George Michael, Naomi Campbell and Marianne Williamson: The Work That Made Elisabeth Hoff

Elisabeth Hoff is a London-based director and photographer known for her ability to craft visually striking, emotionally expressive storytelling across fashion, beauty, and entertainment.

With a career spanning over 20 years, she has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands, including L’Oréal, Amazon Prime, BBC, ITV, and Sky.

She has captured and directed some of the most recognised faces in British culture, from Naomi Campbell to Ashley Graham, and Davina McCall to Denise Lewis and, most recently, the inspiring women of Amazon’s Trailblazer initiative.

Her directing work is defined by bold, graphic imagery and a strong emotional connection with her subjects. She has directed major campaigns for Garnier, Avon, Bluebella, and Boots No7.

With a background in photography, Elisabeth brings a refined eye for composition and lighting to her directing.

Whether behind the camera for a fashion campaign or guiding talent on set, she focuses on creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable and confident – allowing her to capture real, unscripted moments of storytelling for her clients.

LBB> The music video from my childhood that stays with me…

Elisabeth> George Michael ‘Freedom’directed by David Fincher. Interestingly, my childhood was completely protected from the advertising world that I work in today.

I grew up sailing around the world with my parents and two brothers on our home-built boat from the ages of five to ten.

I wore second-hand clothing, read endlessly, and had no real exposure to the commercial world of consumerism. I dressed purely for comfort, with no sense of fashion trends – so settling into school in Norway in the ‘80s was a huge transition.

On my first day, I turned up in bell-bottom trousers and a knitted jumper from the ‘70s, while everyone else had mullets, plastic earrings, and stretch trousers.

At that time, I discovered Prince, whose music and style captivated me. But when I was 16 or 17, we were traveling again, and I happened to witness Cindy Crawford modelling swimsuits on Crane Beach in Barbados. I was intrigued.

A year or so later, George Michael’s ‘Freedom’! ‘90 video came out, and I was blown away.

That video wasn’t just about supermodels and glamour – it was a statement. The models didn’t just appear in the video; they became George Michael’s voice.

He decided to step away from his ‘Faith’ persona, and rather than performing himself, he let these powerful women lip-sync his lyrics. It was fresh and new – and rather than being mere objects of desire, the models projected strength and individuality.

For me, it was the ultimate representation of reinvention and control – of owning your image and your narrative.

George Michael was creating a new persona, using women who weren’t just beautiful; they were untouchable and had the world at their feet. I wanted to be part of that world. It was aspirational in a way I had never felt before. It was about freedom -- the freedom to be anything you wanted.

I wanted to be part of it.

LBB> The photographer that made me want to get into the industry…

Elisabeth> I studied Aquatic Bioscience at Glasgow University, but following photography as a possible career did not happen until I was 27 – a bit of a late starter.

After graduating, I moved to London knowing I hadn’t yet found my thing. I had two requirements for my future career: it had to feel exciting, and it had to give me control over my own time.

After two years of temping in a recruitment consultancy, feeling like I was in prison from nine to five, I knew I needed to be freelance.

During that time I discovered the work of Annie Leibovitz. I was completely captivated by her ability to tell stories through imagery.

Everything felt fresh and cinematic – she wasn’t just taking photos, she was creating a fantasy world. I was drawn to that.

Portraits of hers that have stayed with me: Yoko Ono and John Lennon entwined on the floor in their final embrace – taken the same day he was assassinated.

Whoopi Goldberg submerged in a bath of milk, her dark skin striking against the white.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, shirtless, smoking a cigar while sitting astride a powerful white horse.

These weren’t just photographs – they were captured moments in history and larger than life.

I wanted to tell stories like that too. But I wasn’t sure I had the guts.

So I distracted myself with an entirely different challenge: trying to row solo across the Atlantic.

It ended in disaster when I capsized 500 miles off the Moroccan coast.

