PEOPLE & LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY Oct 2022

"One of the pleasures of photography is getting the chance to see new spaces and watch things happen before your eyes. Recently Alex had two backstage passes to amazing places. The first is the Arcteryx Vancouver factory to document the ReGear production space. The campaign was to help launch the new used gear portion of their website, following a used and damaged jacket through analysis, dissection, repair and recreation as a new an unique piece. The brief was to bring a crisp and modern aesthetic, but without taking over the very busy factory lines.

The second project presented is all about local painter Shevy Levy. Over a few months, Alex has been documenting the making of her new collection of abstract oil paintings, visiting her studio, shooting the works in progress and capturing the paintings in other spaces in preparation for a show.

In both instances lighting was unreliable, the factory was filled with old fluorescents, small tungstens, and various LEDs, and the studio was a small dimly lit space with only one window on the far side. Mixing strobes and on camera flashes, Alex worked to bring a consistent aesthetic across the projects that aligned with the creative direction from both clients."

"It is always a blast working with wonderful people! I have spent my time collaborating with beautiful artists and performers all over the world. Each interaction brings something new and helps me to create authenticate scenarios for them to play. I am very grateful to be here and thank you for taking the time to check out my work!" Anthony Dias.

Anton is Australian and based in Los Angeles. He is an advertising photographer that specialises in cars and lifestyle, also directing projects that are hybrid, stills and video.

Here is a selection of some recent projects with Lexus, Genesis and Chevrolet.

Arnhel De Serra’s work is multi-layered - being comical, disruptive, political and colourful. At heart, he is nosey and curious about other people’s business. He loves to see the absurd in the everyday. His eye is constantly roving and casting around for opportunities – why make it up when the real world is so rich with potential?

London-based, his client list includes Nintendo, Gousto, Aston Martin, BP, Freesat, Halifax, Leica Fotografie International, M&S, Nat West, Sothebys, Stagecoach, The Jewish Museum, The National Trust and Virgin Trains.

See more of Arnhel's work here. He is represented by JSR. You can follow the agency on Instagram for latest projects.

"The core of photography is to see people and places for exactly what they are. It is the definition of authenticity. "

Cameron Karsten takes this to heart when creating portraits or lifestyle imagery for his clients. He connects with the talent, immerses himself in the moment, and lets the creative freewill of the atmosphere run its course. A tweak here, an input there, but all-in-all it is expression with natural tendencies.

Cameron is represented by The Gren Group.

Chris Boulton is a British photographer specialising in brand advertising photography and human stories. 

His photography has a documentary feel with a sense of realism. He has built a considerable portfolio in heritage fashion (particularly men’s fashion), lifestyle and travel. He often shoots in the outdoors and looks for the connection between the landscape and his subjects. Recent projects include a year-long campaign for English Heritage photographing their world heritage sites including Stonehenge. 

Please see further examples of his work at his website. You can follow Chris on Instagram.

Engagement with the subject is paramount when photographing lifestyle and portraiture. The best result starts with the connection between photographer and sitter. Evoking a visceral and emotional moment from the sitter in an intoxicating and beautifully lit setting fills the requirements for lasting imagery.

Ellen McDermott’s portraits tell a story of the interaction between the sitter and their environment. Along with creative partner, Bridget Sciales, this team excels in creating lasting imagery that drives the digital experience for consumers across e-commerce, marketing, and content creation. The result is extremely well curated experiences in the era of digital immediacy. “We translate our client’s retail standards and needs in the e-commerce space that drives social commerce and leads digital innovation”.

The work can be seen in ad campaigns, digital content, books, corporate assignments and private collections throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Clients include Ralph Lauren, S.R. Gambrel, Brooks Brothers, Toast, The Salting, Cottages and Gardens, Elle Décor, Dwell, Rue, The Magazine Antiques, Crackle Entertainment, Cooper-Hewitt The Smithsonian, Christies, and Sotheby’s among others.

Gonçalo Barriga is a portrait, lifestyle and sports photographer based in Lisbon, Portugal.

His images feature people in the broad sense of the word, with a bias towards athletes and people with an active lifestyle, just like him. The strong and dynamic aesthetics of his photography often shows up in his portraiture and lifestyle work, too.

Besides his usual commercial and portrait work, lately he has been shooting a variety of culturally relevant themes, working for Fundação Oriente, an institution that focuses on the historical Portuguese-Asian relations.

