{"id":40408,"date":"2020-01-02T06:00:36","date_gmt":"2020-01-02T14:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2020\/01\/02\/smile-youre-on-kandid-kush\/"},"modified":"2020-01-03T00:57:35","modified_gmt":"2020-01-03T08:57:35","slug":"smile-youre-on-kandid-kush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2020\/01\/02\/smile-youre-on-kandid-kush\/","title":{"rendered":"Smile, You\u2019re on Kandid Kush"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Chris Romaine didn\u2019t expect to become a prominent cannabis photographer. Better known by the moniker Kandid Kush, Romaine was raised by fairly conservative parents and only took a mild interest in the arts during his youth.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad was a cop,\u201d Romaine laughs. \u201cHe taught D.A.R.E. and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite a childhood filled with anti-drug rhetoric, 32-year-old Romaine first tried cannabis at age 20. He loved the uplifting and creative vibe he felt, and smoking soon became a regular part of everyday life.<\/p>\n

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(Super Glue from Pistil Point Farms, bred by Sensi Seeds.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While working as an automotive painter, Romaine was given the task of snapping a couple of quick pics of finished work for his boss. It was his first stint behind the lens, with the exception of a basic black and white photography class during high school, and the somewhat menial assignment forever changed the trajectory of Romaine\u2019s career \u2014 even if it would be several years before he realized it.<\/p>\n

Creating a New Destiny<\/strong><\/h4>\n

After reviving his interest in photography in LA, Romaine spent several years in Las Vegas, where he ended up in the hospitality industry. When not slinging drinks in nightclubs, Romaine taught himself the ins and outs of digital photography. He picked up a decent DSLR and started setting up shoots with models he would meet online or cocktail waitresses from work.<\/p>\n

Six years later, in 2015, Romaine set out for San Diego to help open a new nightclub. It was at this time he also secured his first salaried product photography position at a local car dealership. He also bought some weed, obtaining a medical marijuana card as soon as he arrived in California (adult-use sales didn\u2019t begin there until 2018).<\/p>\n

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(Blue Mazar grown by Pharaoh Farms.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI went on Weedmaps like the first night I pulled up, and the photos were pretty awful,\u201d Romaine explained. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t even tell what anything was!\u201d<\/p>\n

After purchasing a few strains, the quick-thinking Romaine opted to take some shots of his own. He reached out to a delivery business with his work, and eventually hashed out a deal: one-eighth of cannabis for every product photographed. After a year and a half, the artist (who says he loves any and all Chemdawg crosses) moved up north to Oakland on a whim to fulfill his artistic destiny, given the Bay Area\u2019s unofficial designation as the epicenter of California\u2019s thriving cannabis industry.<\/p>\n

\u2018Kandid Kush\u2019\u00a0<\/strong>Is<\/strong>\u00a0Born<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In the Bay Area, Romaine was a relative unknown. It took time for him to break into the cannabis photography industry, but his attention to detail and the development of striking prints featuring hundreds of images stacked on one another were soon earning him gigs for well-known brands and dispensaries such as\u00a0Garden of Eden<\/a>. During his first visit to an indoor grow, when he toured the cultivation center for the top-shelf boutique brand\u00a0Gold Seal<\/a>, Romaine was taken aback by the immense beauty of fresh cannabis.<\/p>\n

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(T.I.T.S from IC Collective, bred by Diamond Back Genetics.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt was the first time I saw live trichomes, and I was blown away,\u201d he said. \u201cThe plant is crazy beautiful. I want to show the beauty and rid the stigma through my photography. That\u2019s really my mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowing he needed a brand of his own to fulfill his mission, Romaine got a few of his friends together and developed a simple yet effective plan: Everyone would write every word they could think of that involved cannabis and photography, throw them in a hat, and draw out combinations until something stuck. \u201cCandid\u201d and \u201ckush\u201d came out of the hat, and now, only a few short years later,\u00a0Kandid Kush<\/a>\u00a0is officially trademarked by the United States government.<\/p>\n

Working with Industry Icons<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Today, at his studio in downtown Oakland, Romaine is busier than ever. As an artist, his meticulous nature may be considered borderline obsessive. After a recent 10 hour shoot at the Sherbinskis cultivation facility, Romaine went home with a jaw-dropping 160 gigabytes of data (yes, that\u2019s a ton).<\/p>\n

