Lincoln Studios · Commercial photography
A studio foundation for product leadership.
Commercial photography, production and creative direction across Maine, Miami and Japan.
- My role
- Studio owner · Photographer · Creative director
- Period
- Early career through Japan
- Designed for
- Commercial & editorial clients
AI leadership noteKeep the photographer’s judgment in the edit
Original approach
The work began at a photo studio in Portland, Maine, photographing the L.L.Bean catalog and other Maine clients. Later photographed magazine work in Miami before moving to Japan.
What could change today
The studio combined lighting, art direction and advanced Photoshop retouching. Today, generate background treatments and rough composites on separate layers, then choose the treatment that serves the brief.
Workflow excerpt. The numbered steps show the same part of the journey in each version. The full project includes work beyond this comparison.
Original workflow
- Interpret the brief
- Plan the production
- Create and refine
- Deliver the work
Proposed workflow with AI
- Translate the client’s brief into visual choices and constraints.
- Plan the shoot and choose which variations to explore with AI.
- Capture the subject and test composite options on separate layers.
- Verify product color, skin and usage rights before delivery.
How to test the change
Retain the source capture. Check skin, jewelry reflections, product geometry and brand color at delivery size before releasing the final image.
01 / Customer & problem
The need behind the work.
Who needed this.
Commercial clients need images that communicate the subject clearly and can be delivered consistently across a production.
The problem to solve.
Commercial imagery has to communicate quickly while meeting the realities of a brief, production budget, physical products, people and delivery schedules.
Turn a creative direction into a consistent body of work that serves the client and the audience.
02 / My ownership
Responsibilities.
Owned the studio practice and led creative production. Selected images show my photography and its use in commercial compositions.
The constraint to work through.
Creative direction must work with physical materials, lighting, collaborators, schedules and the practical responsibilities of a studio business.
- Interpret the brief
- Plan the production
- Create and refine
- Deliver the work
03 / Actions & delivery
How the work came together.
The work began at a photo studio in Portland, Maine, photographing the L.L.Bean catalog and other Maine clients. Later photographed magazine work in Miami before moving to Japan.
In Japan, built Lincoln Studios and worked across commercial and stock photography for Amana Images, Getty Images, 123RF, Dentsu and other clients. The work connected creative direction to production logistics, budgets and collaborators.
The portfolio spans jewelry, fragrance, sport, fashion, food and people. It reflects habits that also matter in digital product design: attention to detail, clear intent and a practical understanding of production.
04 / Decisions & judgment
What carries through the design.
Let the subject define the treatment.
Jewelry, food, people and technical products each require a different approach to light, material and composition.
Build a dependable production process.
Creative direction has to survive scheduling, logistics, collaboration and final delivery.
Connect craft to a business.
Studio ownership adds accountability for budgets, client relationships and repeatable quality.
Selected studio work
Lincoln Studios origins.
My first website, from 1994, alongside photography and promotional work from the Lincoln Studios archive.
- Enlarge Egg self-portraits
An egg-carton self-portrait created for Lincoln Studios promotion.
- Enlarge Japanese hornet
A real Japanese hornet photographed for this Lincoln Studios promotional piece.
- Enlarge My first website · 1994
The original Lincoln Studios website, bringing photography and studio services together.
Selected studio work
Product photography.
Fragrance, jewelry and catalog work, with attention to light, finish and material.
Selected studio work
Catalog & product photography · Sunglass Monster
Eyewear photography for an online catalog. Also designed the logos and product cases shown in the accessories collection.
Selected studio work
Catalog & product photography · Factory Water
Bicycle component photography from Factory Water photo shoots, showing individual parts and assembled products.
Selected studio work
Food and drink photography.
Plated dishes, drinks and close details from the commercial studio archive.
Selected studio work
Stock photography.
Commercial stock photography and production.
Selected studio work
Fashion and portrait photography.
Portrait direction, commercial storytelling and location fashion across the studio practice.
Selected studio work
Location and travel photography.
Landscape, architecture, people and small details observed on location.
Selected studio work
Campaign and conceptual work.
Commercial compositions and imaginative photographic treatments.
Selected studio work
Studio and product studies.
The broader archive includes technical product presentations and a studio-work overview.
05 / Results & business value
What changed through the work.
A commercial photography and creative-production practice spanning three locations and a broad range of client work. At Amana Images, a local-crew production model reduced costs by 35%.
Why it matters.
Studio ownership connected creative quality to production economics, client relationships and reliable delivery. The local-crew approach at Amana shows how production choices can affect cost without changing the creative brief.
06 / Reflection
Lessons for future projects.
The lesson for operations: strong creative direction needs a dependable way to produce and deliver it.
Let’s talk about your next chapter.
Exploring Senior Director, Head of Design and VP opportunities.