Lürzer’s Archive 200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide - 2023/24

I’m again delighted to have had work selected again for Lürzer’s Archive’s Top 200 Ad Photographers Worldwide 2023/24 annual.

It’s always a treat to have work accepted in to this prestigious publication.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have appeared in every edition of the book since 2008.

Below is one of the images selected, a variation from a commission by Rose Design, for the Imperial War Museum and HMS Belfast.

There’s more information to be found on the actual shoot here.

Below is the final image placed in the 48 sheet poster.

Client : IWM. Agency : Rose Design. AD : Garry Blackburn.

New Work - HMS Belfast - A Lifetime Of Epic Adventures

I’m proud to show this new work that was commissioned by the good folk at Rose Design, for an ad campaign for HMS Belfast and the Imperial War Museum (IWM).

I’ve worked with Rose Design over the years on some wonderful projects for some fascinating clients, and this was no exception. I’ve always had a fascination for all things military and naval and so this was a dream commission.

After a couple of delays, due to weather and bizarrely another warship mooring alongside, the shoot day finally came. A 04:30 start, was followed by 10 hours on a small charter boat on the River Thames, patiently waiting for the right light and constantly manoeuvring to a point that gave us the precise distance and low angle from the ship.

HMS Belfast is a Town-class light cruiser and has a fascinating history. Built by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, she was launched in 1938. She went on to serve for many years around the world. Decommissioned in 1963, she finally moored up on the River Thames near Tower Bridge and opened to the public in 1971. She became a branch of the IWM in 1978.

You can find a full detailed history of her here.

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“Belfast saw action escorting Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union during 1943 and in December 1943 played an important role in the Battle of North Cape, assisting in the destruction of the German warship Scharnhorst. In June 1944, Belfast took part in Operation Overlord supporting the Normandy landings”

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I would thoroughly recommend a visit to HMS Belfast. She’s basically a floating museum, where you can spend hours wandering the vast majority of the ship. It’s a fascinating and humbling experience. “Navigate your way around the rooms of this floating city, climbing up and down ladders to visit all nine decks.” You can find full booking details on the HMS Belfast page of IWM web site, here.

Below is the final image placed in the 48 sheet poster.

Client : IWM. Agency : Rose Design. AD : Garry Blackburn.

New Work For Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust

I’m proud to be able to share some recent work commissioned for the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) by Simplify.

I received a call from Simplify’s MD, Neil Quidington, to ask if I’d be interested in working with his agency to elevate the EHAAT photography, in particular the portraits required for their upcoming 2022 annual review.

We spent two days at the EHAAT North Weald airbase, making a mixture of portrait and reportage photographs of the amazing ground staff, pilots, paramedics and doctors, who are based there.

It was truly humbling to witness first hand what these amazing people do and to hear the stories of what they face on a daily basis. On more than one occasion, we would be set up to make a picture and then a pager would suddenly sound and the crew would be up and gone.

You can find out much more about EHAAT, including ways of supporting this vital charity, here.

Below is just a small selection of the portrait work that we made, with more examples to be found here.

Client : EHAAT. Agency : Simplify. AD : Neil Quidington.

Lürzer’s Archive 200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide - 2021/22

I’m delighted to have had work selected again for Lürzer’s Archive’s Top 200 Ad Photographers Worldwide 2021/22 annual.

It’s always exciting to have work accepted in to this fabulous and prestigious publication.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have appeared in every edition of the book since 2008.

Below are two of the images selected, from a commission for Land Rover USA.

Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. Commissioned by Land Rover USA.

Agency : Spark44 New York. Art Director : Peter Cooper.

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“It was back in the early 1980s that advertising copywriter and agency owner Walter Lürzer banged his fist down on the table and resolutely shouted out to himself: “If no one’s going to do it for me, I’m going to have to do it myself - for everyone!”

What he was referring to, back in that dark pre-internet era, was the laborious process of hunting out and compiling advertising campaigns from around the world. In those days, there were not many ways of finding out how products and services were being advertised in, say, America, Asia, or individual European countries. The first issue of Lürzer’s Archive magazine was published October 1984 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and today the title has over 150,000 readers worldwide.”

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Rowena Crest viewpoint, Oregon. Commissioned by Land Rover USA.

Agency : Spark44 New York. Art Director : Peter Cooper.

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Lürzer’s Archive are the celebrated creative resource for advertising professionals worldwide, has been offering a full set of inspirational tools since 1984: Lürzer's Archive magazine; Lürzer's Archive 200 Best Specials; the Lürzer's Archive website, plus their wide range of apps.

