Jonathan Knowles Photography & Film

About

Jonathan Knowles is a skilled and creative specialist in still life, liquids, drinks, food and special effects image making. Jonathan’s unique style has earned him award-winning advertising commissions worldwide. In the past eighteen years, Jonathan has consistently featured in the ‘200 Best Advertising Photographers in the World’ books. He is one of the top ten all time winners in the Graphis Annuals, and has been awarded in both moving image and stills by PDN, D&AD, The Art Directors’ Club of New York, Communication Arts, The Association of Photographers, Campaign, New York Festivals, The Globals, Oneeyeland and others. He has recently been given the accolade of Advertising Photographer of the Year 2019, with a ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York. Notable commissions include campaigns for many globally recognised brands, such as Coca-Cola, Smirnoff, Nescafé, Guinness and Glen ddich. He is also the creator of the famous O2 bubbles.

Our latest showreel

What we do

Drinks & Liquids

Since being inspired by a shot of a milk splash when he was 8 years old, Jonathan Knowles has been fascinated by the unseen forms of nature that he can capture through his photography. During a career learning and practising techniques in handling and manipulating liquids, he has produced some stunning and memorable images, capturing an instant of time never to be repeated; presenting as permanent what the eye itself can never retain. His drinks photography translates this into the product arena. He always has the brand culture of the product at its heart, bringing out the very best in refreshment and appetite appeal, whether dealing with beer, wine, gin, whisky, water or tea and coffee.

Luxury Products

Jonathan’s rigorous attention to detail and precise lighting control give his luxury images a special and prestigious atmosphere. The facets of diamonds sparkle, perfumes and make-up glow. This sumptuous serenity is translated through into his beauty photography, where he works with his team, and directs his models, to create a truly premium image.

People

Use of light, understanding of composition, and interaction with the subject, all bring a special feeling to Jonathan’s people photography. From award-winning images of former Prime Ministers and sports stars, to portraits and much larger sets promoting a wide range of advertising concepts, his strong graphic style and deep understanding of the fundamental principles of photography deliver unique imagery.

Still Life

Knowles’ still lives all have a very graphic quality. Simplicity is at the core of his work. There is nothing that is superfluous to the message in any of his pictures. In each image, the totality is a composition sculpted by his light, and the way the individual objects come together creates a still and permanent beauty, whether this is something that is archetypally still life, or something requiring special effects, such as an explosion.

Film

Jonathan Knowles has now brought the experience he has gained over a long photographic career into his moving image work. His liquid expertise translates gracefully into stunning slow motion films, capturing the flowing beauty of splashes and pours, whilst his experience directing people means that he is equally at home telling longer stories.

Our Clients

The Studio

Jonathan Knowles is based in a converted warehouse building close to the river in Hammersmith, with tube and bus stations being only 400m from the door. As well as the studio, there is a client relaxation area, full facilities for hair and make-up, and a large office that can be used for meetings and conference calls. Whilst Jonathan mostly shoots here, with all the required specialist equipment, large tanks, cameras, lighting and set-up easily to hand, he is obviously comfortable to work anywhere in the World.