Artist Highlight

Cam Chapman grew up in Seattle, Washington. There as a young sports photographer who deftly immortalized racing machines, he discovered his life's passion. In 1979, he moved to Chicago to launch his commercial business, Cam Chapman Photography, Inc. For more than 25 years, Cam's photos have defined the etherial elegance of motion, the unique art hiding in the most mundane advertising object. His commercial images have influenced consumers worldwide. Cam's work has been featured on Kelloggs' cereal boxes, McDonald's menu boards and countless consumer packaging and print ads over the years.

​​​Working before the days of photoshop, Cam had only a single sheet of film- just one shot, to capture the magic that would be the cornerstone of ad campaigns for companies like Coca Cola, Quaker Oats, Nike shoes, Firestone Tires, Allstate Insurance and Lockheed. Not only did this require the highest level of skill in lighting and photography, but also in set design.  Cam is a master at building sets, jigs, and complex contraptions to allow synchronization of multiple events to occur at precisely the right moment. His specialty was stop-motion photography of liquids and gasses. Capturing the perfect splash of milk from a strawberry dropping into a bowl of cereal, or the explosion of "effervescence" when the cap was popped off an ice-cold bottle of Coke- this was where Cam stood above the competition.  Art directors from all over the country would travel to Cam's studio in Chicago specifically for his expertise in this area.

His innate ability to conceptualize, build elements, and manipulate a subject have been recognized with awards by Communication Arts, Print Regional Design Annual, and The Art Director's Club of New York. His expertise as a leading-edge digital illustrator landed him a coveted panelist position at the 2001 Adobe Masters Class Designers Invitational. He is a published contributor for Electronic Step-By-Step Magazine, and the developer of Rotate My Product. And apparently, he has a personal relationship with LIGHT. Cam says he " first feels it rising", then "hears it  arriving", and he gently invites it to his composition, willing it to "perform". His work shines with this instinct.