Cameron Sterling

REFERENCES

This is a collection of notes people have written about working with me since 2003. Please see the Projects pages for further information. More projects and references are available on request.

ASMP-AIGA Portfolio Review, 2021

Howard Paul:  Cameron was immensely helpful to me during my ASMP-CO portfolio review. I wholeheartedly recommend consulting with him!

Olga Stefatou:  Your advice really opened my mind.

Tegan Keller:  It really was great chatting with you and getting your viewpoint on my work and the presentation and organization of it.

Fawaz Oyedeji:  I enjoyed our session very much and was particularly intrigued by hearing your tips on my website. It was definitely helpful in having me think critically about some simple but impactful acts like this that one can easily ignore when presenting one’s work.

TJ Romero:  The time we spent discussing my work is invaluable to me. I appriacte your willingness to help me grow and learn!

Peita Carnevale, Hiro Studio, Studio Manager, August 2021

Hi Cameron,

I’ve spent much of this week writing notes to people who needed to be told about Hiro’s passing with the hope of notifying them prior to press comments breaking the news.

The first of my notes was the hurried text to the four of you. Those folks that had spent the most time with and knew the most about the situation that Hiro found himself in. Speaking directly to all of you about Hiro over the last several weeks is not really an excuse to have forgone the more customary and necessary condolences that make all of this slightly more bearable. I have been at pains to offer people less important to him a kind word or anecdote to comfort them with the knowledge of the regard in which Hiro held them. I can do no less for each of you, although I am tardy in getting to it.

We know of course of Hiro’s absolute affection for you. I just wanted to remind you in these dark days of the humor, and light that you offered to Hiro on a daily basis for so long. He relied on your steadfast hand, your ready smile and your immense technical skill. I relied on your impeccable manners, kind heart and dedication to Hiro and your impeccable technical skills.

I’ve worked there a long time. I’ve seen the way Hiro has responded or not to many people. You offered a comfort beyond most. I’m sure that something more professional sounding would be a better comment to make but the fact is that Hiro was fragile for some of these last years and you did a great service to him beyond your skills. You offered him unconditional attention, affection and respect. That is not something in a handbook or a job description. Your contribution to Hiro is beyond measure. I don’t think that I know anyone who could have a done a better job of guiding Hiro thru a digital experience or offering him the humanity of trying to understand it.

People have sent the most lovely letters to me. Almost all of them have remarked upon the studio vibe. The “family” of the studio. The way we all of us have tried to be supporting and protective of him. Almost all have remarked on that with envy and awe. Just goes to show that those “hiro rules” work.

So I’m sorry that it has taken me the week to write. I hope that you can take small comfort in recognizing your vast contributions Hiro and his work. The further we get from those last shooting days the more I value the true gift of Hiro, his friendship. His talent was tremendous but I will always miss the man.

www.hirostudioinc.com

Jebb Graff, Photographer, 2020

I’ve been a professional photographer for almost 20 years and I’ve often struggled with honing my message and focus. Which has frustrated me because I have been hired by other companies as a creative consultant to help them hone their own focus and messaging. In my first meeting with Cameron, he reminded me that “you can’t see the label from inside the jar” and he was correct. Even when I could see problems with my strategy in the past, I couldn’t see the answer.

Cameron cleared it all up for me. He’s very easy and candid to work with which I appreciate so much. I was concerned that I woud just be hiring a self-proclaimed “guru” who would do nothing but upsell their own services while throwing premade templates at me to plug my images into. 

With Cameron, I received so many useful hours of one-on-one portfolio edits, reasoning behind the edits, content suggestions, and content editing. The man isn’t a snake-oil salesman, he’s the real, authentic deal, and I genuinely believe his services are good for the creative community. I’ve already seen improvements in the quality of my inquiries from my website... during a pandemic in the cold season no less.

Cameron is a generous, delightful person to work with and I’ll happily recommend him to anyone who is ready to put in the work to improve their brand.

www.jebbgraff.com

Allegra Anderson, Photographer, 2019

Working with Cameron gave me the focus and process I needed to build out and refine the visual and written brand messages of my commercial photography business. Most photographers think their business only needs great images on their website to stand out, but in competitive markets, buyers expect to learn more about us, why they will enjoy working with us, and how we work.

Cameron helped me hone in on the gallery edits, supporting visuals, and a brand story that resonates with my business's audience. His keen sense of what makes a photography business unique in its market helped me shape my website into a more effective marketing tool. I knew gallery edits would be an important part of our work, but I didn't realize the role client-centric text and storytelling images could have on my website before working with him. Now that I see this marketing strategy beautifully stitched through my website, I'm even prouder to promote my business to clients who need it.

www.allegraanderson.com

Richard Singh, Styling, Photography, Creative Direction, 2018

I first met Cameron when he began working with Hiro in 2004 after his tenure with Richard Avedon. During the past 14 years we have worked together on a continuing series of iconic advertising images for Elsa Peretti / Tiffany & Co., and on editorials for the American edition of Harpers’ Bazaar. Cameron’s contributions however, extend far beyond these projects. 

