people & lifestyle photography + motion May 2017

Barry Willis has been producing engaging images for lifestyle, corporate and advertising clients for more than 25 years. The stripped-back, storytelling aspect of his personal reportage work informs much of Barry’s commercial photography.

“I strive to produce images that express emotions through the informality of the caught moment, but delivered with the polish of high-end production values,” he says. “I love the collaboration of working with a creative team on large productions but equally, when the subject requires, I relish shooting with a more intimate approach."

It’s Barry’s creativity, attention to detail and experience that will ensure that a project is a success; his personality means clients will definitely enjoy the process!

Recent clients include Abbeyfield, British Land, COTY, CLIC Sargent, National Bingo, Nuffield Health, Reckitt Benckiser, Stallergenes Greer and the Wellcome Trust.

Bastian Werner was born in 1975 in Opladen. After serving an apprenticeship as an ad specialist, he attended the University of Applied Sciences in Dortmund where he studied photography from 1998 to 2003.

He has since worked as a freelance photographer all over the globe, creating authentic images mostly for clients in the advertising industry. Bastian is based in Dusseldorf and has been represented by UPFRONT photo & film since 2012.

Clients include Siemens, Vodafone, Goodyear, GHH, Hazemag Group, Felix Schoeller Group, Beiersdorf, Lichtblick SE, BVB, Bayer, Bosch, Thyssen Krupp, GlaxoSmithKline, Henkel, Johnson & Johnson and Wincor Nixdorf.

Iri Greco came of age in 1980's 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 ourselves 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.”

The only child of a university art professor and a free-thinking mother, Cade Martin grew up immersed in a creative community in Richmond, VA. The foundation for his love of art and composition was laid in museum halls, movie theatres and art studios, and at home around a dinner table inhabited by an eclectic cast of characters who shaped his appreciation for the candid beauty found in people from all walks of life.

Cade has been chasing characters ever since. He seeks their stories - through their faces, their bodies and sometimes their costumes - in a common thread from his commercial work to his personal projects. Characters are the heroes in his pictures.

Cade works internationally and creates images for editorial, advertising, fashion and lifestyle clients that include Marriott, Merrill Lynch, The NY Philharmonic, Neenah Paper, Procter & Gamble, The Smithsonian, Starbucks, Tommy Hilfiger, Volkswagen and The Washington Ballet.

David Wile has spent the last 15 years working as a commercial photographer. In his spare time he has travelled extensively across the globe, capturing images from places such as Bolivia, Kenya and Thailand. His work has been printed in numerous publications.

In the coming years, David plans to focus much of his work on his creative passions of travel and landscape photography along with seeking out creative commercial clients. Expect to see more of his work in local and international galleries.

Felix Reed is an award-winning lifestyle photographer based in Milan, Italy. He travels the globe in the tireless search for authentic moments for his clients or for his personal projects.

He works in his studio and on location depending on the assignment. Recent clients include Saatchi & Saatchi, stvDDB, Lamborghini, Dash, Grand Vision, Davines, Tetra Pak and König.

Felix is represented in Italy by Sfera Production. Visit his revamped website for more information and for a deeper look at his work.

Johannes Knuth is an award-winning people photographer and director based in Hamburg, Germany. His story-telling style of images are all about life, candid moments and people's dreams. Johannes is driven by the passion for the decisive moment.

Clients around the globe appreciate his unique 'staged documentary style'. All techniques and lighting skills he uses support a naturally distinctive look and feel.

Whether photo, film or both at once, Johannes teams up with the best global experts to realize any great idea. Clients trusting his skills for national and global ad campaigns include Huawei, Volkswagen, Samsung, Philip Morris, SolarWorld, Procter&Gamble, Siemens, Sony Music and many more.

Johannes has received accolades including the Paris Photo and American Photography awards and is poised to become “One of the industry’s most talented artists and creatives” (American Photography jury).

"I once met a Dad who watched his young daughter play football every Saturday come rain or shine. He was a busy man who had a million and one more things to do, but loyally he stood and watched his daughter dashing around after the ball. As the weekends went by, she eventually scored a goal and as she spun round searching for her Dad, their eyes met, and that split second of pure and utter joy sparked between them.

On a shoot, unfortunately I don’t have the privilege of waiting for ‘life' to happen - I have to create it. I have to capture those fleeting moments on demand - every single time - with compassion, zest and warmth, all aided by my incredibly talented crew, who make me laugh.

I’m London-based, with 20 years' experience, represented by Morgan Lockyer and work with the likes of Google, Nokia, Puma and Skype."

Kell Mitchell is an award-winning photographer and director originally from Sydney but now residing in London.

Known for her creative and unique use of light, colour and framing, as well as her collaborative approach on set, Kell regularly shoots for some of the world’s biggest brands. Recent clients have included Samsung, Google, Sainsbury’s, Harvey Nichols, Emirates, All Saints and Clarks, to name but a few.

