ILJA HERB

ILJA HERB

Photography · Film · Digital Content

I’M AN IMAGE-MAKER FIRST.

My photographic career has taken me around the world on international assignments, from the Arctic and Greenland to Central Asia, Mongolia, western China and Ethiopia. An earlier life guiding multi-week wilderness expeditions throughout the Yukon and Alaska taught me how to work comfortably in remote and difficult environments.

Photography gave me a reason to keep going there.

FILM & PRODUCTION

I’ve worked as a stills photographer on major commercial productions, and as a photographer and filmmaker on small-crew films, documentaries and adventure film productions. I’ve also worked as a location scout and, on documentary projects, have handled production from shooting through post — working as a cinematographer/DOP, recording sound and editing. My production experience ranges from extreme outdoor environments to controlled studio and commercial sets. I work well within an established production team, but I’m equally comfortable working with a skeleton crew and figuring things out when equipment, time or budget is limited.

TO DO AS WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE
Directed · Shot · Edited

Vertical social video · Shot and edited for Instagram

MAKING THE SHOT

In 2014, before drones had become a practical filmmaking tool, I built a remotely controlled cable-camera system with multiple axes of RC control to create a moving shot that I couldn’t otherwise achieve. I’ve always enjoyed the problem-solving side of image-making — figuring out how to make a shot happen with the tools, people and conditions available.

COMMUNICATION

I’ve taught digital media, filmmaking and photography to adults at the university and college level, including five years at Massey University in New Zealand, as well as through workshops and other post-secondary programs. I’ve also worked as a K–12 substitute teacher, developing an ability to break down unfamiliar or technical ideas and explain them in different ways for different audiences. I hold a Master’s in Professional Communications from Royal Roads University and was a Knight-Wallace Fellow in Journalism at the University of Michigan.

WHY DONMARK

I’m interested in making work that has a point of view. DonMark’s products are built around real problems, real environments and people who depend on their equipment — which gives me a lot to work with visually.

I’d love the opportunity to bring my experience in photography, filmmaking and field production to that work.

ILJA HERB

Photographer · Filmmaker · Visual Artist

250.213.6922 · iljaherbphotos@gmail.com · @iljaherb · iljaherb.com