Earlier this year he was distinguished with a Bronze Award in the One Eyeland - World’s Top 10 Portrait Photographers 2022 contest.

Hamish Brown is an award-winning photographer whose talent and style have secured him shoots worldwide for many of the top names in celebrity, music and sport.

His meticulous preparation, combined with his distinctive and creative use of lighting, has become as much a hallmark of his work – as has his ability to achieve the very best results through a relaxed yet professional style.

Heath Robbins loves to tell real life stories that impact people, families and their communities. With a tack-sharp and intuitive directorial style, Heath focuses on creating naturalistic visuals that bring home his client's big ideas. Whether the project involves complex crowd logistics, or intimate relationships and portraiture, Robbins' objective is to reinforce the rich emotional connection between companies and their customers.

"I'm a story teller, and for me that's always been about connecting to the people and places I photograph. Listening and learning from them, that's where the authenticity comes from, along with my own personal growth as an artist."

Henrik Knudsen is an award-winning photographer based in London.

Henrik’s use of space and atmospheric lighting is inspired by his interest in film and cinema. He likes mixing natural and artificial light sources, always with the aim of telling stories of people and their environment.

Henrik’s client list includes British Airways, HSBC, GSK, Vodafone, Canon, Samsung, Bombay Sapphire, BT and McDonald’s as well as magazines such as The Smithsonian, Elle Decoration, Der Spiegel and Destinations. He has also shot many charity campaigns and projects for UK Government departments.

Raised on the east coast of Canada and now living near Toronto, Ian Garrick Mason’s photography is strongly inflected by the styles and perspectives of documentary filmmaking (a long-time part of his creative practice), of photojournalism, and of classical painting.

A former journalist and magazine editor himself, Ian shoots in order to tell human stories, to convey the context in which they take place, and to capture or re-create the kind of authenticity that engages viewers and calls up associations they may not consciously perceive—but which move them all the same.

Ian has produced images for a wide range of designers, agencies, and brands in Toronto, Montreal, New York City, Paris, and London. He is an avid rucker and, occasionally, a rallycross driver.

Irwin Wong is an editorial and commercial photographer / director based in Tokyo. Although primarily a portrait photographer, he is skilled at automotive, industrial and travel photography as well.

Commercial clients include SK-II, Omega, Christian Dior, Mazda Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Ferrari, and Boss Coffee.

In addition to his photographic work he has also written and photographed two monographs about Japanese culture through 'Gestalten: Handmade in Japan' (2019) and 'The Obsessed - Otaku, Tribes and Subcultures of Japan' (2022).

Josh Kelly a.k.a Jack Harlem is a highly sought after portrait, lifestyle and advertising photographer with over 15 years experience creating both meaningful and powerful visual stories.

Josh has an amazing ability to capture moments that feel real and authentic. He creates a relaxed vibe on set and everyone feels a part of the process.

Josh is based in Australia and is available internationally on short notice.

Julie Shipman specialises in photographing people. She shoots mostly lifestyle, travel and action imagery for commercial, editorial and private commissions.

Julie’s clients constantly remark about how easy it is to work and travel with her. She is always up for an adventure and loves to "capture that moment" where people are just doing what they do! She is a pilot, a motorcycle enthusiast, a sailor and ready to explore mostly anything.

She has been a professional photographer since 2002, currently shooting with the new Canon mirrorless system, the R5 and RF lenses. She splits her time between Los Barriles, Mexico and Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband Bo and their dog, Charlie. Kids? Yep… Peter, Hank, Jack, Bella and Livi! But they are all grown up (thankfully!) so she’s ready to roll.

Kathy Cacicedo is an East Coast advertising photographer and director.

Recent work for Manda Sun Paste found Kathy where she is the happiest, in the ocean with her underwater housing, shooting lifestyle and product on location that tells a story.  When you work with Kathy you can be sure she will always deliver an image library with plenty of choices, and if you are lucky, sand in your shoes.

Kathy is just as comfortable as a director. Click on the video gallery to see a spec ad she shot for Pukka Tea to show potential clients that through every thoughtful frame of beautiful light she is at heart a story teller.

Client list includes: Merck, Bayer, Pet Plate, Hound2O, Claritin, Dr. Scholls, Coppertone, Manda, Donate Life, Happy Family Organics, Atlantic Health System.