Since 2004, Lürzer's Archive has been publishing the 200 Best series, featuring a range of different volumes focusing on a variety of graphic design disciplines. Each carries only work by the best 200 creatives to have submitted to the respective volume. Titles in this series are published every two years. A jury specially convened for each volume selects from the work submitted the items they consider to be the best

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Early morning at Salmon Cove. Commissioned by Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism.

Agency : Target, St John’s. Art Director : Kevan Kalyan.

The finished press ad.

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Pleased too to have be considered as one of the six front cover options.

Full details of all those nominated can be found here.

Newfoundland and Labrador

While shooting in Alberta for Land Rover, I received a call from the Creative Group Head of Target, NL. He’d been following me on Instagram for some time and spotted that I was shooting in Canada.

Would I like to extend my trip and spend some time exploring Newfoundland? was the question… The answer was of course, yes!

Salmon Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador.

To cut a long story short, we spent 10 days driving across the Avalon and Central regions of Newfoundland, our winding route taking in a mix of historical and truly beautiful locations.

Fort Amhurst, St John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador.

During our time on the road we had some early call times and often experienced wonderful displays of light and typically mixed bags of weather. We took full advantage of the drama that would often unfold in front of us. It certainly wasn’t all blue skies, very much like my work in Scotland.

Everywhere we went the people were hospitable and helpful, and everyone had a story or two to tell. There really is a unique and genuine warmth to this fascinating place.

Salvage, Newfoundland and Labrador.

We came across places with historical and romantic names such as Fort Amhurst, Cape Spear, Queen’s Battery, Signal Hill and Salmon Cove. And curious names such as Quidi Vidi, Salvage and Dildo (Yes, Dildo!)

Cape Spear, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Having spent time in some of the more remote parts of Scotland, Newfoundland felt strangely familiar. In short, I felt very much at home.

It‘s a place I would love to return to…

Dildo, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Client : Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism.    Agency : Target NL.    AD : Kevan Kalyan.

Greenspond, Gander Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Below are three of the finished press ads…

Iceland 2010 - The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull

Back in 2010 I was commissioned to shoot a series of ads for a pharmaceutical campaign in various locations around the world, including Iceland, Bavaria and Morocco.

While we were in Iceland we witnessed the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull. It was an incredible event to witness, with the ash blocking out the sun and falling down on us like hot sand.

Many will remember that the resulting ash cloud brought European airspace to a standstill during the April of 2010, and cost billions of euros in disruption and delays. During the eruption, a no-fly zone was imposed across much of Europe, which meant we were lucky to get home, let alone get home on schedule.

It’s funny too what memories are made while travelling in foreign lands… For me, apart from the stunning and surreal landscapes, I’ll always associate Iceland with hot dogs and chocolate raisins!

Below is a selection of the personal work I was able to make during our down time. Larger versions along with other work made, can be found here.

The work was made on a Contax 645 with 35mm Carl Zeiss T* lens and Sinar eMotion 75 MFDB.

With regards to the ads themselves, for logistical reasons, we shot the locations first, and then shot the models in the studio in London, carefully matching camera heights, angles and lighting.

The blood platelets were created in CGI and then all the various elements were composited in post.

Below is a selection of the finished ads..

Client : Amgen. Agency : CDM. Art Director : Shauna Kealy. Post Production / CGI : Kai Bastard. Producer & Location Scout : Leonora Sheppard. Local Producer & Guide : Bui Baldvinsson.

Lotus Exige 410 Sport - 20th Anniversary Special Edition

A series of ads created to mark the 20th anniversary of the Lotus Exige and the launch of the 410 Sport Special Edition.

“The Exige Sport 410 20th Anniversary builds on the Exige’s unrivaled levels of handling and performance. This special edition of one of our most acclaimed sports cars ever will continue the Lotus ethos of being born for the track and bred for the road.”

More examples from the shoot can be found here. More information on the car can be found here.

Client : Lotus Cars. Art Director : Julian Calverley / Rhys Grant. Graphics : Rhys Grant

Range Rover - From Calgary to Kananaskis

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Range Rover and so my thoughts turned to a commission I received in the autumn of 2019..

Building on a previous commission for Land Rover, from the good folk at Spark44 New York, this road trip involved travelling to Canada to shoot the Range Rover Sport SVR.

The iconic route chosen took us through the mountains of Alberta, driving over 200 miles from Calgary to Kananaskis, with an elevation gain of nearly 2000 metres, taking in the Highwood Pass, the highest paved road in Canada.

