Sherwynd Rylan Kessler has travelled far and wide as a photographer with multiple specialisations—from wedding to lifestyle photography—but Penang still has a special place in his heart.
By JY Tan
A true-blue Penangite and visual storyteller, Sherwynd Rylan Kessler made his name as one of the state’s best photographers. He has won multiple awards over the years for his photos of Penang’s diversity and heritage, most recently the third and consolation prizes for the 2022 Penang International Paddy Festival Photography Awards.
Currently, Kessler is the owner of Sherwynd Kessler Studio and manages an Instagram account dedicated to aviation spotting in his spare time. He is also one of four contributing photographers for the Penang at a Glance photobook, which features Penang’s fantastic landscapes and time-honoured traditions.
Kessler’s decade-long relationship with photography
Most artists will describe the first chapter of their journey as an epic struggle filled with blood, sweat, and tears. Kessler’s journey, however, started by coincidence.
“I was browsing through social media back in 2013,” Kessler reminisced, “when I noticed a post on George Town Festival 2013 titled ‘Application as a Volunteer Photographer for the Official Photographer Team’. I applied at once, got called up, and managed to get into the team.”
Prior to George Town Festival (not to be confused with George Town Literary Festival), Kessler had only just gotten his first camera—a DSLR with kit lens—a year ago. Because of this, his first go at landscape and street photography despite lacking “any knowledge or know-how on photography” proved a valuable experience that set the tone for his photography career. Kessler hit the ground running when George Town Festival chose him to cover most of the month-long festival’s events, and he hasn’t looked back since.
The Renaissance photographer
Although Kessler is best known for his photos of Penang, his portfolio covers various other photography and videography genres: corporate events, weddings, commercials and even aerial drone work. Amateurs would be tempted to dismiss Kessler as a Jack of all trades, but a closer look would quickly reveal his skill and versatility behind a camera.
Sherwynd Kessler Studio captures unforgettable moments with a mix of candid and traditional photography. Source: Sherwynd Kessler Studio
“The reason that I’m active in many genres is that I can adapt fast in most photography genres and trends,” Kessler explained. “I have a lot of experience and exposure working with many different types of clients in different environments in a short period of time.” As such, there is hardly a project that he cannot take on, be it live candid shooting, staging, or arranging a controlled photoshoot. That being said, Kessler is careful to approach different types of gigs in different ways in order to take the best photographs possible for his clients.
“Weddings, performing art events, corporate events with VIPs and commercials all require different equipment and setups,” Kessler said. “Apart from my post-processing, the editing for these events is also different, with different colour tones applied to blend in with the occasion and mood.”
Penang at a Glance: A behind-the-scenes story
Considering Kessler’s inclination to showcase Penang’s photogenic features—from its rugged landscapes to its humble street food—our interview would have felt incomplete without a discussion of Penang at a Glance. When asked about his favourite contribution to the book, Kessler told me about his Euphoria Dance stage performance photo, which he took at the 2018 Butterworth Fringe Festival.
As the story goes, Kessler knew from experience that the dance pieces would feature iconic jumping moves towards the grand finale. With the help of lighting and atmosphere from the stage setup, he was certain that capturing the main dancer in full flight would produce a photo with excellent composition and framing.
“So, I changed my camera lens to an ultra-wide angle lens and waited offstage with all my camera settings in sync, ready to hit the shutter button as many times as I could to capture the best moments in those split seconds,” Kessler said.
Penang at a Glance features not just the state’s architectural heritage, but also its cultural and artistic heritage.
Kessler undeniably has a genuine love for all things Penang and the dedication to pursue the craft of photography. It is no wonder, then, that he’s managed to utilise these two attributes in forging his own path and taking his career to new heights.
JY Tan writes articles by day and stories by night. She was recently accepted for the 2023 Futurescapes Writers’ Workshop, and hopes to get her own novel published someday.
Cover photo by Gin Chen Sow