I have always been impressed by his positive attitude, and having seen first-hand the high quality of his work and his dedication to those he works with, it’s easy to understand how he came to play such a vital role with one of the most important photographers of our time.

John Schnack, Photographer, 2019

From our first conversation, Cameron was immensely helpful editing my online portfolios and strategically improving the content experiences of my two photography business brands. 

I am a photographer with two different revenue streams, one is a luxury wedding photography brand, and the other is a small but growing commercial photography brand. Cameron was very adept at knowing what to do for each audience with their different art buying processes.

For my commercial brand, Cameron helped me edit my existing work into categories that are not only more targeted to potential art buyers, but better communicate my approach and style.

For my luxury wedding brand, he helped me understand how to position myself as an expert and an empathetic partner in my client’s process, rather than solely a cameraman.  We rewrote copy, changed menus, edited images, and made the website cohesive and customer centric.

Cameron is diligent, kind, and brutally honest. He is exactly what I was looking for in a consultant. I hold Cameron in the highest regard and would highly recommend his services.  I hope to work with Cameron again in the future.

www.johnschnack.com

Louis Arévalo, Photographer, 2019

Working with Cameron was a pleasure. His industry insight, attention to detail, focus, and broad comprehension helped build a beautiful book that genuinely represents my work and where I intend to go.

www.louisarevalophotography.com

Kathryn Mayo, Professor of Photography, Cosumnes River College, 2018

The Cosumnes River College's video chat with Cameron Sterling was an incredible experience! Cameron's approachability and accessible demeanor with my students was greatly appreciated by all participants in my Careers in Photography class. 

He was extremely patient and answered each student's questions with thoughtful and thorough answers that spoke to his invaluable experience and knowledge of industry practices. He was also very open with recommending helpful industry resources. My students felt empowered and enlightened after the video chat session, and often refer to his advice in class discussions, group brainstorming and individual problem solving.  

Christopher Beauchamp, Photographer, 2018

For me the most important part of the process of working with Cameron was that he was very quickly able to evaluate, understand and discuss the specifics of my photography and how it related to current photography markets.

He wasn’t blowing any smoke, he just had honest and informed insights that allowed us to very quickly get on the same page and outline a course of action. In my case it was a somewhat subtle but very real and important shift in my focus and restructuring of how I present my work on my website which like most photographers serves as the centerpiece of my marketing.

I found working with Cameron to be a very collaborative process and ultimately I am very excited by the final results. It’s probably a bit premature to measure the success but the preliminary feedback from colleagues and existing clients is that it is a sizable step forward.

www.christopherbeauchamp.com

Benjamin Sisco, Photographer, 2018

Working with Cameron over 8-months of coaching via computer meetings was a pleasure. I felt comfortable from the start discussing every detail of my photography process with him.

Before working together, I had a small set of unrelated images, mostly on black backgrounds, presented in an unwelcoming dark website. Cameron helped me transform my website into a targeted set of images with market driven subjects that I enjoy lighting and photographing. This resulted in a focused approach that combined my interests, skills and market opportunities.

Our meetings began with a critique of my new work where I received immediate feedback on what worked, what didn't and why. His perspectives consistently covered my brand positioning, market relevance and technique. Most important were the whys of these reviews - are my shadows dark for creative purposes or should they be lifted to be more commercial? Are the images telling a client’s brand story? Can elements be added for more narrative impact?

Next, we would look at developments on the business side. How could I best develop a plan to work with specific clients? Are relevant test images needed? What is the best approach to find and contact a company’s decision makers?

I am passionate about photography and I am now in a much better position to make it my full time business. A few key people’s support helped make this possible and Cameron was one.
www.benjaminsisco.com

Pete Mullen, Adobe Stock, Director of Digital Supply Chain Operations, 2017

In his 18 months with us at Adobe Stock, Cameron brought great enthusiasm, work ethic, collaborative spirit and can-do attitude to a wide array of duties assigned to him.

Working with us during an intense, start-up period, Cameron made material curatorial contributions to the launch and growth of our Premium Collection and also volunteered to manage a host of operational assignments across content ingest, data management and reporting disciplines.

