Michael Gaskell: The New Modern

Artist Michael Gaskell is taking photography to new places for today’s digital world.  The work he and his team are conducting at the MG Studio in Las Vegas is doing incredibly unique things for commercial production art.  In addition to photography the team works on sound recording, web design and film production – truly a blanket of media under one 5,000 square-foot roof.

According to his website’s biography, Gaskell “has spent the past 12 years shooting photography and studying Architectural Design in Oregon and Nevada.”  His Western lifestyle is evident in the commercials he has produced for car companies such as Audi and Street Racing Technology.  These ads use desert landscapes and grainy cinematography to capture the aridness of places like Nevada.  Along with corporate clientele Gaskell has produced music videos for legends such as Stevie Wonder and Celine Dion.

Gaskell’s first profession, which he has been working for over fifteen years, is commercial photography.  He has taken stills of products for businesses such as the Hilton Hotels, Tobasco, Southern Wine magazine, Las Vegas Music Group and Roy’s Hawaiian Cuisine.  These pictures are often very starkly contrasted against their backgrounds, which tend to be black or white depending on the subject.

However, one of his most acclaimed styles is that of architectural design, and this is why hotels and other corporations often commission him to photograph their buildings.  MG Studio has a special RC Aerial division specifically for this purpose.  A small helicopter piloted from the ground is sent up to 500 feet in the air to take pictures from incredible vantages that would otherwise be inaccessible.  Some of Las Vegas’ most famous casinos, such as Mandalay Bay and the MGM Grand, have bee photographed by Gaskell and his crew.

Gaskell has also photographed many celebrities, which have included Evander Holyfield, Jessica Simpson, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Shania Twain, Usher and Jerry Seinfeld.  These range from live events to planned shoots, and like his commercial photographs, the studio work he does typically involves sharp contrasts between the subject and background.  This is specifically evident in Holyfield’s spread, where he appears glaring into the camera with very dim lighting.  His eyes are the focus of the shot, and they are highlighted by Gaskell’s choice of setting and style.

Michael Gaskell’s future in the professional world is firmly secured.  His approach to commercial projects has created a huge name for his business, and his ever-growing list of clients will surely be repeat customers.

-Taylor Burns