About Michael Wharley
Originally from Hull, 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 Amazon Prime, Warner Bros, eOne, Netflix, Disney & Embankment – plus a raft of leading West End & UK theatre producers – trust him to work easily with actors like Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Zooey Deschanel, 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, The Observer, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
His award-winning 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 like Mastercard or agencies like Craft 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 small cocker spaniel called Newt & a functioning caffeine addiction. He can often be found playing trumpet and drums (not at the same time) in several bands.
Awards & Memberships
AOP member. Fellow of the BIPP
Silver Winner, LifeStyle Category AOP Awards 2024
Lurzers 200 Best Ad Photographers 2023-4
Winner, Advertising Category Spotlight Awards 2022
Gold Winner, Documentary Category, AOP Awards 2022.
Lurzers 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
Select Clients
Craft McCann, Mastercard, Embankment Film, Amazon Prime, Warner Brothers, Netflix, Disney, Audible, eOne, Lionsgate, Sky/HBO, Mischief (Goes Wrong Shows), Kaleidoscope Film, Signature, Decca Records, The Creative Partnership, A.K.A, Dewynters, Sonia Friedman Productions, The Bridge Theatre, The Young Vic, Fiery Angel, Penguin, Samuel French Publishing, Oberon Books.
Behind the scenes
