About Michael Wharley

Hello! I’m a Portrait Photographer & Director for Screen, Stage, Brands & Beyond.

I shoot entertainment, editorial & commercial work. I’m interested in finding drama, energy & emotion as I shoot. I used to be an actor, which perhaps explains why…

It lends me a naturally easy manner with talent, so I direct with a light touch. And I’ve learned to love lighting in all its nuance over the last 16 years, so you get the benefit of both skillsets.

• My dynamic, atmospheric images create striking key art & promotional campaigns for Film & TV clients like Warner Bros, Paramount, Prime Video & Audible, and a raft of leading West End & UK theatre producers from Disney Theatrical to Sonia Friedman Productions.

• My rich, vibrant portraits of musicians, artists, actors & celebrities feature in publications like The Times Magazine, The Guardian, Grazia & Variety, & on book covers, tour posters & merchandise.

• My award-winning personal projects 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.

• I combine these experiences to tell the stories of brands in their campaigns, whether in stills or motion.

Add in a naturally warm, collaborative approach & you’ll find my sets tend to be happy places. I’d love to work with you on your next project, so do just drop a line.

If you’d like to know what I’ve been up to recently, check out the NEWS page. Or subscribe to my monthly newsletter.

In My Life

I live in Crystal Palace, South London, with my screenwriter/director wife, a small cocker spaniel called Newt & a functioning caffeine addiction. I’m often to be found playing trumpet and drums in a band (not at the same time).