The Winner of the Search for the Levi's® Photographer

Levi Strauss South Africa is thrilled to announce that a winner has been chosen from the entries received for the Search for the Levi’s® Photographer. Capetonian Romi Stern’s colourful yet subdued treatment was chosen for its inspired and confident portrayal of the Levi’s® brand.

Says Levi’s® Marketing Director Debbie Gebhardt, “We were looking for a fresh, young photographer who could bring the Levi’s® brand identity to life in a unique, brand-right and ownable way. Romi’s work captured a youthful optimism in a very natural way. We appreciate Romi’s talent for composition and her eye for colour, and we loved how her work was not contrived or over-styled. Her images convey authenticity and originality, two attributes that are key to the Levi’s® brand.”

Romi has a background in advertising, having studied Art Direction at the AAA School of Advertising, and made her move into photography when she began working as an in-house designer for a mass-market retailer. She has done fashion shoots for leading SA fashion magazines, and works with some of Cape Town’s elite modelling agencies on portfolio work.

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Shortlist:

Thank you to all who entered. The following photographers made the shortlist in the Search for the Levi’s® Photographer (in no particular order):

1. Ross Garret

We loved Ross Garret’s choice of treatment for the way the images use traditional portraiture cues, yet also manage to be contemporary. The treatment has the ability to give depth to a portrait through texture and composition. Below is how he adapted his treatment to work for Levi Strauss.

2. Jurie Potgieter

Our eyes were drawn to Jurie’s treatment of movement, through which he was able to tell a story that also happened to showcase all angles of the jeans. We also loved his treatment of colour. We thought this treatment was very versatile and had potential for longevity.

3. Natasja Fourie

We loved the delicate detail in Natasja’s images, and the soft, whimsical mood they portray. The images evoke feeling of nostalgia, and the optimism of youth.

4. Richard Johnson

Richard’s images were striking because of the levels of contrast in his images. He managed to capture intimate moments with his models without them being too aware of the camera. The product featured prominently, yet managed to fit seamlessly into the composition.

5. Dillon Buirski

We loved Dillon’s unique treatment of colour, and the strong narrative that plays throughout his work. His models were comfortable and animated, and his work retains a down-to-earth quality that resonated strongly with the Levi’s® brand values.

6. George Rabie

We loved the grade George used on his images, and we also loved his muted treatment of the backgrounds. The images evoke feeling of urban nostalgia, and are simple in their composition.

7. Drew McGibbon

We felt that Drew had a really good understanding of lighting and composition, as the eye is drawn to the jeans in every image. We enjoyed the sense of energy in his images.

8. Derrick Serra

Derrick managed to get a very natural and comfortable performance out of his models. We also liked his composition and use of natural-looking lighting. The jeans are very much integral to his story.

9. Jacques Weyers

We liked Jacques’ use of sunlight and blowout, which evokes a sense of nostalgia and heritage. We also loved his colour palette.

10. Gavin Kleinschmidt

We loved how Gavin got a very real reaction out of his models – his images look like stills from a movie and have a strong ‘living in the moment’ feeling. He also shows aptitude for shooting on challenging locations. We loved his attention to detail, such as the nicks of blood on the model’s head. His work is tied together with a very distinctive colour palette.

11. Tascha Strauss

We loved the unexpected vibrancy of the colour treatment in Tascha’s images. Her sense of composition is also fantastic. There is a lightness and sense of optimism to her images which we thoroughly enjoyed.