Justin Kates, Charlotte

Justin Kates, portraitist and staff photographer for Stiff Magazine, captures fashion shots and glamour images with a honed aesthetic that edges toward the dark and gritty. Before each shoot, his makeup artist highlights features with a professional hand, either lightly accenting faces or artfully transforming them with heavy shadow. Throughout photography sessions, Justin creates provocative images that simultaneously highlight beauty while deconstructing it to reveal the depths beneath. After shoots, he helps clients select images that he professionally retouches. With a masterful hand he beefs up colors and blends out imperfections.