Kevin Tydlaska-Dziedzic is a professional photographer, CEO, and RMCAD alumnus. He co-founded BKN Creative, with his husband, a thriving advertising agency specializing in branding, marketing, graphic design, photography, video production, and more. Founded in 2018, BKN Creative has offices in Denver, Tampa, and New York City, and is on track to make one million dollars in revenue in 2024. Tydlaska-Dziedzic shared that he never expected to become a photographer or entrepreneur and certainly didn’t expect this degree of professional success. However, throughout his entire journey, one thing has remained the same. He shared, “I love to see other creatives be powerful!”
Creative Beginnings
Born in Roswell NM, Tydlaska-Dziedzic spent a significant portion of his childhood in the Colorado foster system. After being adopted at the age of 12 from an all-boys orphanage in Littleton, Colorado, Kevin and his new family relocated north to Berthoud, Colorado. Since before he could remember, Tydlaska-Dziedzic’s first dream was acting. However, like many talented creatives, his path to success was hardly a straight line. He originally discovered his love of photography in his middle school’s 4-H program. Tydlaska-Dziedzic’s adoptive parents eventually divorced. After graduating high school, he came out to his adopted family, but the soon-to-be photographer was kicked out of his adopted family’s home. He couldn’t attend college, and instead, worked as a bank teller and began his career in accounting and finance.
While one of his best friends from high school, Chelsi, went on to RMCAD to study fine arts, Tydlaska-Dziedzic’s journey eventually led him to New York City, where he met Brandon, the man who would one day become his husband. “On our first date, my husband said he dreamed of one day owning his own ad agency. He went to art school and had already graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design. His words and his dream stuck with me through the years and due to my aggressive nature in business, I knew I could make that dream happen for him. So, my main motivation to create what we have today, was my husband,” shared the artist.
Building Towards BKN Creative
Tydlaska-Dziedzic went on to major in film at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in NYC eventually interning with the photo department at CBS, and working with Celebrity Photographer, Mike Ruiz, which landed him a retouching credit in Inked magazine and allowed him to join large-scale cover shoots for both Adon and Emmy Magazine. These experiences are what drew him back to his passion for photography. He left SVA, moved back to Colorado, shifted his career from Accounting to Marketing, married his partner, and enrolled in the online photography program at RMCAD. “RMCAD was always on my mind since graduating high school because my friend Chelsi went there and spoke so highly of the school,” shared Tydlaska-Dziedzic.
While attending school full-time, Tydlaska-Dziedzic worked in both marketing and video production while also building his photography skills as a freelance portrait photographer. While in class at RMCAD, he was exposed to product photography, which eventually landed him a role in South Florida. This role required both product and lifestyle photography and helped shape his understanding of the nuances of product photography – particularly photographing steel and glass. One client, whom he was introduced to while a student at RMCAD, hired him to shoot for a campaign that would be on a billboard in Los Angeles, California. His work was later featured in The Denver Post, HQ Magazine, Forbes, LA Times, and Rolling Stone.
However, Tydlaska-Dziedzic’s dream wasn’t to spend his life only as a freelance photographer. He is an advocate of people pursuing many career paths and leveraging all talents to create the life they want. One of these paths was to build the agency his husband dreamed of. After graduating from RMCAD in November 2017, Kevin initially started what would become BKN Creative in April 2018, by focusing on creating an event that would produce elevated professional headshots in the Tampa Bay area, as it was a need that was not yet filled in the city. This success allowed Brandon Tydlaska-Dziedzic to join BKN Creative full-time and leave his other position. Today, their ad agency, which includes many services, has amassed clientele that range from a local credit union to large global brands like Marriott. And, while photography has been a major service offered at the agency, the services at BKN Creative certainly go well beyond that.
What’s next?
BKN Creative, a minority-owned and certified LGBT business enterprise, has grown significantly and now has eight full-time team members with a full suite of benefits uncommon for a smaller firm. Even though Tydlaska-Dziedzic might not be the lead photographer anymore, he still helps ideate imagery that represents the brand’s aesthetic. “Marriott is a great example. I recently directed a large-scale shoot with two video crews and a photo crew. Each one of Marriott’s assets has a different aesthetic, which we reflected in the final product. What works for the hotel lobby, will likely not work for the rooftop restaurant,” says Tydlaska-Dziedzic.
Overall, working hands-on with clients and team members is incredibly important to Tydlaska-Dziedzic and his husband. He shares, “I think that what makes us so different is that we’re still heavily involved in the day-to-day creative and the overall success of every client and every team member. We’re working owners.”
Even now, Tydlaska-Dziedzic is still chasing his dreams, including his first love of acting. He even recently landed a role in “Bad Monkey,” an Apple TV+ mystery series, starring Vince Vaughan. However, the dream he is most proud of is creating an agency with his husband. From Brandon and Kevin Tydlaska-Dziedzic’s very first date, BKN Creative has been an ad agency centered around creativity and passion. Tydlaska-Dziedzic is immensely proud of the creative home he and his husband have built! He never wants to lose sight of what matters most saying, “I wanted to create something that I couldn’t find. A completely transparent agency, not motivated by money, that would open employment and service opportunities to a diverse market.”
Looking to kick-start your photography dream?
Starting a career in the arts is hardly ever a straight line! Whether you are a traditional student or you are looking to go back to school, Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is the perfect community for all creatives. RMCAD offers photography degrees on-campus and online, not to mention a certificate in digital photography. It’s never too late to chase your dreams, request more information today!
