ABOUT

Randall Michelson is an Advertising and Editorial Photographer based in Los Angeles. In his 20+ year career, he has produced an astounding quantity of work across many formats, styles and subjects. Whether in the studio or on location — directing the action or reacting to it — his work sets quality standards in every field.

In a rapidly evolving profession, Randall Michelson is a leader in innovation, technique and presentation. He brings vast experience and breadth of knowledge to every new job, viewing each as an opportunity and a personal challenge. His goal is to produce arresting imagery, to blend the best of art and advertising together, to give the client what he needs and expects as well as something more, something only he can produce. Even more, it is his mission to rise to the occasion when it counts most, when it is most important to the client, when the timing is critical and the subjects and situation are most demanding.

That is why he is trusted by so many important clients with their work.

You don’t get to the inner circle without the right personality and attitude. Randall Michelson believes in respect for the client and for the subject, adaptability and a Zen-like anticipation of important action.

He swears that good portraits, for example, involve a lot of non-verbal communication, even, he says, approaching hypnosis. And if you watch him work you will see he tries to explore all angles and styles, mixing in the experience of one field to enhance another. The diverse palette he has developed helps to create unique images for each new project. To see the potential in real time and maximize the impact with small adjustments and minor decisions on the spot, that is what separates his work from others.

Randall Michelson is currently the House Photographer at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as the Forum, and the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. From 2002-2007 he photographed virtually every show at the Wiltern Theatre in Hollywood, and was asked to photograph the architecture and historic Opening Nights of the Nokia Theatre and Club Nokia at LA Live in downtown L.A.

Randall Michelson is also the Official Photographer of the American Film Institute and its events. He was the Official Photographer of the Maui Film Festival for nine years, and has for years been an Official Photographer of the Sundance Film Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards.

His work has appeared in virtually every major magazine and newspaper around the world, including: Time, Newsweek, People, Us Weekly, InStyle, Rolling Stone, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Premiere, Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Spin, Playboy, TV Guide, Le Monde, London Times, Zoom, Domus, and many many others. His work has also appeared editorially on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Discovery, Public Television, Oprah Winfrey, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Jimmy Kimmel and the Tonight Show.

Randall’s commercial work includes many hotels and restaurant interiors and food photos for clients such as Absolut Vodka, Fairmont Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels, Marriott and Ritz Carlton Hotels at LA Live, Langham Hotel Pasadena, Marriott Wailea in Maui and Wailea Beach Villas. Other clients include the Wiltern Theatre, Palladium, Egyptian Theater, Fox Theatre Oakland, DeLuxe Labs, BMI, Modernica Furniture, Pica+Sullivan Architects, Canon Publishing, Liquid Farm Wines, TKT Theatres, AV Interiors, Pioneer Magnetics, Brandon Femme cosmetics, The Ratkovich Company, Entertainment Media Ventures, Video-Audio Center, Tanino, Celestino, La Vida, Cabana Club, Sorriso, Earthbar, Mel and Rose Gift Baskets, Gonpachi, Wokano, Social Hollywood, Tower Bar and the Sunset Tower Hotel, Diddy Riese Cookies, Beachcomber, Crystal Cove, Ruby’s, Tantra, Tanzore, The Foundry, Petrossian, Ortolan, Asia de Cuba, Opus, Panzanella, Sweet Lady Jane and Wolfgang Puck’s WP-24.

He has photographed events for Harman JBL, Conde Nast Traveler, Mortons Steakhouse, Live Nation, American Express, Citi, AOL, Terranea Hotel in Palos Verdes, CA, AEG, and Nederlander.

Randall Michelson has won two Broadcast Design Awards, a Telly Award, and a Best Visual design award from Millimeter magazine. He was included in the prestigious Absolut Art of the 90’s program, and his artwork has been shown in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, as well as being included in the Glamour show at SFMOMA. He has also directed and photographed several video projects, most recently elements for the Main Title sequence for the new Fox television show “Touch,” which previewed on January 25th, 2012 and begins its weekly run in March 2012.