matter what he’s shooting, Kevin Ian Dowdell is rarely the center of attention, and he likes it that way.

“With my friends, my tribe, I’m in the action. If there are too many unknowns, I prefer to float around the edges and observe. I think my favorite aspect of my role is meeting all of the subjects of the articles, or meeting people at mixers.”

When the laidback creative is not capturing moments to be remembered forever, he’s teaching sixth through eight grade at Kanapaha Middle School.

“I teach business technology/ entrepreneurship. I’m most proud of how I can connect to kids from various backgrounds. I really enjoy being able to spread my love for technology, and just knowledge of computers in general.”

He also has a passion for music. “I blame my high school history teachers for really getting me to explore different kinds of music for myself. They all had very diverse music tastes, stuff I had never heard before. That set me on a path to hunting down music on my own, eventually running a music blog in college, and now producing music as a hobby of sorts.”

Although he may not be front and center in every room, his impact on generations to come is big.

“I think the legacy I want to leave is one based around the importance of education and exploration.”

The greatest piece of wisdom he’s learned along the way?

“Most barriers are greater in our minds than they are in reality. Just get started.”