Sandro Baebler is a celebrity, portrait, advertising and editorial photographer. He grew up in a little mountain village, Mollis, in Switzerland and studied graphic design in Zurich. There he discovered his passion for photography, built his own portfolio and started working as a photographer. His work has appeared in ELLE, GQ, WIRED and L'OFFICIEL HOMMES, and he’s shot portraits of notable people and celebrities. In addition to photography he directs stunning motion in harmony with the stills. Sandro works between Los Angeles, New York and Zurich.

How you got into advertising?

It was during my studies in graphic design that I discovered my passion for photography. I had a small studio where I spent most of my spare time working on my lighting skills. The influence from the graphic design field helped me create visual concepts for photographic series. Of the first ones was the "Alpine Beard" series, which was photographed at a local beard contest near my hometown. I'm fascinated by similar looking human beings. When photographing these kinds of series I feel more like a collector than a photographer.

The human faces and the personalities behind them certainly became the most inspiring subject for me to photograph and it still is. It was clear to me that I would become a portrait photographer, which led me to advertising in the field of portrait photography.

A run‐down of the most recent campaign you worked on...

Recently I shot a campaign for the Swiss luxury watch brand Hublot with their ambassador Lang Lang. When working with celebrities it's all about efficiency. The requirements are similar to other advertising shoots but you only get one tight time slot to get the needed shots. Even the smallest detail needs to be prepared in advance, then there is a small moment of silence before the shoot happens. You go through the shoot in your head before the talent arrives and time counts.

What I loved about this campaign for Hublot was to be involved in the whole creative process, working together with the client on a concept. It is always a blessing when you get the chance to create ideas together.

The best piece of creative work around at the moment is?

The recently opened Elbphilharmonie by Herzog & De Meuron. What a masterpiece!

The next big advertising trend is going to be...

As we are all swamped with pointless imagery and information every day I feel like I'm searching for deeper content again, complex stories which captivate us. Well grounded and visually connected synthesis.

The piece of advertising work I wish I had thought of is…

As a photographer it is more about getting booked for it than having thought about it. I am always attentive while walking, driving, travelling around. When it comes to ads I'm always interested in what happens in the photography scene and what new campaigns have been shot - I also love looking at all the frequently changing entertainment posters in LA while stuck in traffic. It happens a lot that I think; I would have loved to shoot this one! :)

My favourite digital tool/app at the moment…

It's more about what I use or need for my work: Adobe CC, Capture One, Busy Cal and Busy Contacts, Squarespace, Mailchimp and Deezer.

In a film about my life, I’d like to be played by…

That would be Paul Dano. He's a great actor! It should not just be a movie, it should be a TV show with at least 10 seasons to better understand the complexity of the main character, haha :)

A word or phrase I overuse…

“That's the last piece of chocolate I'm going to eat.”

My last social media update said…

It's probably a behind-the-scene photo shared on my Instagram with the usual hashtags or an iPhone nature shot captured on one of my hiking trips.

My dream collaboration is…

I always love to collaborate with people who challenge me in a positive way and from whom I can learn new things or how to improve old habits. I enjoy the feeling of creating something better by combining two or more inputs from different approaches.

A piece of criticism I’ve received was...

No one ever complained about this one so far, or at least did not tell me… but I am a perfectionist, especially when it comes to lighting. That could be something someone could take as annoying.  

A great piece of advice I received…

Don't you need to remove the lens cover first?

Instagram & Facebook: @sandrobaeblerphotographer

www.sandrobaebler.com