Chris Lake, Photographer
Photography has been a constant companion throughout my life. A camera at your side is like having a hall pass to the world; a key that unlocks hidden doors and connects dots you didn't know were there. It's a machine that uses time and light to create art and has the power to bring us together by revealing shared experience. In case you couldn't tell, I am hopelessly hooked.
I got my start as a photographer in Chicago in the late 90’s during the last days of film. As a photo assistant for numerous studios and ad shooters, I loaded film backs, set up lights, and made coffee runs. I saw first hand how agency, production, client, and photographer can work together to bring creative concepts to life and communicate a brand’s message. It was an invaluable learning experience to witness what does (and sometimes doesn’t) go into making a project soar.
After a few years of assisting I began getting clients of my own. Magazines like Inc and Fast Company kept me busy doing portraits of entrepreneurs and CEO’s. I was learning the ropes of running a photography business, paying the bills, and building a deeper portfolio. On my own I was doing a lot of street photography and obsessively documenting everyday life around me with a small point and shoot camera.
On the advice of a colleague, I rolled some of that personal work into my portfolio. That changed everything. With a little help and some hustle, I was soon bidding on ad jobs shooting “real people” lifestyle for national brands. I had found my niche - capturing portraits and candid moments of everyday people in the real world.
Fast forward almost 20 years and I am still learning, growing, and doing what I love.
I currently make my home in Sarasota, Florida but frequently travel all over the country on assignment.
Selected Agencies and Brands:
Abbott Labs - Accenture - Allstate - American Lawyer Media - Arc Worldwide - Art Institute of Chicago - Blufish - Brightline - CVS Caremark - Cancer Treatment Centers of America - Chase - Chicago Magazine - Civilian - ClearChoice Dental - Conjure Design Country Financial - Cramer Krasselt - DDB - DeVry University - Dominican University - Eastern Florida State College - Energy BBDO - Fast Company - Federal Reserve of the United States - Florida Trend - Grey Healthcare - Hightower Partners - Home Depot - Hospira - Humane Society of the United Sates Inc. - Hyundai - Innocean - Intouch Solutions - Jim Beam - Johnson & Johnson - Leo Burnett - McKinney - Meade Johnson Nutrition - MetLife - Monogram Group - NDP Agency - Northern Trust - Otherwise Design - PwC - Sarasota Magazine - Seven Design - St. Francis Hospitals - Taylor Morrison - The Johnson Group - The Richards Group - University of Chicago -Walton Isaacson