- Studio Leader
- Photography Maven
- Production Hero
- Creative Genius
- Future Leader
We called for nominations across the industry and the globe. As always, the community delivered when we asked for nominations. We received well over 100 nominations for very deserving and brilliant candidates. To say we were blown away by the amount and quality of nominations is an understatement. And well, we couldn’t keep this list to JUST 30 finalists!
That means for 2024, our Top 30 is actually the Top 40!
Our final list of 40 includes innovators who strive to improve their workplaces and infuse their creativity and knowledge into everything they do. Let’s meet all the finalists:
Future Leader
“Emily's team LOVES her. Our photo studio associates are typically young, new in careers, and looking for a job that fulfills them both professionally and personally. Emily provides a working environment that does just that.”
“Dynamic, proactive, always learning, and ready for a challenge! Her constant learning and development of her production skills make her a great communicator and future leader of large production crews and studio teams.”
“Megan is our Intern but she has visually influenced the Gymshark brand through her work. Megan is heralded in most Senior meetings as someone who is available for every bit of development and growth. Megan will throw herself into situations where she can learn and develop commercially, creatively, and personally. If she isn't shooting, she is in the support role (Digi), ensuring all images are cropped and selected as the shoot progresses. What a future star.”
Creative Genius
“The true Creative Leader every brand needs, but not everyone gets. Chris is a powerhouse. As soon as he comes in, he gets things done and takes the vision and results to a totally new level. Crocs has been killing it since he joined!”
“Anais's creativity doesn't know the limits: she can create and bring to life equally great concepts for eCom photography and a brand's experiential pop-up at a physical location. All while maintaining the brand's DNA and her own vision.”
“Katharine, a radiant beacon of creativity with a sharp eye for styling and meticulous attention to detail, is passionately dedicated to developing and nurturing the next generation of leaders. Great at directing and bringing out the best in her creative and production team.”
Photography Maven
“Ana has a deep passion for fashion e-commerce photography. So much so that she created the first photo studio specializing in fashion e-commerce in Portugal in 2019. In 2023, she started teaching fashion e-commerce workshops invited by Canon Portugal, being the first fashion e-commerce photography workshop in Portugal”
“Carlos always over-delivers on any given task. He’s a brilliant videographer who creates the trendiest videos in e-com space right now!”
“He has played an integral part in building the visual representation of the FreshDirect brand as it exists today. A ray of sunshine that somehow contains a genius visual sensibility, unbeatable work ethic, and more reliable than days that end in Y. Plus, I cannot stress enough how much of a powerhouse creative he is. The way he interprets and executes ideas amazes me.”
“Perrie is an excellent representative of our profession. Her overall knowledge about the industry, especially the tech space, and her excitement and passion for the industry make her a stand out.”
“Anthony is an experienced professional in the ecom fashion industry and very well respected. He manages his studio and team with ease and is an incredible mentor who is always such a pleasure to work with!”
“David’s journey from studio Runner to stand-out photography is simply amazing and super inspirational. Brilliant on-set presence. Superb photography skills from every technical aspect. Pushing briefs forward. Commercial awareness of production. Growing talent with every shoot. Inspiring others.”
Production Hero
“Ally is an experienced Head of Production, adept at leading teams to deliver high-quality visual assets across multiple platforms while fostering integrity and growth within her teams. She brings a wealth of experience. As a strong communicator and advocate for transparent, flexible, and collaborative work environments, Ally fosters a culture of integrity and growth within her teams.”
“Heather is a creative unicorn whose expertise truly spans multiple disciplines to support creative for brands and their in-house teams. She’s an innovative and collaborative creative specialist with a strong record for creative quality improvement spanning content creation, photo shoot direction, creative operations, finance, strategy, and execution, and she is passionate about the confluence of creativity, production processes, and organizational workflow management.”
“She may be a manager, but she is the key to making this team work. As Amanda says, herself very well: team leader who is also a team player. She is super knowledgeable in her area of expertise (post-production) but also a young leader who is learning and growing every day”
“With 15 years of industry expertise, Edwina leads a team in crafting bespoke content solutions, adept at optimizing workflows and capturing efficiencies of scale. Edwina's skills in innovation development, negotiation, new business opportunities, and team leadership make her an exemplary candidate for recognition in the field.”
“Eloise Jones stands out for her remarkable expertise in driving innovation and excellence in content production, having spent over 12 years at Selfridges, including her current role as Image Asset Manager. Her extensive experience and strategic vision make her an exceptional leader in the photo studio industry.”
“As a seasoned professional with over ten years of experience in the studio setting, she has mastered the art of making work both productive and downright fun. But don't let her comedic flair fool you—she's serious about delivering results. Her track record speaks for itself when it comes to content management, video editing, and studio production. In today's fast-paced world, efficiency is key, which is why she strives for excellence in everything she does, and it shows.”
“Chloe has over 15 years of eCommerce and creative studio experience, adept at developing scalable processes, managing 360 projects, and ensuring efficient studio operations.”
“Duncan just does things and takes the lead on projects where it is needed. Always with a good attitude and great ideas. All-around excellent creative with strong technical skills and a desire to learn and grow.”
“Kirsty's ambition and desire to grow, do more, do better and produce high-quality work is unmatched. She’s a creative producer who makes it all seem so easy and consistently delivers stunning results.”
“With no previous photography background, Richard now shoots all TOMs PDP, and shepherds all productions from inception to completion. He is someone who tirelessly strives for the very best product while never sacrificing, putting their crew first and all with charismatic energy.”
Studio Leader
“Alessio Sabatini stands out for his extensive experience, strategic vision, and leadership in managing multi-skilled production and creative teams to deliver bespoke content solutions for fashion and beauty clients.”
