Kenji Fukudome

Kenji Jacklio Fukudome is a Fine Art and Portraiture Photographer who brings a multicultural sensibility to his work. Originally from a small village in Japan, Kenji graduated from the renowned Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, before working with some of LA’s most celebrated photographers

Kenji returned to Santa Barbara to open his first studio in 1996, where he quickly became a sought after talent for both Corporate and Private Clients. He is known for his portraiture work utilizing formal Studio and “En Plein Air” locations. He is also recognized as one of the Santa Barbara areas most respected event photographers.

Kenji’s first Fine Art Photography experience was in a traditional darkroom not on a computer. This taught him the fundamentals of photography and the art of balancing light and lens manually, which required an instinct and an eye that still informs his work today. The textures of oil paintings have always fascinated Kenji. One of his most noted shows created large scale black and white prints of a female nude upon which he overlapped textures like clouds, tree bark, water, and a crack on a wall.

Kenji believes in using his art to “Give Back” to the community and donates his time as a volunteer photographer for organizations like Pacific Pride Foundation, Organic Soup Kitchen, Santa Barbara Police Department, and other local charities.