Photographer

Culture Kings; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Culture Kings in Costa Mesa, CA, is seeking an experienced In-House Photographer & Content Creator to lead photography across our brand and in-house lines, including studio, campaigns, editorials and lifestyle content.

You will collaborate with the Creative, Brand and Social teams to translate concepts into shoots, direct models, build studio sets, and deliver high-end imagery that reflects fashion, street style and youth culture for our global audience.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional photography experience in fashion, lifestyle, retail, or related brands.
• Experience planning and executing shoots from pre-production to final capture.
• Strong eye for composition, lighting, posing, and storytelling.
• Proficient with DSLR/mirrorless systems and studio gear.
• Experience with Capture One and tethered shooting.

Responsibilities

• Lead photography across Culture Kings and brands including campaigns and editorials.
• Shoot content for third-party partners such as New Era and adidas.
• Capture images in studio and on-location with controlled lighting.
• Direct talent, plan shoots, and manage on-set workflows.
• Deliver assets and coordinate with Creative, Brand, and Social teams.
• Edit images and manage post-production handoff.

Skills

Photography

Creative direction

Studio lighting

Location shoots

Tethered shooting

Post-processing

Tools

Capture One

Photoshop

Lightroom

Job description

Culture Kings sits at the intersection of music, sport, and fashion. These three pillars are the foundation of our brand and the driving force behind everything we do. At the heart of each is streetwear, which continues to evolve as a defining element of modern culture.

We are known for our commitment to exclusivity and excellence, delivering a premium retail experience that transcends genres, cultures, styles, and generations.

Every Culture Kings store delivers an electrifying atmosphere unlike any other in retail, with live DJs performing in-store daily and a space that celebrates creativity and culture. Visited by some of the world’s leading athletes, artists, and tastemakers, Culture Kings remains ahead of the curve, offering a bold and elevated perspective on the ever-evolving global streetwear landscape.

Culture Kings is looking for an experienced In-House Photographer & Content Creator to lead photography across Culture Kings, our in-house brands including Loiter, Saint Morta, American Thrift and Carrè, and key third-party partners such as New Era and adidas.

This role will own photography across studio, campaign, editorial and brand content , combining a strong creative eye and elevated taste level with the technical and production experience needed to plan and execute shoots from start to finish.

We’re looking for someone who is equally comfortable developing visual concepts with the creative team, directing and shooting talent on location, building and lighting studio sets, and managing the logistics required to keep fast-paced productions running smoothly. A strong understanding of fashion, youth culture and contemporary brand photography is essential.

Key Responsibilities

Photography & Content Creation

• Lead photography across Culture Kings and its portfolio of in-house brands, spanning campaign, editorial, studio, lifestyle, product and brand content.
• Shoot content for Culture Kings' third-party brand partners and collaborations, including brands such as New Era, adidas and other global partners.
• Capture compelling imagery across both controlled studio environments and on-location shoots using natural and artificial lighting.
• Shoot talent, product and lifestyle content with a strong understanding of composition, lighting, movement, posing and storytelling.
• Bring an elevated creative eye and strong understanding of fashion, street style, music and youth culture to every project.
• Capture short-form video and motion content when needed for social, digital and campaign use.
• Maintain a consistently high visual standard while adapting photography to the distinct identity of each Culture Kings brand.

Shoot Planning & Execution

• Partner with Brand Creative lead on planning, setup and execution of shoots, ensuring each project is creatively strong and operationally organized.
• Partner closely with Creative, Brand and Social Media teams to translate creative concepts and briefs into executable shoot plans.
• Participate in pre-production, including location planning, casting considerations, shot lists, lighting plans, equipment requirements, schedules and overall shoot logistics.
• Identify what is required to successfully execute each shoot and proactively communicate production needs ahead of time.
• Lead photography execution on set, ensuring the team captures all required assets while maintaining the creative vision.
• Work effectively with models, talent, stylists, producers, creative directors and other members of the production team.
• Help establish efficient on-set workflows that allow the team to move quickly without sacrificing quality.
• Troubleshoot technical, lighting, equipment or production challenges in real time.
• Partner with Creative leadership to help develop the visual language, photography style and overall approach for campaigns and brand storytelling.
• Contribute photography references, lighting approaches, compositions and visual ideas during campaign development and pre-production.
• Understand the creative nuances between Culture Kings and each in-house brand and ensure photography reflects the appropriate brand identity.
• Provide thoughtful creative input around casting, locations, lighting, framing, posing and overall visual execution.
• Stay connected to emerging photography, fashion, music, social and cultural trends and bring relevant ideas back to the team.
• Maintain a strong point of view while being highly collaborative and able to execute against established creative direction.
• Own the day-to-day organization and readiness of Culture Kings' in-house photography studio and equipment.
• Set up and break down lighting, backdrops, sets and equipment for studio productions.
• Maintain cameras, lenses, lighting equipment, grip equipment and other photography tools.
• Ensure photography equipment is properly organized, maintained and ready for upcoming shoots.
• Support the development of consistent studio lighting setups and workflows that allow the team to execute efficiently.
• Identify equipment, studio or production needs and proactively recommend solutions.
• Manage image selects and ensure photography is properly organized and handed off for post-production.
• Perform image processing, color correction and editing when required.
• Maintain organized file structures and ensure assets are properly captured, named, backed up and delivered.
• Partner with Creative and Marketing teams to ensure final imagery meets the requirements of each channel and campaign.
• Work efficiently within fast-moving timelines and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Skills & Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional photography experience, ideally within fashion, lifestyle, retail, e-commerce or culturally relevant consumer brands.
• Proven experience independently planning and executing professional shoots from pre-production through final capture.
• Strong creative eye with an elevated understanding of composition, lighting, casting, posing, styling and visual storytelling.
• Strong technical knowledge of professional digital camera systems, lenses, lighting and studio equipment.
• Extensive experience working with both studio lighting and natural/on-location lighting.
• Comfortable building lighting setups using strobes, continuous/LED lighting and other professional lighting systems.
• Experience photographing models and talent and the ability to confidently provide direction on set.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment and troubleshoot problems quickly when plans change.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage equipment, files, shoot requirements and multiple overlapping projects.
• Experience with Capture One and professional tethered shooting workflows.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop and Lightroom.
• Experience with image processing, color correction and basic retouching.
• Experience capturing and editing short-form video is strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of content requirements across social, digital, e-commerce and broader brand marketing channels.
• Ability to travel locally and occasionally nationally/internationally for campaign and brand shoots as required.

What We're Looking For

Beyond technical photography skills, we’re looking for someone with taste, instinct and ownership.

You should be someone who can look at a creative brief and understand how to make it visually stronger, while also thinking three steps ahead about what is needed to actually execute it.

You know how to walk onto a set and lead the photography function confidently—setting the lighting, directing talent, working with styling and creative, managing the shot list and solving problems as they come up.

You’re highly collaborative and open to direction, but you also bring your own creative perspective and ideas to the table. You understand that great photography is not only about capturing a great image; it’s about building the right environment, team and process to consistently create great work.

Most importantly, you have a strong understanding of contemporary fashion and culture and can help ensure Culture Kings and its brands continue to produce content that feels current, elevated, culturally relevant and distinctly our own.

The pay range for this role is:

75,000 - 95,000 USD per year (Costa Mesa)