Richard Maxted specialises in still life commercial and advertising photography; his controlled use of studio lighting is an art form in itself. He graduated with a degree in Photography from Blackpool College in 1995, before opening his own east London studio in 2000. He quickly established himself within the industry, and his eye for detail and obsession with ‘getting it right’ earned him respect and admiration from his peers. He has worked for clients such as BA, RBS, V&A, Jim Beam, Campbells and Mandarin Oriental. His images mostly feature solid, single colour backgrounds that compliment the subject while still keeping the focus of the image on the product being advertised. The studio lighting illuminates the items beautifully while creating the occasional shadow or reflection, all artistically placed and well thought out. His subject matter varies widely from technology such as watches and cameras, to flowers and books which are both composed of organic matter. Strong studio lighting and plain, simple backgrounds seem to be common themes within still life photography, and I will carry this across into my images. I aim to create something similar to Maxted and Oprisco.

“Your personal work identifies who you are as a photographer. The ads and commercial work are the proof you can do the job, but personal work shows your eye, shows what you see and what makes you tick…”

– Richard Maxted