Drew Gardener is a man on the go. If hes not taking photographs, hes working on his blog. When hes not blogging, hes likely out looking for a new location to shoot, or making sketches to visualize ahead of time a new and magnificent lighting scheme for the next celebrity on his list of clients. That mad schedule and hectic pace is par for the course for Drew, and his dedication and energy are what have set him apart from the others in his field.
Known worldwide for his highly informative lighting workshops aimed at working professionals and amateurs, Drews energy and enthusiasm are all part of the big show. He was recently featured in the working photographers Blog Strobist where he wowed the crowd with his do-it-yourself lighting setups for those who cannot afford the massive light sets he is known for. He showed how to get the best results with a little forethought and not a lot of money.
His credentials are impressive. He recently shot Spartacus actor John Hannah, TV celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver, and one of Guy Ritchies famous soccer-player actors, Vinnie Jones.
Drew is known for taking your average boring headshot and making it tell a story. Every photographer attempts to do this of course, but Drew manages to pull it off every single time. Drew puts his clients at ease the minute they walk onto the set. This ability is not the hallmark of a good photographer; its a sign of a great one. The benefit to approaching subjects in this manner, is not to just get them comfortable, but to get them to be themselves, as anyone that has shot a celebrity will tell you, is the hardest trick of them all.
Not only has he taken photographs of elephants looking at home in someones home, he has the uncanny ability to make clients feel at home no matter what sort of oddness is going on around them. He has done expensive shoots in
London hotels but finds that the luxury of
hotels in Mayfair better suit his elegant visions.
