PEOPLE & LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY Feb 2017

Aaron Geller, originally from Northwest Ohio, is a midwestern photographer working between Detroit and Chicago specialising in fitness, lifestyle, and portraiture.

After completing a degree in French literature, Aaron flew to NYC and had the opportunity to intern under beauty and fashion photographer Sarah Silver. Aaron then spent time travelling Western Europe and the Middle East capturing the heart of the people through his portraits and working at an art gallery in Tel Aviv.

Since establishing himself in west Michigan, Aaron now operates a full time commercial studio and has developed a list of clients including local and national companies. In recent years, he has simplified and streamlined his style of portraiture to focus on the unique character of each of his subjects. Spontaneous yet polished, his work can be characterised by being candid in nature.

His work has taken him on assignment from California to Mexico to Jerusalem. Aaron's clients range from institutes of higher learning such as Michigan State University to high profile clients such as Delta Airlines.

Ashley Lewis is a London-based lifestyle, people and sports photographer. Ashley’s work gives an authentic feel to genuine moments that’s demanded by global brands.

His crew love photography and with a ‘work-hard’ attitude coupled with vast technical knowledge, nothing is too much trouble. Most importantly fun and adventure is encouraged and boundaries usually get pushed resulting in vivid memories of the slightly unexplainable.

The images in this Spotlight are all from the same brief - the launch shoot of Virgin Sport. An adrenaline filled two days of running, skating, cycling, walking, dancing, eating and drinking (mostly coffee) through London from East to West! See more here.

Ashley is now taking bookings for 2017 and would welcome the opportunity to work with you.

Iri Greco came of age in the 1980s New York art and punk scene, but longed for the wild. Jim Fryer grew up in laid-back southern California but found passion and intensity as a professional bike racer.

As a team, they bring out each other’s best traits: big thinking, spontaneity, pragmatism, authenticity, and balance. Together, Iri and Jim create serious visuals without taking themselves too seriously.

"We are BrakeThrough Media, New York and San Francisco- based editorial and commercial photographers with a collective aesthetic. We specialize in travel-based and active lifestyle content. We strive to unearth real personalities in authentic moments. Some of the clients we serve include lululemon, Sopexa, mindbodygreen, Specialized Bicycles, Novo Nordisk, London Times, and Women’s Health.

Our clients and subjects are our aesthetic currency. We build relationships not transactions. Collaboration is our keystone. We pay attention. Our work is bold and nuanced, raw yet refined. We cultivate a documentary style with an inclusive emotional appeal. We seek out the perfect moment - whether candid or crafted. We are storytellers. We strive to capture, hold, and move the audience while never being commonplace. We smash ordinary.

We brake through."

Casey Templeton is an award-winning corporate and commercial photographer based in Richmond, Virginia. He photographs for organisations and agencies around the world and has been delivering his clean, natural images to clients and brands for over 10 years.

In that time, he has worked with five of the current Fortune 100 companies as well as across the spectrum of business sectors including corporate, financial, healthcare, pharmaceutical, legal, energy and transportation.

Casey specialises in creating captivating photos and image libraries for clients that enhance their brands and visual identities. He provides authentic images of actual workplaces, employees, and executives that are well suited for a range of internal and external collateral, from annual reports to websites to print advertising.

His clients include Apple, GE, Altria, Marlboro, Amtrak, Walmart, Verizon and Novo Nordisk.

Email Casey or visit his website for more information.

Chris Hunt began his career as a photojournalist, but soon moved into fashion and advertising photography. For the last 15 years he has worked all over the world for a varied roster of clients.

Chris recently broadened his portfolio into film, directing TV commercials for fashion and lifestyle brands. He is currently based in New York City.

Photographer and director Chris Sisarich’s approach to film and stills is the same, to create a relaxed fun environment. Capturing beautiful little moments and the same genuine emotions in both mediums.

Recent work includes photography for Tourism New Zealand, photography and online TVC for InterContinental Hotels Asia, photography for Singapore Airlines, photography for Zespri, and photography and TVC’s for TSB Bank NZ.

"I love my work. I love the variety, the fact that every day is different. That I get to work with so many different and amazing people, that it takes me to far flung corners of the world. That I get to work on projects that are visually rich, emotive, striking, fashion forward, or just plain sexy. What a job."

