about KN+SAW

who we are:

Hi there. We are KN+SAW (Katrine Naleid and Stephen Austin Welch.)

We specialize in directing live-action lifestyle spots for creatives worldwide.

what we do:

First and foremost, KN+SAW will breathe life into your projects.

We create and capture inspirational authentic lifestyle moments. Shooting real emotion is what we are all about. We strive to make footage that is fresh, whimsical and a little quirky—but most importantly footage that honors the creative concept. Through our directing skills we make the intangible, tangible.

where we are:

Anywhere you need us to be! We are based on the west coast and shoot in LA, SF, NY & around the globe.

what gear we like:

We shoot regularly with the new Canon cameras (a.k.a. the Canon 5D Mark II and the 7D.) The quality of the footage we are shooting is simply stunning. Before the HD-SLR camera revolution, we’ve shot with everything from Panavision & Arri 35mm to Bolex cameras!

where we came from:

I, Stephen, grew up in Collinsville, an Illinois Suburb of St. Louis. Katrine grew up in Pocatello, in the the high desert of rural Idaho. Essentially we had similar, rural, upbringings before city-life. We both then went on to study art in college. Katrine went to college in Utah and studied photography and business. Stephen attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and then went to film school at USC in LA.

what happened next:

SAW: “I cut my teeth in the film world, working as a director of photography in the thriving Boston independent scene of the early 90’s. I then migrated to LA where I worked in the lighting department on some features with great directors and some really talented A-list actors. I then began working on video documentaries of olympic athletes. All of that film experience was great, but I wanted to create my own business. So, I took my fine art photography and started leaning it more towards commercial photography. Within 2 years a was up and running as a fill time advertising photographer.”

KN: “After school I moved to San Francisco. I jumped in with both feet and assisted some big photographers, who let me rent their shooting space for my own clients on the weekend. Once those client turned into regulars, it was time for me to go out on my own get my own studio space. I made that leap 15 years ago and have not looked back.”

how we became a directing duo:

We have been collaborating on shoots over the past 10+ years. A few years back, we started shooting personal projects together, with both motion footage and still photography. That work rose to the top in our portfolios. And just like that, a lightbulb went on in our heads that we were stronger “visual storytellers” together.

how soon is now:

We are having more fun shooting than ever. Sometimes we are hired to direct spots. Sometimes we are hired to shoot the still photography as well as motion on the same shoot. And sometimes people just need still for their campaign. We are open to any and all scenarios. Hire us.

who’s taking about us:

Our work has been featured in these fine industry magazines: After Capture, Communication Arts, Digital Output, Photo District News, HOW and Print.

our client list includes:

24xHourxFitness Adaptec Adobe Always Ambien AmericanxBaby Apple AT&T BedxBathxandxBeyond BestxBuy BetterxHomesx&xGardens Campbell-Ewald Canonball CenturyTel Chrysler Clorox Coke ConsumerxReports Corona CVSxPharmacy DDBsf DGWB DiscoveryxChannel DonerxAdvertising Draft DraftFCB Ducati Duracell eBay Familiar FCB FoodxArts GeneralxMills GenomicxHealth GlitterhousexRecords GlobalxHue Grey Gymboree Health Healthtex HelloxHanna HiddenxValleyxRanch Hilton Huggies IntegerxGroup Intel Invisalign JohnxMuirxHealth JWT KaiserxPermanente Kellogg’s Kiplinger’s KlutzxPress Kraft LadiesxHomexJournal LeoxBurnett Levi’s Logitech LosxAngelesxMagazine Macy’s MartinxAgency McCann Meredith Microsoft Milk Momentum Namco Nestle Nickelodeon NorthwestxAirlines Oracle Palmolive ParadexMagazine Pepsico PhonicxEar Pinesol PNCxBank PorterxNovelli Psychologies ResearchxMeansxHope Ross SantanaxRow Sega SetonxMedicalxCenter Shaklee Shape Shutterfly Splenda Target TBWA\Chiat\Day Tony’sxPizza Townx&xCountry Trone TurnerxDuckworth Ubisoft UCSFxMedicalxCenter UnitedxWay USPS Walmart WellsxFargo WinexSpectator WorkingxMother Wunderman Y&R Yahoo! YogaxJournal Zyrtec

btw:

You can view all of Katrine Naleid’s photography at KNphoto.com & Stephen Austin Welch’s still photographic work, here on SAW-ART.com