Which collaborations and stories have significantly influenced Scott Kivowitz's photography journey?

A few key relationships and stories have really shaped Scott Wyden Kivowitz’s photography journey.

Photography runs in the family. Scott’s grandfather and father were both photographers; he still has his grandfather’s pristine Nikon F and his father’s Fujica AZ‑1, his first camera. Their influence, and the feeling that art is “born with you,” is a foundational story in his work.

Professors and mentors in college were another big influence. Discovering photographers like Robert Frank and Lee Friedlander in school expanded how Scott saw storytelling with a camera and pushed him toward more thoughtful, narrative images.

Scott is also continually inspired by kind, creative people—friends in the photography community and public figures like Ellen DeGeneres and Jason Mraz, whose focus on kindness and love mirrors the way he tries to approach both life and photography.

Most of all, Scott’s late father remains a central “collaboration of the heart.” Scott photographs with the ongoing thought that his father is watching and proud, and that sense of legacy and connection quietly guides much of his work.

Is there a part of Scott’s story you’d like to dive deeper into—family influence, mentors, or community inspiration?