Sitting on an upturned boat in the middle of the Atlantic, hoping nothing larger than a fish would appear and that I would get rescued, I made myself a promise: if I survived, I would stop making excuses and give photography a real shot.

So I did.

LBB> The poem that I keep revisiting…

Elisabeth> ‘Our Deepest Fear’ by Marianne Williamson.

I’ve kept this poem at the front of almost every diary I’ve ever had. The first time I read it it touched me very deeply. I have always been self critical – so I guess it kind of gives me permission to be my fabulous self.

It’s also so easy to be critical and fall into cynicism – but what if our real fear isn’t failure, but just how extraordinary we could be if we let ourselves shine?

And also – we don’t have to dim ourselves to make space for others – there is more than enough to go around.

LBB> My first professional project…

Elisabeth> My first job was shooting a model in some airplane seats in a studio to go with an article for The Mirror Magazine about fear of flying.

I added red gel and made it really dramatic – probably too dramatic. But I was in heaven – grateful for the break and finally behind the camera where I felt I belonged.. I kept shooting for them for quite some time. That was back when newspapers had budgets

LBB> The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…

Elisabeth> Hmmm – tricky one. I don’t get angry that often. I can’t remember ever getting angry at creative work. But what I can’t stand are the forgettable ads – the ones that play it safe, tick all the boxes, and exist purely because a committee agreed they wouldn’t upset anyone. The kind that just do what they say on the tin.

It’s such a wasted opportunity.

We’re in a world now where everyone is so afraid of upsetting others that creativity gets watered down before it even has a chance to breathe. I’d rather make work that makes people bristle slightly than something so inoffensive it’s instantly forgotten.

LBB> The piece of work that still makes me jealous…

Elisabeth> Vogue fashion makes me jealous – in the best possible way. I’ve had portraits in Vogue, but I’ve yet to shoot a full fashion story for them. It’s a challenge I’d love to take on.

I’m also excited to be moving further into moving image. I love this Doritos commercial from 2014. It’s unexpected, funny and clever and very well crafted. I’d be chuffed if I had been part of creating it.

LBB> The creative project that changed my career…

Elisabeth> Shooting Naomi Campbell – just two or three years into my career – was a moment I’ll never forget. It felt like a full-circle experience after being so inspired by the supermodels of the ‘90s to enter the industry in the first place.

It wasn’t just about the shoot itself - it was about what it represented. Working with someone like that so early on gave me the confidence to believe I could do it. That maybe I belonged.

And that changed everything.

LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…

Elisabeth> My answer to that is always the same: I haven’t done it yet. There’s always more to create, more to push for.

But if I had to pick something, I’d say ‘Drowning in Plastic’ – a project I created in association with the Marine Conservation Society to raise awareness for The Great British Beach Clean.

As a fashion and beauty photographer, I wanted to do “a beautiful take on a dirty subject.”

Each image focuses on a model swimming through water – either surrounded by or entangled in single-use plastics. In some shots, the pollutants take on an eerie transformation, almost resembling the wildlife they replace. The goal was to make the viewer do a double take.

The campaign really took off, with coverage in most of the major newspapers. But what mattered most was that it actually made a difference - awareness grew, and the number of volunteers for The Great British Beach Clean shot up. Knowing that my work played a part in that felt amazing.

You can see it on my website here

LBB> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…

Elisabeth> I learn from every shoot, and after 20-odd years in the industry, there are only a handful that maybe make me cringe a little. But that’s life. Growth comes from experience – and sometimes from getting it slightly wrong.

You don’t usually marry your first boyfriend, do you? A little trial and error never hurts. That said, I’d never hang a client out to dry - so my lips are sealed.

LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…

Elisabeth> Probably the Bluebella campaign I shot last year, ‘Lingerie as Art’. It was all about celebrating every body as a work of art – a reminder that the very fact we’re alive in the first place is a miracle. We’re all walking miracles, and I think we should remember that more often.

For this project, I shot the stills and directed a small film, bringing the concept to life.