Kathy Plunkett calls the Midwestern United Sates home, living a life of friendly faces, wide-open spaces, and very little red tape. On set, Kathy has that boundless midwestern work ethic while always being adaptable, joyful, and collaborative. This playful-yet-professional approach creates narrative images that consistently exude spontaneous moments and authentic relationships.   Whether she is shooting by herself or with a huge crew, the result makes the viewer feel like they are part of the story.

Kathy’s passion and precision behind the lens can be seen in the work she has created for clients in the lifestyle, children, corporate, and healthcare sectors throughout her region. When not shooting professionally, she is continuously on another adventure with her daughter, Siena, shooting for fun.

“Keith’s work has an innate style and energy that immediately grabs the eye. He can work with anyone of all walks of life and find something special and unique to them. He can capture the magic inside of anyone in his photos, which is a rare and precious talent.”  — Emily Bennett, director and producer.

Keith is a New York-based portrait and lifestyle photographer best known for his vision and his personable and collaborative approach to working with a wide range of clients. His attention to detail and compelling style draws the viewer emotionally to his subjects.

Kip Dawkins is a commercial photographer specialising in luxury products, design and lifestyle.

His first paid gig was photographing punk rock bands. He liked capturing the chaos, lack of control and instant it came together. For the last 20+ years Kip has refined his craft in the controlled chaos of the photo set. He is inspired by light, angles, styling and the latest technology.

His fun, yet smart, confident and collaborative approach has earned him the loyalty of his clients among which are luxury textile and furniture brands, hotels, resorts, top designers, architects and builders. He is also a Hyatt approved photographer.

Kip is based in Richmond, Virginia, but has an office in Los Angeles and travels extensively throughout the U.S. His work can be seen in Architectural Digest, Milieu, House Beautiful and Southern Home. He still devotes personal projects to the rock scene.

With a background in street and portrait photography, Matt’s work is direct and intimate: warm light and saturated color beckon the viewer to be a participant in the scene. His portraits tell subtle stories about their subjects. At times, it’s hard to tell the difference between his commercial and personal work, and that is by design.

Matt is based in Philadelphia and works around the United States with clients such as Lavazza, Burger King, GoFundMe, The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Millennium Management.

For inquiries and requests, please visit his site and contact Matt here.

Nick is a Brit now living on an island near Seattle along with his four wild children. He is passionate about stunning locations, committed to collaborating with great creatives, and loves connecting with the people he photographs. He is globally recognised and widely awarded for his epic lifestyle imagery and cinematic style.

Originally a wildlife scientist, Nick blends his passion for the natural world with the specific needs of luxury brands, Fortune 500 companies and his career-long clients. Nick is as comfortable photographing hunter gatherers alone in Tanzania (he lived and hunted with them for 10 days) as he is shooting global advertising campaigns.

Known throughout the industry as a gentle and immersive photographer, Nick brings an inclusive and thoughtful energy to set allowing him to capture deeply emotional and arresting imagery that celebrates our connections to one another and the natural world.

Photographer PEROU shoots portraits of some of the most iconic names in sports, music, fashion and Hollywood. Based in London, working worldwide, PEROU is a camera-eye for hire, hustling a living out of being a photographer and director and also making the occasional TV show - he was judge and mentor on ‘Make Me a Supermodel’ and star of E4’s 'Dirty Sexy Things'.

PEROU’s talent has led him to photograph for some of the world's super-brands and celebrities, actors and musicians and has photographed advertising campaigns for the likes of Adidas, Pearl Drops, Benetton, Reebok, Investec and Nair.

He regularly gets commissioned to photograph portraits of fashion and sports legends and editorial features for Vanity Fair, The Guardian, GQ, Dazed and Confused and Esquire.

See more here and follow on Instagram. PEROU is represented by JSR, see more of his work here and check their latest projects on Instagram.

By choosing subjects and locations that communicate a sense of balance, Steve Marais has created a visual signature that meets directly at the intersection of commercial and editorial photography. The resulting images are built upon self-expression and energy.

No matter what subject he focuses on, authenticity lies at the core of his creative process. Marais is based in Düsseldorf, Germany, and is available for creative projects worldwide.

Marais is represented by Avenger Photographers.

Check his website and follow on Instagram for more.