He’s been feet away from Marquette Basketball players when they’re on team-only retreats. When new musicians come to The Rave, he has a front row seat. President Kimo Ah Yun knows him by name and offers a friendly hello when they pass each other in the hallway.
K’leyon Hampton has the kind of access that most people only dream about. Of course, it helps that there’s a Sony A7IV camera clutched in his hands.
“You have to make sure you tell a story with each photo you take,” Hampton says. “You try to be in perfect position to capture those candid moments of people being their true selves.”
The K’leyon Hampton who will walk across the stage and receive his diploma during this year’s Undergraduate Commencement ceremony bears little resemblance to the person who first stepped on campus three-and-a-half years ago as part of the Urban Scholars Program. That version of K’leyon had never picked up a camera in his life. That K’leyon was primarily concerned with studying whatever could make money.
“I originally was in the College of Business Administration thinking I was going to major in finance and marketing,” Hampton recalls. “That first semester was extremely rough. I was taking accounting, calculus, things that weren’t really my passion.”
A sample of Hampton’s photos during his time working for OMC, including Marquette Basketball (top), the hip-hop artist Polo G (bottom left), Marquette President Kimo Ah Yun (bottom center) and R&B singer Coco Jones (bottom right).
When he went home to Chicago for Winter Break, Hampton contemplated dropping out. His mother told him to sit in his room and think: What did he really want to do with his life? If money didn’t matter, what would he study? Discern, adjust, try again.
So, he thought. He played basketball in high school and still loved the game. He used to be a boxer. He liked music and had an interest in learning more about real estate. It soon dawned on him that there was a profession that would let him be close to all his interests and more: photography.
“The technical skills can be learned and mastered by anyone who puts their mind to it; the interpersonal skills are harder to learn. They are part of K’leyon’s being. Everyone who meets with him connects with him.”
University photographer Patrick Manning on K’Leyon Hampton
One day, he met University Photographer Patrick Manning at a Marquette basketball game and introduced himself. The next fall, they met again on Central Mall, and Hampton started asking questions. They talked, impromptu, for roughly an hour as Manning walked along, snapping photos. That conversation led to an internship in the Office of Marketing and Communication working for Manning.
“I could tell that he was really into photography and that it was important to him. I realized he was someone who wanted to learn and grow his skills. I knew he was the right person for our photo internship,” Manning says.
“That’s my guy,” Hampton says of Manning. “He’s taught me so much more than he even realizes. Being in the studio with him taking headshots, learning the business aspect of photography; it has all been amazing.”
That internship working for Manning opened the door to a side of Marquette very few people get to see. Hampton was suddenly in rooms with President Ah Yun, photographing him as he met with faculty. Marquette Athletics started giving him opportunities to photograph tennis matches, which quickly turned into sitting on the baseline for basketball games, which then turned into joining the basketball team on road games in Chicago and boat trips to Lake Geneva.
His philosophy is simple but potent: look for the emotion. The best photo of President Ah Yun likely won’t be during his prepared remarks, but rather afterward, when he’s chatting with faculty. Flashy dunks might make the highlight reel at the end of a basketball game, but the facial reactions from the bench tend to make for a more enduring image. Over time, he’s gotten better at anticipating and creating those moments, at “telling a story with each photo,” as Hampton puts it.
“When I get the chance, I like to get to know my subjects and be personable with them,” Hampton says. “Once people are comfortable with me, it brings out the joy. It’s not ‘OK, I’m going to snap your photo and move on.’ It makes their emotions more authentic.”
“He’s made a big impact on the services we provide to the greater university,” Manning says. “The technical skills can be learned and mastered by anyone who puts their mind to it; the interpersonal skills are harder to learn. They are part of K’leyon’s being. Everyone who meets with him connects with him. He puts you at ease and makes you feel like royalty.”
Along the way, people like Manning and Josh Levin, Marquette Athletics’ former director of creative content and social media, have helped Hampton, teaching him the business and helping him build a solid base of professional connections. He also went on the Diederich Experience trip to Los Angeles over Spring Break to network with Marquette alumni.
“People who connect with you here will do things for you that they don’t have to do if they see potential in you,” Hampton says.
Hampton has had the next step after graduation in mind for a while: return to Chicago and invest in a creative studio of his own — one that reflects his vision and serves as a space for storytelling, culture and community. He is working to secure long-term partnerships with schools, organizations and creative teams, with the goal of becoming a trusted creative voice for communities and institutions alike.
For Hampton, the work goes beyond the pictures themselves. It’s about capturing moments, stories and energy in a way that lives on long after the picture is taken.