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(Pink Panties grown and bred by Mr. Sherbinski.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Romaine says getting to work with industry icons such as Mario Guzman, the cultivator known as\u00a0Mr. Sherbinski<\/a>, is a dream come true.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought this guy was untouchable, and fast forward three years later, we\u2019re smoking a joint and laughing like old friends,\u201d Romaine says, adding that his first day shooting at the Sherbinskis farm was one of the highlights of his career so far.<\/p>\n

Besides being inspired by the cultivators he works with, Romaine also looks to other cannabis photographers for creative guidance. Romaine says he considers the book\u00a0\u201cGreen: A Field Guide to Marijuana\u201d<\/a>to be a big inspiration. The quintessential cannabis text by Dan Michaels features stunning imagery from\u00a0Erik Christiansen<\/a>, and Romaine says he would pour over its pages day in and day out while still honing his craft.<\/p>\n

Years later, he found out that Christiansen at one point lived only a mile away from him during his time in San Diego. The two are now friends, which he says is a testament to the incredibly serendipitous nature of the cannabis industry.<\/p>\n

In keeping with what he\u2019s learned about the cannabis industry so far, Romaine encourages other budding photographers to stay focused, regardless of preconceived notions about whether or not there\u2019s still room for them in the weed game.<\/p>\n

\"\"
(Lemon Bliss, grown and bred by Moongazer Farm.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cKeep persevering, no matter how many people laugh at you or tell you it can\u2019t be done,\u201d he said. \u201cThings don\u2019t happen overnight. Always embrace change and failure. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations to grow. I\u2019ve failed so many times over and over again. I\u2019ve even quit photography a couple of times \u2014 but I keep coming back to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why would a promising talent such as Romaine give up his art? It turns out his initial foray into model photography ended when one subject became threatening. The man he had photographed had posted unauthorized images of the shoot, and when Romaine requested he cease and desist, became hostile.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sort of pushed me over the edge in dealing with people,\u201d he lamented.<\/p>\n

With pot photography, the gorgeous plants don\u2019t get hostile. Instead, they invite Romaine in with their intoxicating aroma and brightly colored buds, and he always knows they will only end up creating more happiness once they\u2019re consumed.<\/p>\n

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(Mochi grown and bred by Mr. Sherbinski.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

A Vision of What Lies Ahead<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Romaine believes the future of his craft lies in 360-degree photography, which utilizes augmented reality to allow viewers of an image to see it from all angles. However, he adds the nascent nature of the cannabis industry has led to a critical lack of standardization. For example, one producer\u2019s product may look very different on one dispensary menu versus another. Currently, Romaine uses a 50-megapixel camera to gather macro shots and raw footage that showcase every last nook and cranny of the plant. Someday, visitors to KandidKush.com may be able to get as up close and personal with the buds as Romaine does. \u00a0<\/p>\n

This vision of tomorrow fits within Romaine\u2019s steadfast dedication to his original mission: to celebrate the beauty of cannabis while normalizing its place in our society.<\/p>\n

\"\"
(Jamaican Pink Lemonade grown and bred by Moongazer Farm.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOne of the ways to normalize anything is to really get it out in the public eye,\u201d he says. \u201cI want to see trichome pictures on a billboard! I don\u2019t think we\u2019re that far away.\u201d<\/p>\n

But what does Romaine\u2019s dad, the D.A.R.E.-teaching police officer, think of his son\u2019s success?<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad is, like, borderline on the edge of maybe trying an edible,\u201d he laughed. \u201cPretty huge coming from a guy who thinks you can literally get high by being in a grow room!\u201d<\/p>\n

TELL US,<\/strong>\u00a0do you ever try to photograph your stash?<\/p>\n

Originally published in Issue 39 of Cannabis Now.\u00a0LEARN MORE<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The post Smile, You\u2019re on Kandid Kush<\/a> appeared first on Cannabis Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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\nRead More: Smile, You\u2019re on Kandid Kush<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chris Romaine didn\u2019t expect to become a prominent cannabis photographer. Better known by the moniker Kandid Kush, Romaine was raised by fairly conservative parents and only took a mild interest in the arts during his youth. \u201cMy dad was a cop,\u201d Romaine laughs. \u201cHe taught D.A.R.E. and everything.\u201d Despite aContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97,"featured_media":40409,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[50,13018,99,6515,85,12901,13019,72,1156],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40408"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/97"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40408"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40410,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40408\/revisions\/40410"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}