Celebrity portrait, fashion & commercial campaign photographer, music video & film director, television judge & presenter, publisher, published author & campaigner. 

His work has converted the front page of the likes of Vogue, Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Vanity Fair, GQ, Esquire, Rolling Stones, Dazed, AnOther & Hunger. Time & time again!

He’s appeared on TV judging numerous photography shows, as well as on Next Top Model UK & Germany. 

Rankin’s public name came mostly from his world-famous portrait sessions with cultural icons, politicians, royalty, musicians, film & sports stars of their time. He has worked in studio with the likes of The late HRH Queen Elizabeth II, HRH King Charles, Zara Phillips; Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Mikhail Gorbachev; Adele, Lily Allen, Iggy Azalea, Azealia Banks, Björk, David Bowie, Miles Cyrus, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Eminem, Future, Liam & Noel Gallagher, Macy Gray, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Grace Jones, Kelis, Jay-Z, Madonna, Kylie Minotaur, Rita Ora, The Rolling Stones, Britney Spears, Spice Girls, U2, Florence Welch, Will.I.am,; Monica Bellucci, Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Ricky Gervais, Hugh Grant, Scarlett Johansson, Lindsay Lohan, Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kevin Spacey, Emma Watson, Kate Winslet; Gisela Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, David Gandy, Winnie Harlow, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Kendall Jenner, Heidi Kluuvikatu, Kate Moss; Lewis Hamilton, LeBron James, Damien Hirst, Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood, 

He’s directed music videos for artists including Rita Ora, Kelly Rolland, Tinie Tempah, Miley Cyrus, Kelis & Tove Lo. 

Hired by the biggest brands in the world such as Aston Martin, Diesel, Dove, H&M, Hugo Boss, L’Oreal, Levi’s, M&S, Mercedes-AMG, Nike, Unilever, Guinness, Rommel, Rolls-Royce, Samsonite.

And with social causes so close to Rankins heart, he has given his time to shoot campaigns for; Women’s Aid campaign to highlight female domestic violence, HIV/AIDS campaign to raise awareness of both, Plastic waste campaign for Surfrider Foundation, and supported many other campaigns and charities he personal cares about including; the NHS, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Amnesty International, Institute of Cancer Research, Oxfam, MacMillan, Teenage Cancer Trust, Breast Cancer Awareness & The Big Issue. 

Safe to say there is nothing Rankin has not done & can not do in photography or with light & a camera. 

This wonderful human is not only someone I greatly admire, respect & am inspired by in the world of photography; but I’ve also learned a great deal from him over the past few years! Working with him in the studio & learning from him online. 

Rankin is a true innovator & rule-breaker. A cultural icon in editorial photography. His work has this unique quality, its high gloss, impactful & impossible to ignore. I not only greatly admire the man behind the lens, but also the stunning career he has made for himself! When nobody would hire him, he created his own path & made others wish they had said yes! 

I’ve hanged out with Rankin a few times in the past few years & it’s impossible not to love this guy & what he stands for. His values & attitude are second to none. He taught me to be a student of light. How to draw out an honest reaction out of your subject, how to get a glimpse into the soul & being of your subject. How to allow them to embrace their identity in front of a camera & shine. And how to create some truly iconic & timeless masterpieces. 

I’ve worked with Rankin in the studio, studied under him & had a chance to learn what it takes to be a world-class photographer. The thought process, The perspective. The art of storytelling. 

Check out Rankin’s work here.

One of the biggest names in UK Wedding Photography with an extensive list of awards & publications in prestigious global magazine brands such as Vogue & Harpers Bazaar. Sam has built a highly successful photography business over the last decade & become an internationally recognised photographer with his own signature style.