“Bimi has the respect of her team and understands them and their strengths. In my opinion, she's an ideal studio leader who understands the creative process and knows how to advocate for her team and support them. She has a steadiness to her that brings security and reassurance.”
“Colleen is a big warm personality that welcomes everyone. She exudes a passion for photography, production, senior leadership, and consulting that is thoughtfully pushing the industry forward. She is also a subject matter expert and offers her knowledge and advice on different industry panels.”
“Conrad is currently at the top of his field. Everywhere he goes, business grows, and people excel. And he is also a talented photographer and a nice person! He is a people's leader exemplified, who creates working environments through transparency, honesty, and process.”
“We love Jess! Not only is Jess a brilliant studio leader, but she also brings a much-needed light-heartedness and sense of reality to what we are doing daily. She’s a reliable, invaluable, and trustworthy pillar in Urban Outfitters Studio across all departments. Organized, compassionate, and leads with humor. A hilarious and witty critical thinker.”
“Christina has established herself as a cornerstone in studio and production management. She is known for her friendly nature and problem-solving skills, earning praise from colleagues and clients.”
“His obsession with photography is obvious, so what stands out is his ability to engage with clients, inspire them, work with them - not for them, and lead a team of hard-working, talented artists. He is truly a jack of all trades and deserves to be celebrated!
He singlehandedly runs the business, even stepping in to shoot, edit, unload shipments, and prep samples for shoots. When it comes to the ideal leader for a commercial studio, Connor is your guy ”
“Fun, Easygoing, and down to earth, knows how to balance the needs of the business and the team below him. He knows when to get involved, and he gets it done smoothly. Don is the leader everyone needs in their career (and life!). Words only do so much when his personality shines.”
“Emily is a seasoned leader in e-commerce studios, known for her creative strategies and resource management. As a passionate founder of the Ecom Studio Training Academy (ESTA), Emily provides innovative education and training for creative professionals.”
“Helen is an amazing creative studio manager—an inspiring leader who masterfully blends creativity with strategy, making sure every project is not only exceptional but also delivered on time.
She deserves this credit as an unsung hero in the studio world, where little praise is offered for delivering such a high-performing output. We’d have never achieved what we did without Helen’s guidance, support, and motivation to succeed. ”
“Jon is an inspiring and dedicated leader with years of experience. He turned the Debenhams studio around in six months to be the most cost-effective and efficient in the group. He has the ability to be a true leader and best mate in one. King of efficiency and team building.”
“Julie is an exceptionally organized and visionary leader. She stands out due to her exceptional organizational skills, visionary leadership, and ability to foster collaboration, all of which contribute to consistently delivering outstanding results in the photo studio.”
“Lauren has been making splashes in this industry since her tenure at Quikisilver working on ROXY creative team, and then she went on to create her own studio - Summerjax, focusing on great teams and creative production. Her vision and ability to make it happen really are key differentiators. There are many visionaries, but few of them excel at executing that vision.”
“Mark is bringing his vision and passion to photography everywhere he goes. He’s a studio leader who knows how to build a great team and enable them to produce great work.”
“A great leader who knows his stuff and supports everyone around him to get the job done! He will always work hard but also knows how to have a laugh and encourages you to do the same.”
“Paul built and led the in-house creative agency and photo operations at Showtime Networks Inc. He’s a forward-thinking, collaborative leader and mentor with an inclusive nature to build and grow innovative teams.”
“He is a caring, thoughtful leader who not only motivates the whole team to do their best but understands that personal life can sometimes trump work commitments. This understanding has resulted in the lowest staff turnover with most team members having stayed at the company through thick and thin. His experience across different creative fields and how he is always looking into new technology and how we can incorporate them into our studio production workflow to help shorten lead times for clients and workloads for the team.”
“She is wicked smart, and I, along with many people along the way, have learned so much from her. She is the most supportive boss. She pushes and challenges everyone around her to be the best version of themselves. She is the epitome of a fearless, strong female leader.”
People’s Choice
“Valentina is a creative professional who always thrives for more. Her background in styling shines through her ability to connect the artistic side of things with the efficiency and productivity required to run an e-com studio.”
The Jury Panel
Our Jury Panel is a mix of past winners, experts from different areas across the industry and passionate advocates of driving our industry forward. 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 currently the Managing Director at dreem.ai, a division of Creative Force focused on developing and testing solutions that leverage AI to drive value within creative organizations. I understand the need to engage stakeholders at all levels with a blend of inspiration, creativity, and data. ”
“Tracey Woods is the Director of Photography at The Luupe and a freelance creative consultant and producer. Prior to this, she was the photo director at Essence Communications. Tracey has produced editorial and commercial content for a variety of well-known brands, participated in panels, and sat on juries for some of the top photography organizations around the globe. As an artist and photographer, Tracey draws inspiration from beauty in the unexpected. ”
“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.”
“Perrie Schad is the Founder of Perrie Schad Consulting, a company that helps clients transition from analog to digital, automate manual tasks, and build scalable workflows for their creative teams. With nearly 20 years of experience in the photo industry, Perrie has a unique perspective and a proven track record of delivering results.
Perrie has worked in various roles and settings, from photographer and art director to studio manager and producer for leading retailers and agencies. She has designed and managed premier in-house photo studios, implemented technology solutions, and established processes and communication strategies ”
“Emily is an accomplished Studio Operations Manager and was named one of the Top 30 Photo Studio Professionals in 2023. She is also the visionary CEO and founder of the Ecom Studio Training Academy, dedicated to empowering educational institutions, individuals, and businesses with comprehensive expertise and knowledge on Photo Studio Operations. Emily's extensive experience includes collaborations with leading UK online retailers specializing in styling, process optimization, and creative content production.”
“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. ”