Follow Chris is on Instagram and Facebook.

Who is Christoph?

He is the most passionate, story-telling, intuitive, symphatic, well-organised, enthusiastic, reliable, cordial, humorous, communicative, creative, fast and fancy "Knipser“ of all. In addition, he has a great eye, talent to improvise, and loves what he is doing.

His recent work features Germany’s snowboard legend, gold medalist and freerider Nicola Thost, wearing Pyua Outerwear; he also realised various projects and campaigns for Allgäu Tourism (both featured in this Spotlight).

He has also worked for Sixt, FC Bayern, Allianz, Vodafone, on a testimonial by Ulrich Wickert for Dämmen lohnt sich, and O2.

For the introduction of Volkswagen Genuine Oil, Christoph Siegert photographed satisfied drivers who count on obtaining full power and the highest quality via their commercial vehicles thanks to their choice of engine oil.

"Edelhof - the name sounds like a fairy tale, but the true story is almost more beautiful. In the rural landscape at the edge of the Harz is this listed manor house, a half-timbered building dating from 1514. The estate has been family-owned for four generations. The Edelhof includes a courtyard garden and idyllic orchards within surrounding nature reserves. There grow such wonderful old varieties as Schöner von Nordhausen, Laxton Superb and peach red summer apples. Together with friends and like-minded people, as part-time farmers we have devoted ourselves for a number of years to these old trees and to the tasty variety of their fruit, making the Edelbrand distillates, fruit jellies, Chutneys and juice from genuine local fruit varieties."

Dominik Mentzos enjoys switching between various fields of photography like advertising, portraits, fashion and dance.

“Being confronted with very different types of characters in various surroundings is refreshing and a nice challenge for me“.

Having studied architecture the presentation of space is very important to Dominik. He enjoys to develop the set with light, to create a stage for his performers.

Featured in this Spotlight are visuals from his recent image campaigns for DEKA, Daimler Financial Services and Lufthansa, a long-term client for over 13 years.

After shooting dance for over 25 years he still enjoys capturing the energy of movement, here to be seen in two images he developed for the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company.

Other recent clients include Deutsche Bank, Emirates, Hoya, Hugo Boss, The Forsythe Company, ABB / Busch-Jaeger, Nespresso, Deutsche Bahn, ARD, Telekom, Sony, Nintendo, Leptien/Pesch, Commerzbank, MasterCard, PWC and SchumacherFashion.

Dominik is based out of his studio in Frankfurt and is represented by Severin Wendeler in Hamburg.

To Hans Verleur the essence of imaging is storytelling and lighting. In his images he likes to create a sort of single-frame-stories, in which the action extends beyond the frame and the lighting conditions set the mood. Pinpointing his style, it can best be described as cinematographic, the light tells an important part of the story. On top of this, he enjoys the co-creation with creatives and the collaboration with the subjects.

Although his assignments range from portraits to landscapes, he considers lifestyle as core direction in his photography.

He has specialised himself in customised image banks: client specific series of images which reflect the essence of the company or of a certain product. During such productions his full photographic and production experience come into play: storytelling, improvisation, wide production experience, dealing with challenges and in depth client relation.

Clients big or small, he is always dedicated to maximise the outcome.

Jim Erickson is a renowned commercial photographer and director. For over 30 years he has created timeless imagery for hundreds of blue chip clients, including AT&T, American Express, Wells Fargo, Pinnacle Entertainment, GM, Pfizer, United Airlines and Chase.

He is known for his ability to capture spontaneous and unexpectedly telling moments that connect with the viewer in a way that makes them want to 'be there'.

Recently, Jim has been shooting video. Using a combination of the latest Canon 1DC and the Sony F55, 4K cameras, he is rapidly creating high quality video content for both Erickson Stock and his clients’ libraries.

Kerry Harrison is a lifestyle photographer with a distinctly British style. His crisp images and expert use of natural lighting give his work a freshness and originality that sets him above the rest. Kerry has a keen eye for capturing the fleeting moment. He engages with his subjects to create some beautiful work.

Kerry has been working with clients such as Cow & Gate, Boots, Nickelodeon, Vaillant, and Cancer Research whilst constantly focusing on his own personal work. He’s always looking to create new work and to see where his images can take him next.

