LA-based photographer David Kitz takes us deeper into photography and how his approach to shooting ordinary things became his biggest inspiration. The father of two also shares his morning routine and off-screen activities with his family.​

Tell us about what you do and what about it excites you.​

I’m a photographer working primarily in Still Life and Travel. What I love about photography is how observant it inspires me to be. I actually begin to see differently, which may sound kind of insane but I notice what the light is doing, I notice colors more sharply, I notice the relationship between things more actively. I love moving through the world in that way— it makes me feel really present.​

How would you compare being behind the lens and being in front of it?​

It’s really a totally different experience but no less enjoyable depending on the shoot. What I like best about being in front of the camera is meeting other photographers and spending some time in their worlds. ​

There is something so dreamy about your still life photos—especially with things normally found at home. How do you decide how to shoot them in such a unique manner?​

I’ve always felt that the objects that populate our lives can tell us a lot about who we are, what we value etcetera. I think I gravitate towards objects that come from disparate worlds, have different uses, and have different levels of status. By removing them from their original contexts and staging them together, I’m looking to see what new possibilities may exist. Sometimes it’s just about being playful, sometimes it’s about humor, other times it’s just about finding beauty where you might least expect it.

​What's a small thing you do that just completes your morning?​

Home brewed coffee.

​How do you like your coffee and what were you reading through while having your cup this morning?​

Lately it’s been oat creamer and it’s really hitting the spot. By the time I’m drinking my coffee, both boys are already awake and have crawled into bed with us for snuggles, so there’s really no reading happening. But it’s a perfect way to start the day.

In what way has your perspective on life changed now that you are a father of two? ​

I think it’s just made me think about and appreciate time in a new way. It’s a total cliché but every second is precious. 

What's your favorite activity to do with your kids? ​

Hard to pick a favorite but I love when we’re all together playing with whatever it is they want to play with in that moment. It could be a toy, a pinecone, or a cardboard box. I love seeing the world through their eyes and through their imaginations.​

What are your thoughts on screen time and play time for you and your family?  ​

It’s something we try to be conscious of and limit, but we probably have more of it going on than we’d like. One of the biggest things for us is keeping it to the TV and not letting it bleed to the kids looking at our iPhones or an iPad or something. It’s so easy for screens to just exist everywhere so we try to make TV time happen and then it goes off and that’s it.​