I initially merely knew of the Range Finder Rising Star out of Derby, that is Sam Docker & later on, I became familiar friends with this great human being. I first heard stories of admiration about his work whilst I was studying under the team at The Trained Eye on their year-long Wedding Photography Academy.  Sam’s journey was a source of inspiration from the start of my business & a model for growth which I aspired to follow. A few years later, I was lucky enough to study under Sam & even visit his studio for workshops & photoshoots. For me, not only is Sam such a down-to-earth, talented & genuinely lovely guy, his eye for design & detail in everything he does in his business mirrors my own pursuit for that dreamy state of impossible perfection. We share a passion for excellence & for offering immense value to our clients in every way we can! Style & substance both matter equally to us!

Check out Sam’s work here.

With over 30 years in the wedding photography industry; cited thousands of times in every global fashion magazine you can think of from Harper’s Bazaar to Vogue; John is the godfather of wedding photography.

John has spent much of his career being selected by the biggest celebrity clients of their time. The likes of Will Smith, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Martha Stewart, & many more have hand picked John as the trusted eye to capture their wedding celebrations; and that is just some of the names he is able to publically share. More recently, John was asked to be the official photographer for US President Joe Biden’s daughter’s wedding, and he had exclusive access to capture events from the White House.

I first met John in Vienna in 2022 & was initially oblivious to him or his work. I remember embarrassingly asking him frankly, “Sorry, but I don’t know who you are”. We can laugh at it now. You can’t say I’m not honest.

I could see how excited my fellow photographers were just being in his presence, and having time to speak to him 1-2-1 I could tell he was full of wisdom & I soaked it all up like a sponge. He taught me a lot about mindset & to “embrace the imperfect” when it comes to weddings. He has such a poetic eye for storytelling. He also taught me the value of trust between client & photographer. If you learn to trust in your photographer, as John says “amazing things happen”. We have kept in contact since & the more I learn, the more I grow to admire John!

Check out John’s work here.

One of the most internationally recognised Wedding Photographers, based out of the United States. Her legendary talent has taken her across the globe & seen her amass hundreds of thousands of devoted followers who take great inspiration from her style & unique approach. Anni centres her approach to storytelling around the power of feelings, with an emotive & empathic style.

I first met Anni a few years ago & as you can see from this picture, we got on like the proverbial “house on fire”. We connected on more levels than I could imagine, especially on values & how we lead with our emotions & heart in our work. We bumped into each other backstage shortly after her keynote speech at one of the biggest international wedding conferences in the world. And of course, she had the whole audience on their feet with a standing ovation, or some still on the floor crying their eyes out with emotion. The good & beautiful kind of tears of joy & pure hearted positivity. It speaks to the kind of warm & wonderful human being she is.

I strongly believe that this is what distinguishes between ‘ a photographer’ & a truly exceptional photographer. The latter feels the moments, they read a story & a scene with their heart. Photography isn’t so much a job for them, but a calling. A passion which comes naturally to them!

Check out Anni’s work here.

Entrepreneur, Speaker, Investor, Author, Dragon on BBC Dragon’s Den & host of one of Europe’s biggest podcasts ‘The Diary of a CEO’. 

Followed by millions around the world, Steven is arguably one of the most successful young people in the UK today! 

For what Steven doesn’t know about photography or weddings, he certainly makes up for what he knows about business & about offering value to a market. I was fortunate to be invited backstage to meet with him before the start of his speaking series in 2024. 

I won’t go into too many details from our private 30-minute conversation but he took a great interest in Ian Kugler Photography and was seriously impressed by my vision & ambition. In his words “You’re talented beyond your own realisation”. Like Steven, I aim to serve & offer exceptional value to clients! I don’t want you to simply like what I offer, I want you to love it! I extensively research, product test, & aim for outstanding quality; in service & product. 

From our conversation, we found we shared far more than just a passion for business & strategic growth. We shared struggles earlier on in life which drive us to overachieve in life, a relatable origin story & that we were born only a month apart. Steven is a great & down to heart guy. I have all the time in the world for him! Thank you Steven for your support & belief in the vision for Ian Kugler Photography. 

Check out more about Steven here.