Working on location with changing conditions and adjusting to the elements is what Kerry does best!

Leica launched an international campaign for their new M10 with Frankfurt-based photographer Maik Scharfscheer.

With the new Leica M10 in tow, he discovers Zanzibar. The excitement of harvesting the ocean, the hustle and bustle of colourful markets, the rough and tumble of boisterous beach football – Maik documents life on Zanzibar. Discover an exciting, exotic world in fascinating pictures.

Maik was accompanied by cameraman Thomas Stoll, who filmed the adventure with a Leica SL.

Both the photographs and film can be seen in Leica stores worldwide.

Mark Andrew has worked for over two decades as an art, fashion and commercial photographer. His ability to capture the unguarded essence of the people in front of his lens has made him the choice of leading national publications, agencies and commercial clients to photograph sports stars, top models, film actors, musicians and American Presidents. His photographs have been exhibited internationally and are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum. Also a filmmaker, Andrew’s short film 'Nate and Vinnie', is currently on the festival circuit.

Marks like to race vintage motorcycles, cars and participate in international off-road racing. Originally from New Orleans, Mark has lived and worked in Spain, France, London, and Germany. He currently resides in New York City with his wife, seven-year-old son and two dogs.

Clients include: adidas, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Boden, Cosmopolitan, Crest, CVS, Dreamworks, Elle, Esquire, Glamour, GQ, InStyle, Justice, Lady Footlocker, Microsoft, Neiman Marcus, Nike, NFL, Pepsi, Quiksilver, Samsung, Seventeen, Seventh Generation, Sony, Target, Reebok, Victoria's Secret, Virgin Mobile, W Magazine, Wal-Mart, and Xbox.

Visit his website for more information. 

Mark Carter is a New Zealand-based, internationally awarded photographer. His love of being in the outdoors is what New Zealand life is all about. Creating moments that capture true emotions from his subjects in a relaxed down to earth manner is an extension of his personality, along with his ability to connect and collaborate with both talent and crew alike.

Mark’s specialties include portraiture, lifestyle, landscape and underwater photography. His images are rich and immersive with a vibrant mood to them; capturing real moments that speak to the viewer. With a technical skillset to match his vision this has seen him work throughout the Pacific region and beyond.

Mark’s clients include Zyrtec, Pfizer, Hyundai, Tru Green, Mountain Dew, Samsung, Air New Zealand, among others.

His work has been featured in Communication Arts Photography annual and is represented by IDC Photographers worldwide and in Australia by Hellstudios.

London lifestyle photographer Nick David has been working with new clients for an exciting range of campaigns - shooting for drinks giant Diageo in Greece, eBay in Ireland as part of their new brand refresh and closer to home, Nick also recently worked with Aviva - HCA Healthcare and Kinder.

This year also saw the launch of Makaton's new look, which Nick shot a series of reportage images for the charity.

Along side fellow short filmmaker Jack Flynn their film 'The Big Cloth' has been getting a lot of attention with over 100K hits. It's currently featured on both National Geographic and The Atlantic websites and has been made a Vimeo staff pick.

They are looking for similar success with their new film 'Carnival', which follows a group of young dancers from London’s East End.

All the latest news and images can be seen at Nick’s website. Nick is represented in the UK by Lisa Pritchard Agency (LPA).

Nick Hagen is a Detroit-based commercial and editorial photographer interested in digging into everyday situations and coming out with compelling stories. He is all about visually showcasing the world in the most objective and truthful way possible, while retaining a tinge of optimism and humour. His core ideology regarding his work is that serenity can be found in the mundane. Some of his clients include AAA, Google, Siemens Wind Power, and Vox Media.

This portfolio is a small sample of editorial and commissioned work from Airbnb and Meural. With any job, Nick’s ultimate goal is to show the most authentic and comfortable versions of his subjects.

Visit his website for more portrait and reportage work and to get in touch.

Nick Hall is a US and UK based ‘big picture’ photographer and director. He is known for his panoramic, high definition landscapes and lifestyle images.

His career has seen him work on large-scale productions in the UK and abroad for clients including Canon, American Airlines and Citi Bank.

His personal projects take him to the world’s rugged environments to document their impressive landscapes and the communities that live alongside them.

