ILJA HERB

 Photography · Film · Visual Storytelling

T. REX
Commissioned photography

 

THE FALLEN
Chainsaws

 

GEORGIA
Photographed on assignment

 

SKI FILMS
Photography / filmmaking

 

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.

 

RUST-OLEUM — THE NOSE
Stills photographer · National advertising campaign · Award-winning production

 

FILM & PRODUCTION

I’ve worked as a stills photographer on major commercial productions as well as small-crew films, documentaries and ski productions. I’ve also worked as a location scout, and on documentary projects I’ve often handled the production from shooting through post — working as cinematographer/DOP, recording sound and editing. I’m equally comfortable on a large professional set or figuring things out when the crew, equipment or budget is limited.

 

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 filmmaking, photography and digital media at university level, as well as teaching across the full range from kindergarten through secondary school. 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.