Kane Wharton Talks Wrestling Photography
Which wrestlers are the most fun to photograph?
One of the great things The Wrestling Estate has allowed me to do is to connect with all sorts of wrestling industry professionals.
That is why on a sporadic basis throughout 2020, I will be bringing several exclusive interviews from industry insiders, helping fans learn more about their work and impact on the business.
My third interview is one I’ve really been excited about sharing. Kane Wharton is one of the most prominent wrestling photographers on the circuit today. Here, he shares his fan history, his favorite matches and most importantly, what makes a great photo!
How long have you been a wrestling fan and who are some of your favorite wrestlers?
Kane Wharton: “I didn’t watch wrestling as a child. It was part of pop culture so I was aware of it, but I never watched it. One day, I was in a toy store and noticed an action figure of Kane. Same name, same spelling as mine. I picked it up and read the bio. Kane was the brother and rival of The Undertaker. Even with my limited knowledge of wrestling, I knew The Undertaker, and he looked cool, so that furthered my interest. I tuned in to WWF Raw the next Monday and by pure coincidence, the headline match was Undertaker and Kane in an Inferno match. And I’ve been hooked ever since. That was February of 1999, just before WrestleMania 15. Over the next few years, I was watching everything I could find.
Kane was an immediate favorite because he had that mystique in 1999. Then Essa Rios introduced me to lucha libre. That moonsault was phenomenal! Over the years, I was a big fan of Triple H, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kevin Owens and Aleister Black. The WWE always has someone I’m keeping an eye on. Aside from the WWE, I like so many of the ROH guys. Marty is so entertaining. I’ve been watching the Briscoe Brothers since they were in high school. Dragon Lee, Bandido, Rush and Jeff Cobb. When he gets the time to have a proper match, he’s one of the best out there today. And AEW has a lot of my favorites right now. Penta Zero M, Rey Fenix and of course, the Young Bucks.”
Do you have a favorite match and did you have a favorite match growing up?
Kane Wharton: “Masato Tanaka and Mike Awesome had the best feud in ECW! It was strong style wrestling turned up to 11. Those guys went to war and just hit each other with finisher after finisher, but kept kicking out. I’d never seen anything like it and it’s still my favorite feud. As far as matches I’ve seen in person, Keith Lee vs. Donovan Dijak at PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2017. Everyone in that room knew we were seeing something really special.”
Where did your interest and talent for photography begin?
Kane Wharton: “It started with concert photography when I was a teenager. The Empire Rock Club in Northeast Philadelphia had all-ages shows every Sunday night. If I liked the band that was playing, I’d borrow one of my mother’s cameras and try to get up close. It didn’t take long to realize that if I didn’t use a flash, I wasn’t distracting the band and that the stage lights added a lot more color and drama to the photos. I learned how to handle shooting in low-light conditions, and that helped when I transitioned to wrestling shows. By the end of high school, I had bought my own camera and was selling photos of bands in the halls between classes.”
Which photographers have inspired you?
Kane Wharton: “There are a lot of great photographers in the scene and I like A LOT of them. The first two photographers that made me aware that ringside photography was even a thing were Lyle Williams and Zia Hiltey. I’d seen them working so many of the Philly and New Jersey shows. Then Esther Lin’s work for PWG was a big inspiration. Robyn Goding. Jon Washer. Just love their stuff. Earl Gardner, who shoots all the GCW shows. Scott Lesh; not just for his great photography, but for his sheer dedication to social media! Last but not least, Jeremy Belinfante, whose Instagram is a mix of Japanese wrestling and rock bands playing small venues in Australia. It combines both my photographic interests!”
What was the first wrestling event you attended and took photos at?
Kane Wharton: “Honestly, I can’t even remember! I live near Philadelphia, and so many shows come through this area. Every company wants to run their show at the 2300 Arena (the former “ECW Arena”). ROH, Impact, MLW, CZW, Evolve, Progress, House of Hardcore, etc. They’ve all been there. At some point, I started bringing a camera with me just to remember all the talent I’d seen. Random snapshots from wherever I happened to be seated.”
