Style Guide: How the Camera Is the Tool of the Curious with Gentl and Hyers

Andrea Gentl and Martin Hyers are the New York based directing and photography duo Gentl and Hyers. Tenured and deeply experienced through twenty-five years of shared life and creativity, their exceptional talent has allowed them to capture and collaborate with the world’s leading tastemakers, chefs, and culinary pioneers.

They met while studying photography at Parsons School of Design and have been together, in life and work, ever since. Best known for signature light, hard shadows and thoughtful compositions, their imagery tells a district story, entirely their own. They find everlasting inspiration in their explorations and adventures and are happiest when wandering in a far-off land, camera in hand, connecting with people.

Gentl and Hyers have directed and photographed for countless brands, editorials, and advertising clients. Their undeniable talent and rigorous work ethic has paved the way for opportunities to shoot a wide range of campaigns and projects, spanning across the categories of still life, food, drinks, interiors, beauty, and travel.

In Spring of 2022, Andrea Gentl wrote and photographed her first ever cookbook, Cooking With Mushrooms, published by Artisan. Written through the lens of Gentl’s personal approach to foraging and cooking, the book was released to critical acclaim, winning numerous accolades and awards including Bon Appétit’s Best Cookbook of 2022.

LBB> How would you describe the work that you do?

Gentl and Hyers> The basis of our work is storytelling. Whether we are shooting in the studio or reportage out in the world, we are trying to create images and motion that feel as though they are happening in a passing moment in time. 

In the studio we light the scene in a way that we hope feels spontaneous. The light should look as though we took the still life to the light in the room rather than lit the still life. In the real world the light is dynamic. When we are out in the world and we see a beautiful moment we try to see and understand what is making that moment appeal to us. Light moves around a space and carries with it colour and force and influence. These idiosyncrasies of light can be replicated in the studio. For motion or for still, the inspiration is the same.

When we shoot on location we are shooting the entire experience; the crew, the space, the in between moments. This does two things: it lets us learn and discover the light in a place. It also puts the subjects at ease and the “moment” of their photo becomes less pressured. This approach gives the shoot a life and this gives the photos a story.

LBB> And do you have a particular style (or styles) that you like to work in? If so, how would you describe it?

Gentl and Hyers> Sometimes the light is sunny and contrasty, sometimes dark and moody, sometimes on-camera flash. Whatever the need is, we build the lighting on set as a collaboration between the AD, the stylist and the client based on the brief. 

LBB> How did you gravitate towards the particular medium you work in?

Gentl and Hyers> Andrea and I came to photography at a young age and we started working in our 20s. I don’t think that we were ever going to do anything else. 

LBB> And when you started developing your creative skills and styles, what were your inspirations and influences?

Gentl and Hyers> Our inspirations and influences in our work did not stem from seeing others work and emulating it or seeing a photo industry trend and steering towards it. The change in our lighting and our style comes from two influences. First, we are creative people and we want to be challenged and to grow. Second, we are freelance in a creative field and the art directors and stylists are all equally inspired to change creatively. This builds growth and change into the system. 

LBB> And was there any one particular moment or project that really crystallised your understanding of what your style is or should be?If so, can you tell us about it?

Gentl and Hyers> Early in our career the creative director of Travel & Leisure Magazine, Giovanni Russo, hired us to Shoot a NYC Christmas story. Because we had no experience shooting travel, he let us know that this was a test to see if we could do the work. We worked very hard  on that story and continued shooting for that magazine for a decade. 

Lately we have been shooting for The Guild at Roman & Williams. Their intense shoot schedule and relentless drive for beauty is moving our creative needle again. 

LBB> What sort of ideas shape your style today?

Gentl and Hyers> Experimentation is really what shapes our style. We find any and all reasons to shoot and this allows us to practise and to find new ways to see. There are so many stories to tell. For anyone with a still or motion camera, the stories are endless. For filmmakers and photographers that are in the early stages of their careers, motivation and will are the most important tools: period. 

LBB> From NFTs to the metaverse, there are more spaces for your work to show up - what are your thoughts on the impact, challenges and opportunities brought up by these new spaces? And do they influence how you think about your style (ie. is there pressure to adapt or change your style to fit these new digital frontiers - or is it kind of exciting?)

Gentl and Hyers> Because most of our commercial work is brought to us through the normal triple-bid / agent process the NFT and Metaverse do not affect us now but they likely will in the future. 

We have seen many changes in the industry over our career. As freelancers we have learned to shift as the world changes.

LBB> Working in the commercial sphere, is it more important for an artist to have a distinct brand or style? What's the balance between having a distinctive voice and being able to accommodate the visual language of the brand/campaign?

Gentl and Hyers> This is such an interesting question. The answer is hard to see when you are a young photographer in your first years because the answer is counterintuitive. 

The answer may sound cold and calculated in a creative industry but it is important to have a distinctive style that is repeatable. The client needs to choose you from a pool of other working photographers and filmmakers. They will go to your Instagram or to your website and look at your work quickly. The art buyer or art director needs to know that you will deliver your look. If you have too large a stylistic range in your work, often the client will not feel confident in you delivering what is requested. 

On the other hand, as a young artist, you need work and opportunities. This paradox of style vs. utility is real. One way to circumvent this problem is to shoot projects. For instance a photographer may be known for contrasty portraits but may feel that this style is too specific and they may want to show a soft light style that they are working on. If they were to shoot a 'project' that felt like a stand alone body of work, the Art Director would feel confident to access that vision. 

We have always loved working in this way. 

LBB> Typically, on a commercial project, how do you like to tackle a brief?

Gentl and Hyers> Anyone who has worked as a commercial photographer will agree that the first call with the client is make or brake. It takes practice to be good at it and there are no rules. We find that it helps to know the brief well. 

When we receive the brief we try to envision the shoot: crew, size of the set, props, lighting, crops, etc. When the call begins we like to let the client speak without interruption in order to understand their point of view. When we feel that the client has finished or we are asked to contribute to the conversation we take that moment to reiterate the information that was presented in order to confirm that we understand it and we ask questions that may have been overlooked. It is important to remember that the many people on the call have likely done this call at least twice before. They do not enjoy it when the photographer asks questions that have been answered or are in the brief. They are looking for some they can trust, someone who is a creative partner and someone who will make their job simpler. All of this then needs to be presented in a treatment. That is the next hurdle. 

LBB> What projects have you worked on recently that you feel were a really satisfying marriage between a brand and your own style? What was it about these projects that made them really interesting to work on?

Gentl and Hyers> We have been working with Roman and Williams Guild for a couple of years and it’s a great partnership. 

All shoots are only as good as the crew that is involved. We are fortunate that we work with the most talented and lovely people and we all look forward to our days together. In the case of Roman and Williams Guild, it is a super-crew. Their production, rigging, and styling lead to great work. But, the real vision comes from founder Robin Standefer. She is a true creative force.

If you are a photographer in your first years of your career then i can only tell you what I have seen work in my peers and for us: 

Love the thing that you have chosen to do. 

Work harder. Be generous to the people that you work with. 

A camera is the tool of the curious.