We asked the community to nominate those heroes behind the camera that are passionate about the industry and are innovative, creative, and forward-thinking. Nominees could come from any seniority level, location, or job title - we were looking to recognize those in the e-commerce photo and video production industry.
We asked for nominees and the community delivered! With well over 70 nominations, we asked our jury panel to do the impossible and select a final list of 30 professionals to highlight this year. Nominations rolled in from across the industry for photographers, art directors, post-production managers, studio managers - and well the list goes on. All these nominees seemed to have something in common; just a few of the words that were repeated throughout the nominations included:
- Passionate
- Creative
- Creative
- Dedicated
- Knowledge
- Growth
Our final list of 30 includes innovators who strive to improve their workplaces and infuse their creativity and knowledge into everything they do. Let’s meet all the finalists:
Top 30
“Emily is a passionate, ambitious, creative leader who thrives when working in photo studio operations. She is dedicated and passionate about styling and process. She is driven to optimize every inch of the studio. She leads with her heart and intuition. The progression of her teams and studios over the years can demonstrate this.”
“Aaron is the glue that holds teams together with his incredibly welcoming, encouraging and charismatic personality. Regardless of uncertainty, he continued to develop new talent and encourage the company to push forward.”
“Joann is a strong leader and her team knows that she isn’t afraid to tackle issues head-on and have difficult conversations where necessary – she can articulate the needs of the business and is able to communicate effectively to senior leadership with ease. Because of this, she consistently creates a safe space for leaders and the studio team to learn and grow together.”
“Tracey has done it all: worked with famous brands and people like Oprah and Michelle Obama, traveled the world working on her projects, but you wouldn't know she is a superstar by talking to her. She is so humble, so approachable and down to earth, ready to share her knowledge and support you. On top of all her talents and achievement, Tracey is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion. We need more people like her in this industry!”
“Alexis sees the big picture and is able to come up with fresh solutions that increase the productivity of the team and the efficiency of the processes at the studio. Even though Alexis may not have a photography background, she really understands the creatives and manages to create a comfortable environment for everyone when planning the shoot.”
“Overall, I feel that Amy is such a fantastic Studio manager. It's rare to have someone who's creative and super organized and into the detail. This marriage of skills really helps us to keep evolving and innovating.”
“Ashley is one of the most experienced creative directors in the industry with a never-ending passion for what she does. The depth of Ashley's experience and ability to translate the brand's identity into creative and visual strategies has played an important role in honing their brand tone and building out creative teams and vision.”
“Brent is a dedicated team leader with a holistic studio view, and he is not afraid to jump in and get his hands dirty on a project to remove any roadblocks. He’s always available and dependable to all teams, not just his own, willing to jump head first into problems to make sure he knows exactly what the issue is and help make a plan to handle it.”
“Carlos has the never-ending thrive for more, for better, for more creative is definitely something that sets Carlos apart. He is someone who would never settle for the "that's how we do it" approach but will challenge it and encourage his team to open new horizons. On top of everything, Carlos is an amazing, kind, humble, and fun human being who is always a pleasure to work with.”
“Curren possesses a unique blend of skills - creative and analytical - and his ability to speak to various corporate audiences to improve the end product. He’s extremely solution-oriented and brings a wealth of industry knowledge to any project.”
“Josie has a hard-working, considerate, and calm approach to all things studio. As well as being passionate about offering an accessible entry point for new/upcoming talent to the industry to ensure accessibility for candidates/brands for new hires and a working standard that allows for both creative and career development.”
“Maggie has extensive experience working with creatives and in creative operations across various industries: from apparel to CPG, entertainment, and even non-profit. She definitely brings these different perspectives and the ability to find non-traditional solutions to the ever-green studio issues. She is a top-notch creative with a global mindset.”
“Marina is an absolute ray of sunshine which creates a joyful, fun, and safe environment at the studio and delivers outstanding results for every project. Also, she focuses on sustainability practices at the studio and in the industry as a whole, making her a standout. She can truly be named the advocate for sustainability in the eCom photo studio space.”
“Matt is, above all things, generous. With his trust, his time, and his enthusiasm when we collaborate and bring projects to life. Matt is all about the details in working out exactly what processes in the studio can be improved and working to continually improve them at all times to ensure efficiency within a very content workplace.”
“Perrie has a way of making conversations about photography workflow fun and fresh without any sense of ego or superiority. With all that she's seen throughout her career, she still has the magical wonder of the craft and truly wants to see everyone succeed. She clearly loves what she does.”
“Versatile, passionate, and dedicated professional with a unique creative vision. Dana has been with VS Pink through the pivotal moments in the brand's approach to photography and talent. And her work has played a crucial role in building a new approach to the visuals you see now on VS website.”
“Ellinor is a true creative leader who is genuinely passionate about her work and her team's growth and well-being. She’s taken her career from being a photographer to the studio operations team lead at H&M and really grew professionally and personally. The way she approached every new role and continued to push for excellence deserves appraisal and recognition.”
“This is a tough industry, and it's very refreshing to see someone like Emily with such resilience and a passion for pushing the boundaries of our industry norms. She is not only one of the best retouchers I have ever worked with, but she also excels in managing others and overseeing large projects to fruition. Her extensive experience in photography and post-production has been instrumental in building and growing Hunny Retouch and Verybusy.io, positioning them as industry leaders.”