The resulting imagery helping to create a beautifully produced coffee table style book called ‘Elevated Drives’ It includes the use of special papers, inks, embossing, die cutting and hand drawn maps of the carefully curated and iconic routes that we drove. A truly crafted piece and further proof that print is not dead!

A quote from the book sums things up perfectly.. “Driving from a low elevation to a considerably higher one can be profound. From the physical impact a shift in altitude can have on your body, to the dramatic scenery and weather changes, these journeys can be epic experiences”

Below is just a small selection of the work that we made, with many more examples to be found here.

Client : Land Rover. Agency : Spark44. AD : Peter Cooper. 1st Assistant : Julya Hajnoczky. Producer : Reilly Saso.

Lotus Cars - 2020

2020 started off well, with a lovely studio commission for Lotus Cars.

Ten days shooting eight iconic sports cars for their 2020 model year range, in a car studio close to Lotus Cars HQ.

This shoot built on a previous commission which we shot in late 2018, which I blogged about here, where we composited studio lit cars, with various back plates of locations from around the world.

Below is a small selection of the work we made, with more (larger) versions available to view here.

Client : Lotus Cars. Art Director : Julian Calverley / Rhys Grant.

Range Rover - Elevated Drives

21 days on the road with 4 Range Rovers, driving across 4 US states. Shooting from dawn ‘til dusk, we travelled through California, Oregon, Colorado and Maine, witnessing the stunning and varied American landscape.

This was a commission from the good folk at Spark44 in New York, for Land Rover. The resulting imagery creating a beautifully produced coffee table style book called ‘Elevated Drives’ which includes the use of special papers, inks, embossing, die cutting and hand drawn maps of the carefully curated and iconic routes that we drove. A truly crafted piece and further proof that print is not dead!

A quote from the book sums things up perfectly.. “Driving from a low elevation to a considerably higher one can be profound. From the physical impact a shift in altitude can have on your body, to the dramatic scenery and weather changes, these journeys can be epic experiences”

Below is just a small selection of the work that we made, with many more examples to be found here.

A big thank you to the fantastic creative, production and support team who made the whole project both possible and immensely enjoyable. By the end of our time together on the road, we felt like family.

Client : Land Rover. Agency : Spark44 New York. AD : Peter Cooper. Brit Jackson : Associate Director of Production. Sr. Art Producer : Deb Grisham. Producer : Tim Willis, Lockbox. Production Assistant : Gina Wilk. 1st Assistant : Caleb Thal. Writers : Michael Hurley & Bec Couche. Valet : Steve Chavdarian. Drivers : Greg Nikolas & Chad Lourie.

Tim and Caleb executing precision tripod placement in Death Valley.

Highways England Portraits

Back in January I received a call from a client who had moved to Highways England. She asked if I’d be interested in helping them create a collection of location portraits that represented the various arms of Highways England, and that would illustrate the diverse nature of the company and its people.

We spent six days on the road and covered hundreds of miles, shooting in a variety of fascinating locations across the UK. The resulting images have already been used across a large range of publications, including the annual report and accounts.

Client : Highways England.

Below is a small selection of the portraits that we made, with larger versions to be found here.

New Work For Lotus Cars

New studio work for Lotus Cars.

Ten long days shooting six iconic sports cars in a coved studio in Norwich, close to Lotus Cars HQ.

Client : Lotus Cars. Art Director : Julian Calverley. Lighting Assistant : Steve Thomas. Assistant : Brian Cottam.

Below is a tiny selection of the work we made.. Pick a colour!

Behind the scenes.. note my trusty Inovativ cart keeping things organised and mobile..

Lotus Cars - From Norwich to Nevada

Tight timings and impossible logistics often mean we have to be smart when producing images to a brief. This commission for Lotus Cars being a perfect example.

The project involved shooting six iconic sports cars over ten long days in a coved studio in Norwich, close to the Lotus HQ, and then compositing them with various back plates of locations from around the world. Careful attention was paid to match the lighting of each car to the background that each would inhabit, with CGI rendered reflections, studio shot wheel spins and virtual rig motion blur adding the touches of realism that would ensure that each car felt embedded in to it’s chosen environment.

A big thank you to the good folk at ThirdEye Studio in London, for their CGI and post production expertise and to assistants Brian and Steve for their hard work in the studio.

Client : Lotus Cars.    CGI & Post production : ThirdEye Studio.    ADs : Julian Calverley & Matt Haysom.

Below is a small selection of the work produced, with more available to view here.

The cropped imagery below hints at the level of detail achieved when shooting with the high end medium format digital back..

New Work For Delta Air Lines

I was recently commissioned by the good folk at Zero Collective to help create a series of ads for Delta Air Lines.

