portraiture & celebrity photography Jan 2009

Ansgar recently photographed racing drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica for BMW. Despite a very tight time frame he managed to produce numerous images that show the Formula 1 drivers in a different light.

Mostly shooting fashion, Ansgar always looks forward to portrait assignments that let him meet interesting people. Whether supermodels, designers, or just for the human aspect, there is always a new face to be discovered.

C. B. Aragão has lived and worked in Milan, Paris, São Paulo, New York and Lisbon, shooting celebrities, advertising and personal projects.

His portrait and advertising work is regularly commissioned by some of the world's top companies. Clients include Vodafone, Coca-Cola, Pepsi Co., Ikea, American Express, Warner Brothers, KPMG, Sony Music, Erato Disques, Philip Morris, H.P. Bayer and Nissan, among others.

Since the beginning of his career Christian Gaul has been involved with portrait photography.

From 1996 to 2003, he worked as senior photographer for Trip Magazine and shot numerous portrait covers. Advertising clients soon became interested in Christian's line of work.

In recent months, aside from working constantly for the editorial market, he shot for fashion clients such as Levi's, Richards and Totem, and worked on advertising campaigns for Dove, Fiat and Motorola, among others.

Christian's plan for 2009 is to publish his first solo book. The theme: Portraits!

Frank P. Wartenberg is an international photographer based in Hamburg and New York. His focus is on high quality fashion, beauty, people and celebrity photography.

He began his career in 1990 with titles in international magazines such as Elle, Stern, Vanity Fair and Harper's Bazaar. Amongst his clients are companies like Bloomingdale's, Harrods, Logitech, Nikon, Mercedes-Benz, S.Oliver and Wella. Over recent years many celebrities have posed in front of his lens, including German TV personalities, top models and Hollywood stars such as Jessica Alba and Naomi Campbell.

Photography is Frank's passion. He portrays his subjects with a masterful technical ability and remarkable aesthetic appeal. Vivid compositions of colour and light typify his striking photographs. He achieves unique visual effects and leaves viewers ample room for their own interpretations.

"I chose photography because I loved it, and that is the most important thing in the world for me. I never want to lose that feeling, otherwise I'll lose myself. If you want to succeed, you have to love what you do."

Gabo is famed as one of Germany's leading celebrity, fashion and advertising photographers. She works throughout Europe creating soulful portraits of celebrities from the world of film, sport, rock 'n' roll, television and politics.

A photo session with Gabo freezes a moment in time. She focuses on each of her images to underscore the subject's sense of self-confidence. When the artist arrives on set, Gabo immediately establishes a warm and friendly atmosphere with her direct and honest charm. Her emotional and poetic view generates unique environments - sometimes eye-catching, sometimes subtly erotic.

For more about Gabo's work visit her website.

George Brooks is known for shots of people on location or in the studio, where he is able to make his subjects look warm and relaxed in his own quirky, high contrast, dramatic style.

His work includes a recent worldwide shoot for Hays recruitment, much of the Lloyds TSB in-branch advertising campaign, portraits of leaders from the UK's top FTSE 100 companies, and portraits of Harry Enfield, Jimmy Carr and Elton John.

The Royal College of Pathologists commissioned George to do a series of portraits for its annual report, which resulted in two exhibitions in London and America. He is currently working on a personal project entitled 'Ciren Dogs'.

After four years spent in New York, photographer Jiri Turek is now based in Prague. He specialises in portraiture, people, street and fashion photography.

His clients include T-Mobile, Skoda, Vodafone, Allianz, Armani, Universal Music, EMI Music, Finlandia Vodka, OYSTER, Elle and Maxim magazines.

Jiri offers a range of photographic skills, from complex studio work to worldwide location shoots. He is fully experienced and equipped with all photographic formats and lighting techniques and uses creative digital technology, retouching and image software.

His 2007 exhibition at the Leica Gallery New York was followed by an exhibition at the Leica Gallery Prague in summer 2008. Over the past few months Jiri shot fall and winter campaigns for Vodafone and T-Mobile, the STOCK calendar that was awarded 'Sexiest Calendar of the Year', and also worked on his 'European Cities' exhibition.

In a career spanning almost 20 years, Karl has photographed luminaries in the field of fashion, music, entertainment and sport.

Coming from a traditional film, print and darkroom background, he now shoots high-end digital and has over ten years experience in postproduction, retouching and digital workflow, which he tailors to suit clients needs. Karl is at home both in the studio and on location. In 2003, he opened a daylight studio in Mallorca and now divides his time between bases in the UK and Spain.

Recent clients include Gillette, Sony Bravia, Suzuki, Random House, Stylorouge, Sainsbury's, John Lewis and Lowe Worldwide.

Recent portrait assignments include Natalie Imbruglia and Tamara Ecclestone for PETA campaign posters, Ali Cambell for his first solo album cover, and Andy Murray and Ronan O'Gara for the covers of their respective biographies.

Karl is a member of the AOP and is represented by Victoria Lees at VLM Management.

Manolo Moran is a Brazilian photographer based in Sao Paulo. His work privileges portraiture, beauty and 'awkward' characters. He has a special gift for directing models and supervising staff through every stage of a production.

Manolo also develops authorial creative material. A recent series, entitled 'Football', is made up of 11 images that run through a variety of different feelings, concepts and historical events, exploring the theme using a very unusual approach.

This project is still awaiting an opportunity to be exhibited, and any interested parties should contact the photographer direct.

Based between Cologne and Hamburg, People and Business portrait photographer Valéry Kloubert is represented by Marion Eckhardt Photographers. After getting his first camera at the age of 13, Valéry published his first shots during his schooldays in West Sussex, England. In Germany he assisted several portrait and advertising photographers before doing his military service in 1996, where he was in charge of producing editorials for the public relations department of the Bundeswehr and covering the Defense minister's foreign visits.

Since 1997 Valéry has been a freelance photographer, shooting editorials for business and news magazines, celebrities and campaigns for various clients. Clients include Audi, Afri Cola, Axe, Electronic Arts, Karlsberg, Randstad and Gaffel Brewery.

Valéry Kloubert has just turned 34. He is married and is the father of two children.

Celebrity and Business portrait photographer Wolfgang Wilde is based in Hamburg. Represented by Marion Eckhardt Photographers, he started as a freelance photographer in 1993 with focus on celebrities.

Over the years, Wolfgang has taken pictures of many of Germany's most famous actors, sportsmen, entertainers and politicians, including Til Schweiger, Thomas Gottschalk, Bernd Eichinger, Hannelore Elsner, Boris Becker, Otto Walkes, Götz George, Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko, Dieter Bohlen, Gerhard Schröder and Johannes Rau. He is renowned in the business for transferring good ideas into stunning visuals, and celebrities love to work with him.

Wolfgang also specialises in taking business portraits. He has worked for Volkswagen, Telekom, Daimler, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg and Siemens to name but a few.

Wolfgang Wilde is married and is the father of a little son.