“Greg spent over 14 years at Amazon developing creative content across the globe seen by billions of customers. He even developed new lighting techniques that are being used today by studios across the globe.”
“James sets the visual standard for ASOS using the most innovative approach to lighting, tech, and resources. He does a phenomenal job creating and maintaining a world-class consistent elevated look that inspires many fashion platforms. He is technically brilliant and painfully modest.”
“Jessica is one of the most experienced studio leaders in the UK. Her varied background allows her not to get stuck and set in her ways but bring new practices and tap into different skills and ideas when working with the team.”
“Julie treats people as partners, meaning when she comes to the table with her needs, she always asks, how can I help on our side? She is also an advocate for her team and allows them to explore their creativity because, after all, creativity is why we all got into this industry.”
“Nicole is more than just an expert in her field. She is a visionary leader who truly cares about the industry and the world. She is passionate about circular economy and sustainability and works on bringing this mindset to the industry.”
“Alison is an amazing creative manager that balances efficient project management with a strong creative vision. She is Creative + Productive.”
“Ben understands the importance of the value of things and not the price. He understands that investing in people, in tech, in making projects work gives you so much back if you do it right and with courage.”
“Clair is passionate about equity and inclusion, ethics, and innovation. She’s a pioneer as a female executive in our space, who paved the way for many of us to follow.”
“Ethan oversees all Foot Locker studios in the US and Canada, manages to streamline all processes, ensures transparent and open communication among the teams, and never settles for "that's how we've been doing things." He is extremely talented, but he is also multiplying it with his hard work and dedication.”
“Jamie is a founding member of the photo team - starting as an assistant and has grown to be an amazing leader of the photo and video department. She is a hardworking leader that always puts the needs of her team first.”
“Jennifer is a highly creative and experienced producer at heart, with a strong understanding of the business side of the industry. She has earned her position as one of the executive stakeholders creating an amazing example for everyone else in this field.”
“Tara obsesses over photography and her craft. She knows all the creative parts and the technical stuff that so many photographers leave to their assistants. She's a powerhouse of knowledge when it comes to photography and all of the equipment involved. She is a leader by example, who understands how photography departments integrate to all other aspects of corporate structures.”
People’s Choice
“Montse is an entrepeneur and influencer. She is always passionate about how to improve e-commerce photography. A pioneer with a business mindset, Montse and her team are working on using image-generative AI for different uses.”
The Jury Panel
With so many amazing nominees, we had to call an expert jury panel. Meet the experts who helped us make the difficult decisions:
“Juliana has worked within tech & fashion organizations over the last 13 years to build operational strategy and structure in high-volume creative teams. She is now focused on leveraging organizational strategy and innovation to drive the digital transformation within retail and customer experience.”
“Stacey Tyrell is a Photo Studio & Digital Ops consultant. Over the course of her 15-year career, she has worked with companies and brands such as Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Sequential Brands Group and currently with Christie's at their North American Headquarters.”
“Kevin Mason is the Director of Studio Workflow, a premium studio consultancy company founded in East London in 2018, now based in Berlin. Since its launch Studio Workflow has delivered projects for some of the world's leading content creation brands designing +20,000sqm of studio space. Kevin has a background in Interior Architecture combined with 15+ years in commercial photography and full-time positions as AmazonFashionEu Photography Manager and TopShop Studio Manager. He has a love of data and unambiguous process through design.”
“Dan is an Industry expert with over 20 years of experience in e-commerce product content creation, strategy, and optimization. Spending the last 7 1/2 years at Amazon as Sr. Imaging Content/Program Manager, leading global content strategy development and fostering customer innovation through insight program creation. Successfully founded multiple business ventures providing product content for various e-commerce platforms, with expertise in streamlined digital content creation workflows.”
“Currently Head of E-commerce Creative at Farfetch, Fatima is a highly-skilled Photographic Studio Operations and Shoot Production leader across commercial, editorial, and e-commerce for fashion and luxury brands.”
“Daniel Jester is an experienced creative production professional who has managed production teams, built and launched new studios, and produced large-scale projects. He's currently the Chief Evangelist at Creative Force but has a breadth of experience in a variety of studio environments. Creative-minded, while able to effectively plan for and manage a complex project, he bridges the gap between spreadsheets and creative talent.”
“Louise has lived in the world of creative content production for over 20 years on both the creative and operational sides. Spending the last 8 years specifically leading large in-house e-commerce content production teams at Net-A-Porter, Zalando Studios and Ssense, responsible for producing high-quality content for up to 400,000 fashion and beauty branded products a year. Building a creative space that is 'best-in-class' creatively, operationally, and culturally is at the heart of what she does.”
“Ryan is a right and left-brain problem solver with a holistic view of production processes and how they interact with one another. His interest in identifying core operational inefficiencies translates into cost reductions and actionable productivity-enhancing solutions for his clients. Having worked on all sides of the content creation and asset implementation processes for top studios and brands, Ryan approaches projects with a deep understanding and appreciation for the needs of all stakeholders.”
“With 25+ years of commercial photography experience, Matt is now focused on product and SaaS product management within Profoto. He’s always looking at new ideas and new ways to innovate in the area of automation, lighting, styling, workflow optimization, and studio management.”
