Like most first jobs, mine taught me many lessons, including humility. Yep, that’s me inside the giant foam pizza costume, working hard for one of my first paychecks. A strong work ethic and a “will do” attitude was necessary for that job, particularly when the client asked “Can the slice of pizza skate on the ice between periods at the hockey game tonight?” I made that happen, with the grace and style only a teenager wearing 40 pounds of decorated foam could muster. 

There were many jobs for me after that: selling various consumer electronics in retail stores, representing Xerox printers in a business-to-business setting, installing custom home theaters and security systems, shooting portrait photography, and repairing laptop computers for a Fortune 50 company. Each job came with its own lessons, further honing a broad set of professional and personal skills. 2015 would offer me the biggest challenge, and opportunity, when the birth of my second child prompted me to put my professional career on hold to support my spouse’s career and our young family full time instead of working for a paycheck. 

Customer calls were replaced with a screaming infant and a 3-year-old demanding string cheese. Gone were the days of all-staff meetings or grabbing half-price drinks-and-appetizers after work. My days were filled with reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the 50th time, washing dishes while the baby napped, and making healthy and (hopefully!) tasty meals each night as my spouse returned from her day trying to make the world a better place (she’s a mental health therapist).

At the time, and still today, I treasured those days far more than I would have clocking in-and-out to a sales or technician job. There was the intended benefit of being a foundational presence in my children’s formative years, but that job also came with some unexpected side benefits. I got to learn and practice a vast array of cooking skills when I introduced my growing family to comfort foods in cultures from around the world. I even had time to start a daily yoga and meditation practice. As my kids aged and became more independent, I got to learn new sets of skills. When we moved to rural Appalachia, we bought the house the neighbors accurately called “the little brown meth house,” which gave me an opportunity to develop some home remodeling skills. If I was working full time, I wouldn’t have been able to install and cultivate the berry, herb and vegetable gardens, or build the treehouse of my childhood dreams. My schedule flexibility also allowed me to accept the opportunity to join a pyrotechnic crew in 2016. Within a few years, I was designing and shooting massive firework displays, choreographed to music, for small city governments and amusement parks. 

By the time both kids were well into school age, and needing a little less support, I was ready and motivated to get back into paid employment. Like so many of my peers, the transition from stay-at-home parent to working professional looked…grim. Despite having been a standout employee for 15+ years, the “employment gap” left me with limited interest from employers. I used that time to reevaluate my skills, reconsider how they could benefit others, and clarify what I needed from a new work opportunity.

In 2024 I launched Modern Man Photography with the intention of using my creative eye and photography skills to offer my community high quality media of themselves or their homes at a reasonable price. As technology further permeates our daily lives, the images we choose to represent us shape our view of ourselves and the world’s view of us. A stellar profile pic sets the tone for a standout social media profile, and could mean the difference between catching that recruiter or client’s eye – or not. Fantastic pictures on your MLS listing can be the difference between receiving one offer or half a dozen, and ultimately thousands of dollars at the closing table. Most people don’t know the technical factors that go into an aesthetically pleasing picture but everyone has the ability to be moved by art when those elements “click” into their proper place. 

My journey to today is as unique as I am. Once, in discussing the challenges of the current day to past generations, a very dear friend said of me “Kyle, you are a great example of the modern man”. That phrase succinctly captured my place in this world: I strive to be a great example of a modern man in all that I do, for my family and my community. I think a modern man:

 -shows respect to all people

 -communicates clearly, thoroughly, and at a level easily understood

 -sets reasonable expectations and makes every effort to deliver on them

 -strives to improve the world around them

These are the guiding principles I follow in my effort to be a great example of a modern man and I invite you to join me in this journey to being the best modern person you can be.

-Kyle Witten-
Owner and Photographer