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Michael Wharley

Photographer Overview

Originally from Yorkshire, Michael studied English Literature at Oxford University & was an actor for six years before moving behind the camera in 2010.

He brought with him a keen eye for story & a flair for the dramatic.

Today, he is sought after in the entertainment world for his bold, energetic, cinematic images that create striking key art & promotional imagery for high-profile campaigns across the UK & beyond.

Clients like Warner Bros, eOne, Embankment & Bron – plus a raft of leading West End & UK theatre producers – trust him to work easily with actors like Ralph Fiennes, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, David Oyelowo, Emma Mackey, Gugu Mbatha Raw & more.

His characterful portrait style means he is regularly commissioned to shoot musicians, artists, actors, celebrities & beyond; with his work appearing in publications like The Times Magazine, The Guardian, Grazia, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.

His personal projects often trace the connections between people & place: how a love of green spaces defines our contemporary Englishness, how a group of young classical musicians relate to the history of Brixton.

Increasingly, he combines this experience to tell the stories of brands in their campaigns.

He brings warmth, creativity, a craftsman’s expertise & unflappable calm to set, whether on the side of a mountain, in a stripped-back, studio portrait shoot or amidst a full-scale, complex production.

He lives in Brixton with his screenwriter/director partner & a functioning caffeine addiction.

Awards & Memberships

- AOP member. Fellow of the BIPP

- Portrait of Britain 2021

- Lürzers 200 Best Ad Photographers 2021-22

- Portrait of Britain 2020 Winner

- Advertising winner in the Spotlight Awards 2020

- Gold in Portraiture & Photographer of the Year at BIPP Awards 2018

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