Behind The Lens: Harrison Cosby

A photographer based out of Atlanta, Harrison Cosby is an emerging creative director and cameraman all in one creating a name for himself through interesting works that’ll capture your attention. The self-coined “Mr. 201” has had the opportunity to shoot fan favorites such as LightSkinKeisha, Latto, Russ, Lil Yachty, and several others.

“I fall in love with every piece of art that I create and take pride in all my work. I appreciate all the artists, models, and people that I have worked with for trusting me with my vision and allowing me to create great work with and for them,” Harrison Cosby shares. Since his first studio shoot in 2018, the creative fell in love with his line of work and hasn’t looked back since then. Harrison has a long list of works and a portfolio that many can appreciate with much more to come.

For our latest Behind The Lens, Harrison Cosby discusses Cam Kirk Studios, dream muses, working with artists like 3xBravo and Lakeyah, and more! Read below.

Visual art, whether it be photography or film, is one of the most essential things when it comes to capturing Black culture. When did you get introduced to it?

I was introduced to visual arts at a young age and always liked to express my feelings visually and through art. Ever since I could remember my mom always had multiple cameras, from disposable, film, digital, camcorders, etc. She would always tell me to smile and take pictures as much as I can because one day that’s all I would have. We have multiple picture books of family, nature, and goofy moments from over the years. I remember always asking my mom to take my pictures and do this and that with the camera and of course she always helped, but I got to the point where I wanted to do it myself. She honestly pushed and encouraged me to start my photography business. I started 201 Lifestyle the summer of 2018 and haven’t looked back ever since this.

You’ve shot photos with artists such as Earz, Lakeyah, and 3xBravo amongst others—do you recall your favorite shoot thus far?

Yes, I have shot with multiple artists, models, and regular people throughout my career, but I wouldn’t say I have a favorite shoot per se. I fall in love with every piece of art that I create and take pride in all my work. I appreciate all the artists, models, and people that I have worked with for trusting me with my vision and allowing me to create great work with and for them. It’s funny you mentioned 3xBravo. I work with Bravo closely a lot, and he and his team allow me to create freely. We throw ideas at each other and collectively come out with a great product.

Being from Atlanta, how prominent is Cam Kirk Studios for young photographers such as yourself?

Cam Kirk Studios definitely plays a huge role on the creative scene and in the art world for photographers and just creatives in general in Atlanta. The studio allows for photographers, videographers, and creatives to use the studio space and make it their own. The studio offers three rental spaces to take pictures; two backdrops in the OG Studio and a Private Studio as well, in which clients are able to create privately and control the vibe of their shoot. They also have a Creators Lab in which there are two fully loaded iMacs with Adobe software available for clients to edit and give clients a nice space to work on their final product.

Cam Kirk Studios was the first studio I ever shot at when I bought my first camera. I saw the studio on Instagram multiple times and told myself I had to shoot there and only there. The atmosphere in the studio is amazing and so inviting. After 2 years of shooting at the studio and working on my craft week in and week out, I was blessed to be hired at the studio. I have been happily working at the studio helping other upcoming photographers and creatives while perfecting my craft as well in the process. Working at the studio and being in the atmosphere has opened up so many doors for me and I will always be very appreciative for Cam and the studio family for taking me in as a part of the family and believing in my work.

I love the way you use light and shading to bring emotions to your work—tell me a bit about your process.

Thank you! I’ve come a long way with my lighting setups and editing process. I started off barely touching my pictures in post-editing and just sending them out as is. After being on the art and photography scene for a few months I realized that wasn’t going to cut it and I actually needed to study my craft. I don’t use one specific light set up all the time, but my main go-to setup is what I like to call “The Scrill.” I got this setup from a fellow photographer and brother of mine, Scrill Davis. This setup consists of a key light centered in front of my subject and a backlight casting light onto the backdrop and the side/back of my subject.

I also use V Flats to block out any other excess light from getting into my picture. This setup gives me a clean and smooth look every time. When editing I use either Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop, depending on how I want to edit that day. I like my art to look as natural as possible, so I do light retouching and enhancements to my pictures. I would say my style for every picture changes. I try to incorporate new techniques with every concept I do and that’s what makes me different from a lot of other creators.

Do you have a dream muse or celebrity that you would love to work with, and why?

I actually have three people that I would love to work with; Zendaya, Rihanna, and Stormi Reid. I love the way all of them totally immerse themselves into their modeling assignments when shooting. They are all able to take any concept and make it their own, completely exceeding expectations every time! Shooting with any of them would be amazing and definitely be a personal highlight of my career. I’m going to keep working, networking, and creating to get where I want to be. If crossing paths with any of the amazing names I mentioned happens that would be a blessing.

Elsewhere, do you have any special projects in the pipeline that you can share?

I do have a special project that I am working on currently that includes multiple parts to the project. I haven’t decided on a name yet for this project, but it will include many afro-centric, creative, and out the box concepts. I can’t wait to share this project with the world, so stay tuned for the final product soon!