Outside of her commercial work Kell’s passion for working with real people comes to life in her Channel 4 film series ‘WTF is Cosplay?’

Kevin Scott is an internationally published advertising and editorial photographer working out of the greater Chicago area. With more than 20 years of commercial photography experience serving agencies, magazines, books and business direct, Kevin can handle most situations with confidence.

Kevin has an easy-going approach which helps make every shoot successful and fun at the same time. Each shoot is different and requires different energy. Kevin has shot everything from the corporate business CEO to the more whacky portrait for Guinness World Records. Kevin also has more than 20 years of Photoshop experience. From simple retouching to full style treatments, Kevin knows when and when not to use photoshop.

Visit his website to see his full portfolio.

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.

Mark likes to race vintage motorcycles and cars and participates in international off-road racing. Originally from New Orleans, he 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.

Born and raised in Southern California, Michael Scott Slosar took his first photography course in 7th grade and didn't stop there. After attending Northern Arizona University and Brooks Institute of Photography, he moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2002 to pursue his career.

Michael loves to travel and be on the go, and gets restless if he stays in one place for too long. This is why he currently splits his time between NY and CA.

Michael wishes the world was still film and Polaroid and believes film is the new vinyl. He loves anything vintage, "classic", and/or antique and never misses a good BBQ!

His clients include Toyota, Lacoste, British GQ, Playboy, Sony Records, Ed Hardy, Zoo York, Puma, Asics, Honda, Acura, Time Out Magazine, Italian Vogue-Black, Procter & Gamble, Bridgestone, Hollister and Abercrombie.

Michal Venera is a commercial photographer based San Francisco, California.

Michal specialises in lifestyle and still life photography. 

His recent projects includes a wide range of work for Republic of Tea, Wells Fargo, Pottery Barn, Trinchero Winery, and Samuel Hubbard.

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.

Recently relocated to London, Nick Howe has been working hard to establish his work in both the lifestyle and drinks fields. His rich approach to images and cinemagraphs has seen him work with a diverse client list including Bacardi, Thomson Holidays, The Macallan, Ford, Jack Daniels, Adidas, GLH, Unilever and Martini.

In 2016, Nick was featured in the '200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide 2016/17’ and continues to work hard on personal projects wherever his schedule allows.

Niclas Jessen has a sharp focus on people in his photography and when working with him it soon becomes clear that he creates an active and positive atmosphere in front of the camera. With his natural Scandinavian touch, he captures dynamic photographs with a strong presence. A process of exploration resonates throughout his work, which echoes his fondness for a special kind of staged documentary.

In an increasingly commercial world, Niclas believes it is essential that photographs are viewed as authentic. His ability to comfortably move between both staged and natural environments enables him to create engaging images that connect with their audience.

With a studio in Copenhagen, Scandinavia is his home, but he travels on assignment all over the world. 

Featured in this Spotlight are images created for clients such as VisitDenmark, Seeland, Nets and Spleen United album cover art, as well as photographs from his exhibition 'Pause' that depicts and explores the Danish middle class.

Visit his website for more information.

Petros has devoted his life to capturing those moments we sometimes miss. Approaching stills in the same way he likes to work with motion. As a director and photographer he excels at shooting automotive, landscapes, people and lifestyle. Petros is patient, understanding and unpredictable; a young and explosive, creative talent to work with.

“As a child, I was very observant, developing a keen interest in peoples faces and emotions early on. As a photographer and director, I’m so lucky to be able to call this amazing creative life, where I go to so many cool places and meet so many fantastic people, my job”. PK.

Over the last ten years Petros has worked with some great creative talents on campaigns for Audi, Toyota, Lexus, BMW, Hyundai, Renault, Fiat, Tourism New Zealand, Tourism NSW, Four Seasons Hotels, SBS World Movies, Greenpeace.

Richard Boll is an editorial and advertising photographer shooting in London and internationally. The consistent quality of his work has resulted in commissions from Land Rover, Sony, Mercedes, Rolls Royce and Belvedere, and commissions from agencies such as M&C Saatchi and BBDO.

He was recently a guest photographer on the WastED collaboration between Blue Hill Restaurant, New York, and Selfridges, London.

Richard loves variety in his work and is equally adept at shooting on location or in the studio. He specialises in lifestyle, portrait and product photography, often combining these disciplines for clients. He has a sincere and warm-hearted presence on shoots that lets him connect well with clients and team members alike.

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.

Ross is a UK-based action and lifestyle photographer working on location globally.

Here’s what some of his recent clients have to say about working with him.

“Ross has worked with us launching our new brand Zakti Active, he really captured what the brand is about. Such an eye for detail, the results look fantastic!”
Sam Jones, Head of Woman’s Wear, Zakti Active.

“Working with Ross is always a pleasure, whatever situations we ask him to shoot in, he produces fantastic shots, every time!”
Inga Tinki Taylor, Marketing Director, Snow and Rock.