Nick’s captivating images have seen him feature in Luerzers Archive '200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide', win an International Photography Award, and regularly appear in the PDN Photo Annual.

Peter Bak is a Dutch portrait, lifestyle and travel photographer and has been working as freelance photographer for more than 20 years. In his late 20s Peter decided to move to New York City and during his time there he mastered reportage-photography with 'large format’ cameras. He also worked with several documentary photographers, like Dana Lixenberg.

Peter has a natural talent for outdoor and location photography but is also known for his dramatically lit environment portraits. He specialises in creating engaging portraits and documentary. Furthermore he enjoys making photo-reportages for travel and lifestyle magazines. When not shooting professionally, Peter spends his time traveling and working on his personal portrait series.

It's all about people. He prefers to work in a documentary style, enabling him to get closer to a person. He now works with a wide range of clients: from travel magazines, to corporate portraits.

Clients include: Thieme, LiFF, RetailTrend, Nautique, Rails, Playboy, Elle magazine, Carp, HP de tijd, and NRC M-magazine.

Peter and his team have fun. So when he shoots with models, clients or the public, they have a good time too. They relax, let their guard down and behave naturally. No stiff poses or awkwardness. Just captured moments.

"Pete is an excellent photographer. What attracted me to his work in the first place was its distinctive style and the way he brings pictures to life in a natural way. He has a great skill in taking the idea you have in your head and capturing it, even if it does mean lying down in a busy road! We have worked in some difficult conditions and you can always rely on Pete to suggest ideas which really do work, and only come with his level of experience and creativity.

Pete is always really positive and has a very professional approach to dealing with both models, clients and the general public. He is always calm under pressure, but equally very energetic in his approach which means you always get a fantastic end result. I would recommend Pete very highly and look forward to working with him again soon!”
Jason Bannister - Bell Integrated

Philip Lee Harvey is a multi award-wining photographer and film-maker. His commissions have taken him to some of the world’s most demanding locations in over 120 countries.

His distinctive style has earned him the prestigious ‘2014-15 Travel Photographer of the Year’ as well as being included within Archive’s ‘Top 200 Advertising Photographers Worldwide’.

His ability to combine landscapes and people has made him one of the most in demand location photographers in the world.

Clients include HSBC Premier, General Electric, UniWorld Cruises, Mobile Connect, Intercontinental Hotels, Four Seasons Resorts and the luxury Super Yatch Solandge.

Philip is represented by Peter Bailey Productions.

Working intuitively, Pierre Manning takes a unique approach to staging stylized ambiences and accentuating beauty in a very simple way. He has a natural ease with portraits, maintains an unbiased view of his subjects, and always manages to reveal raw and honest emotions.

This expertise is as equally apparent in his fash­ion photos as it is in the many advertising campaigns on which he has worked. His refined photos are always complemented by his flawless command of lighting.

Pierre is a recognised ally who is highly sought after for his ability to develop new concepts and create unique brand images. He is a very passion­ate photographer who always impresses with his know-how, composure, and spontaneity.

London advertising and editorial photographer Richard Boll is highly accomplished at blending the disciplines of lifestyle, portrait and product photography. This has led to recent commissions that include advertising campaigns for Land Rover with M&C Saatchi, and Belvedere Vodka with BBDO. Other clients include Sony, Timberland, Rolls Royce and Mercedes Benz.

Richard loves variety in his work and is equally adept at shooting on location or in a studio. He loves travelling for location work.

Awards include first place in The National Portrait Gallery Photographic Prize and the Audi/Next Level Award for Contemporary Photography. Richard also has commissioned work in the permanent collection of The National Portrait Gallery in London.

For more of Richard’s work visit his website.

"2016 has been a great year for my lifestyle photography. I traveled to Atlanta, New York and the Bay Area for several assignments. One of my two favourite projects has been “The Charles” in Buckhead – Atlanta: luxury living in a new upscale village. Working with local talents it was an absolutely wonderful experience. Great people and famous southern hospitality.

My second project to mention is the new fall 2016 collection for California Moonrise Apparel. A Canadian company based in Montreal who comes to California for their shoots quite regularly. With the precious help of my collaborators and the whole crew, we shot at the Malibu Creek State Park on the Santa Monica Mountain. Due to the lack of rain, the landscape was dry and yellow, perfect for a fall look and feel."