When you are taking a photo, what is it you are looking for the most?
Kane Wharton: “It’s not one thing, it’s everything. Everything that we love in wrestling. The physicality and athleticism. The characters and personas. Coming to the ring with confidence and swagger. The drama on their faces when a move works, or when their opponent keeps kicking out. And when you’re watching a great match, it all goes by so fast. A jaw-dropping move might last two seconds and then it’s onto the next one. You’re missing so much without even realizing it. I’m trying to freeze those fleeting moments so I can savor them a bit longer.”
How have wrestlers and companies responded to your work and are there any wrestlers you especially like to photograph?
Kane Wharton: “I have gotten some really nice feedback from wrestlers. My single favorite critique was “intimate,” which confused me at first. I had to go back and look at my photos to understand it. I zoom in wherever I can, shooting under the ropes so it feels like you’re inside the ring. I want the drama and the expressions as much as I want the moves. Once I began taking my photography more seriously, I started getting DMs from wrestlers immediately. “Do you have any more? Can I post them on my social media?” That really opened my eyes to the symbiotic relationship between performers and photographers. Indy wrestlers are their own cottage industry. They’re selling their own merch during intermission, so clearly, they aren’t hiring photographers to follow them around! If they need photos, they’re reliant on the photographers hired by the promotion and sometimes the amateur photographers in the audience. That also made me want to get better.
My favorites to photograph are the ones with the most expressive faces, who aren’t always trying to look stoic: Trevor Lee, Darby Allin, Su Yung, Rosemary and Kenny Omega. Penta still manages to make great expressions despite covering most of his face with a mask. And I would love another chance to shoot Shingo Takagi in action!”
I was first exposed to your work after PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2018. What was it like chronicling the tournament in photo form?
Kane Wharton: “PWG is my favorite promotion, and BOLA is my favorite event. You get a mix of the top current performers, as well as debuting wrestlers you’ve probably never heard of. In PWG, new faces are a good thing. These are the people that you will be looking forward to seeing again over the next year. BOLA weekend 2018 was one of my favorite experiences. I was using all new equipment. I bought the camera on Wednesday and that Friday night I was at BOLA! I was in a different spot each night which gave my photos a lot of variety.”
Is there anyone who has surprised you with how photogenic they are?
Kane Wharton: PAC! His technical precision blows me away and he has such great expressions. I don’t think I’ve taken a bad photo of him.
For the techies out there, what camera(s) do you use in case anyone wants to take up photography themselves?
Kane Wharton: “My main camera is a Canon 5D Mark IV, which is pricey for a beginner. But I’ve spent a lot of time using the Sony Alpha series mirrorless cameras and I really like them. They’re smaller and lighter, they’re fast and they’re really good in low-light conditions. There’s a whole range of them so there’s one for every budget.”
What has been your favorite event to take photographs at?
Kane Wharton: “I know I sound repetitive, but it has to be PWG Battle of Los Angeles. It’s my favorite tournament every year. I miss the American Legion Hall, but the Globe Theater is a great venue. It provides a really nice background to the action in the ring. The crowd is great, too. It holds such prestige in my heart that it pushes me to do my best.”
Is there an event or match you wish you could have taken photographs at/of?
Kane Wharton: “That’s a tough question! Everyone’s got those matches that they were so invested in. Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar at No Way Out 2004. CM Punk vs. John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 19 also comes to mind. Sadly, there’s no second chances for those to happen. It would really be a dream come true to shoot any of the NXT Takeover events. They’ve been consistently great since the beginning. NXT’s roster is loaded with so many former PWG and ROH wrestlers and they really get to shine during their big events.”
Finally, where can people find your work and is there any social media you would like to promote?
Kane Wharton: “I’m most active on Instagram: @m4rk_of_k4ne. I also have a Twitter account: @Kane_B13.”
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