Espen Olsen, a Norwegian cinematographer, has over 12 years of experience in film, with a focus on fashion in recent years. His work has taken him to stunning locations worldwide, from the bustling streets of Hong Kong and the rich landscapes of Colombia to the serene beaches of Lofoten and the snowy mountaintops of Norway. Across these diverse environments, Espen strives to highlight the unique beauty of fashion through film.

Espen often collaborates with renowned fashion stills photographers, such as Fred Jonny and Cathrine Wessel, finding it fascinating to blend the worlds of photography and film. These collaborations bring out the best in both mediums, creating dynamic results that enhance the storytelling aspect of fashion shoots.

While he often incorporates handheld shots and natural light, Espen tailors his approach to fit the vision of each project. His success comes from the collaboration between talented models, skilled crews, and a well-planned idea, ensuring that every shoot reaches its full potential.

Espen continues to build his portfolio by working on new and exciting fashion projects, always aiming to deliver visuals that connect with audiences and reflect the essence of style. In December 2023, Espen signed a deal with Asian producer and agent David Attali to be represented throughout Asia, expanding his reach in the film industry.

Here are two projects from Jeff Ludes, showcasing two very different approaches! First up was a shoot for Honda and their first-ever electric SUV, the Prologue. Jeff’s team spent about a week in the San Francisco area, capturing the city, neighbourhoods, coastline, and redwoods. They even squeezed in a little video work, utilising the existing team, with Jeff taking on double duty as DP.

For something completely different, Jeff had the opportunity to team up with Gybow for a personal project, utilising their impressive revolving LED system. On the first day, Jeff and his team shot a model and captured HDRIs at a unique rooftop location. The next day, they moved into the studio, this time with the McLaren, where the Gybow was set up to envelop the vehicle in a perfect bubble of light and reflection. Check out the behind-the-scenes video in this feature. Once everything was captured, Mainworks brought it all together seamlessly and naturally, as always.

"It’s been a wild year of directing! The work is still under wraps, but I have some very exciting things coming up. From CGI composites to celebrity portraits, it has been lots of fun. My passion working for inspirational people with innovative concepts has never been higher. Cheers to more great times with friends!

Stay tuned and check out the latest on Instagram."

Another eventful European summer is coming to an end, and automotive photographer Anatol Gottfried delights us with an exciting new photo series.

In his latest projects, Anatol strikes the perfect balance between lifestyle and automotive photography.

On the stunning Canary island of Tenerife, he captured the brand new C3 Aircross for Citroën, highlighting its youthful energy and showcasing the vehicle in its natural setting. Featuring the same modern, blocky, and appealing styling cues as the new Citroën C3, the Aircross arrives as one of the few affordable small SUVs with seven-seat practicality.

For Toyota and its innovative mobility service provider, KINTO, Anatol created a vibrant series in and around Barcelona. The goal of the series was to visualise the freedom of an efficient vehicle without ownership costs. Toyota's seamless car-sharing solutions make it easy to find the ideal vehicle for every occasion, whether it’s short-term car-sharing, long-term leasing, or flexible leasing options.

Always eager for new experiences and exciting projects, Anatol is available to work anywhere in the world. Have a glimpse at his portfolio on Instagram or his website, and get in touch to rock your next production.

"Another amazing shoot in and around Seoul, South Korea, with a fantastic team. Genesis G90 Black stills and BTS film. Kudos to all involved in this production - agency Innocean Worldwide with clients Genesis Cars, and the brilliant creatives, production company, photographic crew and retouchers.

Welcoming Danni and Aidan @ SOWWorldwide aboard who are now representing us in London.

Take a look at what we’ve been up to and join the conversation with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Get an insight behind the scenes on Harniman's blog."

"Elegance in motion. Cars are impressive. They have reached a level of sophistication and design that makes them more attractive than ever. Photographing them is always a great challenge. Multi- plane objects that they are, we need absolute control of the light and reflections to get to the perfect image.

Then we add movement, another key factor in many situations, which makes car photography even more complex.

World brands such as Toyota, Audi, Peugeot, Lexus, VW, Volvo and Citroën have honored us by allowing us to be part of their team."

"It's been a productive 2024 with shoots for Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, and Suzuki. More exciting productions to be revealed soon after embargoes are lifted.

Stay tuned."

Capturing cars on location is Alexandru’s specialty and preferred method. Whether it’s day, night, sunny or rainy, he thrives in natural light conditions or a blend with studio light.

With over a decade of experience, Alexandru has honed his skills to adapt his photography and retouching style to any light and weather conditions. He believes in going back to the basics of understanding light, shadow, and color to create the desired mood and tell a compelling story to the viewer.

This approach makes on-location shoots more dynamic and authentic, capturing the car in its natural environment.

Alexandru embraces the unpredictability of outdoor settings to capture the true essence of each car, showcasing its design and performance in ways that studio environments can’t replicate. His expertise in working with natural elements adds a unique depth and authenticity to his photos, making them more engaging and visually striking.

Mirko Westerbrink is a photographer who was born in Germany and raised in the Netherlands.

His work embodies authenticity and vibrant energy, maintaining a seamless balance between artistic expression and commercial functionality. With this approach, he has collaborated with various clients globally, including Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Land Rover, and Toyota.

Mirko's photography is distinguished by its meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of the visual narrative, enabling him to capture the essence of both people and products in compelling ways. Mirko's portfolio spans a wide range of genres, from automotive and lifestyle photography to portraits and fashion. His dedication to his craft and his ability to adapt to the diverse needs of his clients make him a sought-after photographer in the industry.

Horton-Stephens has been London's leading photographers' agent for longer than anyone can remember.

You may have seen Wilson Hennessy’s recent Sky campaign, but he isn’t just a still-lifer; his first passion is cars! The Horton-Stephens office team are petrolheads too, so they thought they’d bring you Wil’s recent car work in this Production Paradise Car special! From the latest Bentleys to an amazing series with experimental lighting using the Gybow system and a very stylish new 911, Wil uses technology to advance, refine, and perfect car lighting with or without a human element in the shot. You can see more of Wil’s work on the Horton-Stephens website, of course.

Horton-Stephens is well-known for representing a world-class group of photographers, but moving images have become a bigger and bigger part of what the team does. Great production remains key to the success of all their shoots. They are happy to work alongside client-provided production or to provide a full service. It goes without saying that they have an encyclopaedic knowledge of lighting, casting, locations (in the UK and worldwide), set building, timings, post-production, CGI, and moving images—whether shooting TVCs or on the back of TVCs (a very particular challenge they often deal with, where they only have moments to get the shot); they’ve done it all!

2024 has been a blur, with new campaigns for National Rail, Sky, Amex, and Waitrose, with more to come shortly! Recently, they have won Cannes Awards, Creative Circle Awards (two Gold, two Silver), and a D&AD pencil! Do reach out to them if they can help you, too, and head over to their website’s Latest News section to see recent projects and more.