London-based sports and fitness photographer Pete Muller does not idle much. He’s either on set for clients or on set for himself, and the latter was a scenario he found himself in at the end of 2021. Back then, he was merely experimenting, playing around with lighting styles and technique to fill some gaps in his portfolio. By the beginning of 2023, he had filled some of those gaps, developed a signature aesthetic, and bagged 18 trophies from the 2022 New York Photography Awards, acclaiming 18 separate images of his. In addition to 5 gold and 12 silver awards, he took home the big one, being named Photographer of the Year in the “Commercial Photography – Advertising” category.
“I love being busy, as most freelancers do, and personal work is so important to me. And I think it should be for every budding commercial photographer. Commissioners will look to see what makes you tick, what your default is, and more likely choose you based on personal work rather than your jobs.”
Commissioners will also notice photographers earning top honors from awards bodies. The publicity invariably leads to more work. Last year, before New York, Pete landed a large campaign after receiving honors from The Association of Photographers (AOP) for a personal project.
It was a personal project dating back to December 2021, a seminal moment that paved the way for a highly creative period.
This particular journey began in the winter of 2021. While most people were busy with Christmas decorations and gift shopping, Pete’s holiday season was occupied by some personal work.
This shoot was the genesis of my gritty, dramatic style of recent times. I was doing loads of lifestyle work, and I still do. But I wanted to go back to shooting a sportsperson in a more dramatic way, lit without using natural light as the key, and then playing around with the image on Photoshop.
The personal project was assembled in spontaneous fashion. Pete called a few gyms to see if anyone was willing to be a test subject. Alex Montagnani, a professional MMA fighter and instructor, was up for being the guinea pig. Still, the photographer had no inkling as to what the subject or gym looked like until the shoot was agreed on.
I was going in a little blind, but I really wanted to test myself on this shoot and see if I could work and think on the run. Normally, I have a clear vision of the shoot and know what I want. But as this was the first in recent times of this style, I went in and adapted to what was in front of me. I am pleased with how I adapted to the environment and created this character out of a fairly ordinary-looking gym. It’s good to test yourself every now and then; make it difficult for yourself on set and see how you respond. As the saying goes, “no pain, no gain.”
Next came a test shoot that Pete had desired for a long time: with fitness trainer Tyler Saunders. He’s an individual belonging to a class of his own, redefining what is within the realms of possibility.
Tyler was born with only one leg and can’t wear a prosthetic as he has no stump to attach it to. He’s on crutches most of the time, but that doesn’t hold him back. He is a true inspiration, a fitness trainer whose mantra is “no excuses.”
It’s a mantra that Pete seems to live by as well. On a typical test shoot, he’s usually flying solo. And more often than not, everything wraps up in two hours since his subjects don’t have all day to lay around. That could be a daunting proposition to most, handling everything from setup to pack up in a couple of hours, but that’s not how he sees it. It comes down to years of experience and a mindset that prefers to see solutions rather than problems.
Toward the beginning of 2022, Pete photographed hurdler Alex Alameen and continued refining his newfound aesthetic of grit and guts. One photo from this project, “Go!,” won a gold in the “People Photography – Sports” category. He’s quite fond of this shoot, waxing lyrical about the subtle lighting in frame that created some moody highlights and shadows. However, the first project with Alex Montagnani, the one that got him onto this trajectory, also sticks in his mind. And that, too, with good reason.
In early 2022, after Pete had photographed the MMA fighter, British sports betting company William Hill opened a line of communication with him. They needed someone to steer their upcoming “Epic” campaign in the stills and motion departments. During the planning phase, their creative team kept referring to his shoot with the fighter, highlighting its dramatic compositions. All signs indicated to that shoot being the reason for his selection.
I think they were really taken by the shot of the kickboxer kicking the bag that got into The AOP awards. So they kept mentioning it as a point of reference to the feel and lighting.
With that style in mind, he spent three days in June at London’s Camberwell Studios, tinkering around with green screens to get the required shots. It was an intense few days for the photographer, along with the models for the campaign.
I did the casting myself and made sure I got to see how everyone held themselves: how they moved and how they took instruction. After all, it is my head on the block, so I want to get it right. I physically showed them what to do on the crash mat. Then for the actual shoot, I was diving around, instructing them how to kick, run, dive, and celebrate. As a sportsperson myself, I know a fair bit about how it should look. And as a photographer, I know how to make it look good. Overall, they were a great bunch of lads. At times it was quite physical for them, especially the goalkeeping shot. We had to do that one over and over, but he was a star.
Challenges were aplenty on set. The client was particular about not revealing any faces clearly in either the stills or video. Numbers on the backs of shirts were also to be avoided, too, in the off chance that viewers associated a particular sports personality with the images. To make it work, Pete had to play around with the shadows, and at other times, with the models’ hand and body positioning. This made life incredibly difficult for the video segment, especially when shooting at 150 frames per second. The simplest shots took the longest time.
But unlike his personal projects, Pete wasn’t a lone warrior here. He had his stills crew with him and a dedicated team of around eight individuals for the video shoot. On top of that, there were plenty of eyes from the client’s side to ensure feedback was immediate. They even had a big wig on set when the Global Head of Creative showed up from Australia. It was a high-stakes affair, but the risk was worth it.
Once the dust settled, Pete’s images were plastered across William Hill’s Epic promotional campaign. And it’s one of these images that made him Photographer of the Year at the New York Photography Awards. Unlike on previous occasions, he handled more than he usually does, whether it was the in-depth casting or video production. And unlike previous occasions, the extra effort reaped additional rewards. He could count 17 of them.
See more of Pete’s work on his website.
Credits for William Hill Assignment
Head of Design: Gavin Penn (William Hill)
Producer: Liam Jackson (William Hill)
Head of Production: Bumble Baker (William Hill)
Chief Brand Officer: Charlotte Emery (William Hill)
Head of Creative and Production: Angus Gordon (William Hill)
1st Assistant: Declan Driver
Digi Op: Will Corder
Stylist: Emma Lightbown
MUA: Carla Francesca
Video Producer: Ben Nash (Bangerz&Nash)
Studio: Camberwell Studios
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