The agency, stylist and hair and makeup artist for the first round of ads were from the UK, with the models and client being flown in from Paris and the US. We then flew one of the models to the US to shoot a second round of ads with a CGI team from Atlanta, in their bespoke green screen studio. We were then home from the second leg of the shoot on a red eye flight, within 48 hours of leaving Heathrow!

The aircraft interiors were created and ‘lit’ completely in CGI and built out to match the exact lighting, camera heights, distances, focal lengths and apertures that we used to shoot the model. The separate elements were then brought together in post production.

Client : Delta Air Lines. Agency: Zero Collective. Art Directors : Paul Geudon & Greg Davies. CGI : Trick 3D. Post Production : Tom Wheatley.

Below is the rather surreal green screen studio set in Atlanta, where we shot the photographic composite elements that later became the ads that you see above.

ENO Orphee

It was lovely to get a call from the good folk at Rose and to be asked if I’d be interested in shooting one of a series of English National Opera posters that they were working on.

Working in one of ENO’s rehearsal studios in London, we first shot a black and white portrait, lit in a style that paid homage to Jean Cocteau original 1950’s film ‘Orpheus’ and then projected it back on to the model and the simple fabric set which we built.

Client : English National Opera. Agency : Rose. ADs : Abbie Edis & Simon Elliott.

Group Shot For Diverse Marine

It can be quite a challenge shooting a group portrait, particularly in a busy working environment and when time isn’t on your side.

This picture came together in no time at all and marked the end of a fascinating and fruitful day, shooting a library of reportage photographs for Diverse Marine on the Isle of White, commissioned by the good folk from Brand Design.

Enigma - New Work for Bletchley Park

Further new work for Bletchley Park is now live, commissioned by the good folk at Rose Design. 

I was asked to photograph the Enigma machine. It was both fascinating and a privilege spending time with such a historically significant piece of equipment, one which was indirectly responsible for saving so many lives through the cracking of it's code. 

Bletchley Park is the home of the World War II Codebreakers. There’s so much world changing history that’s been made here, it is a truly fascinating place. I’d recommend that anyone with an interest in World War II, coding or code breaking, spend a day here.

Client : Bletchley Park.    Agency : Rose Design.    AD : Garry Blackburn.

One of the ads is shown below, with more of the work available to see here.

Ad Campaign For Network Rail

The lovely folk at 23red, commissioned me to shoot a series of atmospheric ads for Network Rail, for their Midland Mainline Safety poster campaign.

The imagery had to be used across 6, 48 and 98 sheet sites, and so I chose to shoot on my ALPA 12 MAX and PhaseOne IQ MFDB combo, in order to achieve the largest possible file size and resolution.

A big thank you to the Network Rail safety team that watched our bright orange backs, while we worked.

Client : Network Rail.    Agency : 23red.    AD : Tristan Cavanagh & Tom Mann.

Below are 3 of the 48 sheet ads..   

Canaan Vineyard workers

I was recently commissioned to shoot a bank of imagery for the Canaan Winery, in China. Over the week we shot a mix of landscapes, working portraits and industrial architecture, which I'll be able to share later this year.

On our last day we had a few hours spare, and so I suggested to Neil the art director, that we shoot some portraits of the vineyard workers, whose infectious smiles and laughter had captivated us all week.

A makeshift daylight studio was set up close to the vineyard canteen and we made around twenty portraits. You can find a selection of them here.

Client : Canaan Winery.    Art Director : Neil Southwell.

The View From The Shard

New work commissioned by the good folk at Rose Design, for The View From The Shard is now live.

We were given special access to shoot at dawn and dusk, over a number of days. The views of London from this iconic building really are truly breathtaking. 

"Designed by Master Architect Renzo Piano, The Shard has redefined London’s skyline and quickly established its place as a dynamic symbol of London.

At a height of up to 800ft or 244m, and at almost twice the height of any other vantage point in London, visitors will experience unrivalled 360 degree views over the city for up to 40 miles on a clear day.

Begin your journey in our extraordinary high-speed lifts that carry you from Level 1 to Level 68 in sixty seconds. Once there, enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the capital from our Level 69 observation deck whilst unwinding with a glass of champagne, or share a moment with a loved one spotting London’s famous landmarks from our open air sky deck on Level 72, where exposed to the elements you can take in the atmosphere and sounds of the city below"

Below are just 3 of the 48 sheet posters from the ongoing campaign..

Client : View From The Shard.    Agency : Rose Design.    AD : Garry Blackburn & Simon Elliott.