Cameron’s “do whatever it takes” approach and overall positivity were greatly appreciated across our team and brought measurable value to our operation as it got off the ground. Thanks, Cameron!

www.stock.adobe.com/premium

James Martin, Richard Avedon Foundation, Executive Director, 2016

Cameron Sterling joined The Richard Avedon Foundation in a freelance capacity during an important moment of our iPad App development in 2014-2015. Having worked for Richard Avedon and Hiro, Cameron needed no introduction to us. He quickly integrated with our team who operate at the highest standards that Avedon required of the people he engaged with.

Cameron generously shared his personal knowledge of Richard Avedon's visual intent coupled with his ability to steer digital production to produce accurate re-uses of Avedon's images. Following the successful launch of the Foundation's groundbreaking App, Cameron significantly contributed to the Foundation’s milestone book projects, Dior by Avedon and Avedon/Warhol, in addition to numerous licensing projects.

Richard Avedon would be happy with Cameron's contributions to his foundation's projects.

www.avedonfoundation.org

Hiro, Photographer, 2007

When Cameron stops smiling then I know we’re in trouble.

www.hirostudioinc.com

Peita Carnevale, Hiro Studio, Studio Manager, 2005

Cameron Sterling began working here as a full time photography assistant at Hiro Studio in early December 2004. He came to us highly recommended from his previous position at Richard Avedon Studio.

In the short time that Cameron has been with us he has adjusted well to his new environment, carrying out his responsibilities easily and is clearly a welcome addition to this studio.

In the field of photography, it is unusual for someone to have the opportunity to work for two masters such as Avedon and Hiro. The fact that Cameron has managed both should be quite telling to you. he is clever, competent, charming, well-mannered and I am extraordinary pleased to have Cameron as part of our busy and exacting team.

I look forward to his continued contributions to the studio.

www.hirostudioinc.com

Norma Stevens, Richard Avedon Studio, Director, 2004

Cameron Sterling worked at The Richard Avedon Studio from November 2003 to October 2004. After an impressive internship, we engaged him as a Staff Photography Assitant. He became a valuable member of our studio team.

Cameron was involved in all aspects of the studio’s working environment. He consistently demonstrated a professional and enthusiastic demeanor with our staff and clients. I believe he will enjoy a most successful future in the field of photography.

www.avedonfoundation.org

Cameron Sterling, August 2021

About Hiro

Two weeks ago on a misty wet Sunday morning in rural Pennsylvania I visited Hiro. As I drove past the August farm stands we stopped at over the years I knew this would be the last time I saw him. A week later he passed on.

I began working with Hiro in December 2004 a few months after my work with Richard Avedon ended when he died. I had no idea my professional relationship with Hiro would span the next 17 years.

Hiro was a Japanese-American photographer. He was born Yasuhiro Wakabayashi in Shanghai on November 3, 1930 to Japanese parents. The events of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) surrounded his youth. When World War Two concluded Hiro returned to Japan from China with his family as a teenager.

In 1954, inspired by western publications circulating in Japan, Hiro gathered a student visa, a host family, funds, and the courage to pursue his goals. His modest means and knowledge of the English language did not deter him. He took a boat to California, a bus to New York, and began to study at the School of Modern Photography. Hiro's determination and clear goal to be an image maker fueled his lifelong journey.

Two years later in 1956 after working for a few photographers Hiro began working for photographer Richard Avedon. Avedon introduced Hiro to the Harper's Bazaar art director Alexey Brodovitch who invited Hiro to his “Design Laboratory” program at the New School.

Hiro soon launched his photography career in a building he would share with Avedon over the next 10 years. March 1958 saw Hiro's first still life images of drinking glasses in Harper’s Bazaar followed by women’s shoes in the April issue. Almost every issue for the next two decades featured his work. Photography and print publications were at the pinnacle of modern culture in those times.

Seven decades later Hiro’s reach had expanded to international publications, commercial clients, and art spaces. Hiro pushed the limits of technology and the visual language of his day through portraiture, fashion, still life, and reportage. There is so much to be said about Hiro as a creative visionary and a remarkable person. His role as the owner and manager of his creative business and brand is equally notable. 

From my own experience, as a manager he allowed me to grow within his business, gradually leave, and return in new capacities. Like a traditional mentor he taught by example in return for my work.

I learned more than I could ever hope for as I worked side-by-side him through the creative process and as he conducted client business with self awareness and grace. Hiro balanced demanding creative goals with a clear mission to enjoy life. He would sometimes say, "Why am I doing this?" as a way to investigate ones motives and alignment with the task, job, or endeavor.

We worked through the day, but we always stopped for an unhurried lunch and rarely worked past normal hours. His client boundaries and expectations were clear. His personal life was as important to him as his commercial work. Hiro, like Avedon, lived with a passion for work and life with intention.

www.hirostudioinc.com