Generated by All in One SEO Pro v5.0.0.1, this is an llms-full.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney Portfolio website showcasing the commercial, advertising, and portrait photography of Andreas Smetana, featuring curated galleries, client projects, and contact information. ## Posts ### [Performance, presence, character](https://smetana.net/performance-presence-character/) **Published:** April 29, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY **Content:** [![Person in a White Blazer Holds a Purple Fluffy Stuffed Dog Close and Pouts Playfully at the Camera.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WomanDog-uai-2250x1500.jpg "WomanDog | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WomanDog.jpg) ###### PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY I love portrait photography. It’s been a big part of what I do over the years. I’ve photographed everyone from well-known faces to artists I admire, to everyday people. Some of the work is stripped back and personal, some of it more constructed and polished through advertising. No matter the setup, the job stays the same. A good portrait is not just about what someone looks like, but who they are, how they carry themselves, what they stand for. And I think that matters more than ever now. In a time where faces can be endlessly generated and manipulated, photographing a real person properly carries weight. You can feel the difference. A good portrait holds because there’s a real person in front of the camera, and a real person behind it. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Dame-Edna_0090in-work-uai-2400x1600.jpg "Dame-Edna_0090in-work | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Dame-Edna_0090in-work.jpg) I had the joy of photographing Barry Humphries as Dame Edna Everage. It was a long day and he wasn’t feeling great, but he held that full Dame Edna smile the entire time. Right at the end, I asked if we could do one frame with a very serious look. He absolutely loved it. Apparently, one of the very few times Dame Edna didn’t smile on camera. [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Portraits-Sam.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Portraits-Sam | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Portraits-Sam.jpg) A portrait of **Sam Simmons**. [![Two-panel Portrait of a Man with Facial Injuries: a Close-up on the Left Showing Bruises, Scratches, and a Bloody Nose; a Full-body Shot on the Right in a Red Sweater Against a Green Background.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Paul-Nagy-post-portrait-scaled.jpg "Paul-Nagy-post-portrait | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Paul-Nagy-post-portrait-scaled.jpg) These portraits of Paul Nagy were photographed for a story about how hard the advertising industry can be at times. We pushed the idea visually, using special effects makeup, fake wounds and blood, but kept the portraits themselves very direct and clean. I like the clarity. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/269-uai-1066x1600.jpg "269 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/269.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/267-uai-1066x1600.jpg "267 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/267.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/268-uai-1466x2200.jpg "David Helfgott | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/268.jpg) What a joy it was to photograph **David Helfgott**. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Jimmy-Barnes_0083-uai-2400x1600.jpg "Jimmy-Barnes_0083 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Jimmy-Barnes_0083.jpg) The Great Jimmy Barnes. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/BEN-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "WorkCover | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/BEN-copy.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/STEVE-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "STEVE-copy | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/STEVE-copy.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/STEVE2-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "STEVE2-copy | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/STEVE2-copy.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ALBERT-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "WorkCover | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ALBERT-copy.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/TOM-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "TOM-copy | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/TOM-copy.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DESMOND-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "WorkCover | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DESMOND-copy.jpg) A stripped-back portrait campaign for WorkCover built around honesty. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/snoop-dog.jpg "Snoop Dogg | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/snoop-dog.jpg) **Snoop Dogg** I love the honesty of this series of wonderful kids I photographed. No styling, no production, no tricks, just personality, humour and all those little moments in between. Sometimes it works best when you stop trying too hard and simply leave enough space for people to be themselves. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Ann-Thomson-uai-2300x1533.jpg "Ann Thomson | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Ann-Thomson.jpg) A portrait of Sydney artist Anne Thompson, photographed in her atelier. We spend 4 hours with her and created a series of images. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0348-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "Very Special Kids | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0348-copy.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0280-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "Very Special Kids | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0280-copy.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0320-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "Very Special Kids | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0320-copy.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0356-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "Very Special Kids | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0356-copy.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0333-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "Very Special Kids | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0333-copy.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0261-copy-uai-1266x1900.jpg "Very Special Kids | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/B0126P-0261-copy.jpg) I love the honesty of this series of wonderful kids I photographed. No styling, no production, no tricks, just personality, humour and all those little moments in between. Sometimes it works best when you stop trying too hard and simply leave enough space for people to be themselves. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Group-Gallopolli.jpg "Group-Gallopolli | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Group-Gallopolli.jpg) [![Promotional Poster for Deadline Gallipoli Showing Three Men in Vintage Suits Under a Cloudy Sky, with Troops Marching Below.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/deadline.jpg "deadline | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/deadline.jpg) I photographed this portrait series for the SBS mini-series Deadline Gallipoli, featuring Sam Worthington, Hugh Dancy, Joel Jackson and Ewen Leslie. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Shot_52_0076-uai-1066x1600.jpg "Shot_52_0076 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Shot_52_0076.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Shot_39_0043-uai-1066x1600.jpg "Shot_39_0043 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Shot_39_0043.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Shot_39_0166-uai-1066x1600.jpg "Shot_39_0166 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Shot_39_0166.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/333-uai-1066x1600.jpg "333 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/333.jpg) A daylight portrait series of Australians photographed in the outback. [![Portrait of a Woman with Blunt Black Bangs and Dark Hair, Eyes Half-closed, Wearing a White Sweater with a Black Collar, Looking Tired or Sleepy.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/KIA25.jpg "KIA25 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/KIA25.jpg) I’ve always loved this portrait for the exact moment it was taken. The image itself is carefully constructed, shaped and framed, yet what makes it different is that tiny instant where her eyes are half shut. That precise fraction of a second introduced something unexpected, human and slightly surprising into an otherwise very controlled portrait. **Categories:** AI --- ### [One frame does all the talking. Always great to be brought in on a strong idea](https://smetana.net/one-frame-does-all-the-talking-always-great-to-be-brought-in-on-a-strong-idea-duplicate/) **Published:** May 30, 2026 **Author:** Andreas Smetana **Excerpt:** Photography **Content:** [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AAMI_Cow_KV_V16_Landscape-scaled.jpg "AAMI_Cow_ | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AAMI_Cow_KV_V16_Landscape-scaled.jpg) ###### Photography This was shot on a live TVC set, always a privilege, but it comes with real pressure. You step into a moving machine and the window for stills is incredibly tight. Space was limited, so it meant working lean and staying nimble. Even assistants had to step out on this one. Multiple formats, separate plates, small elements, all captured without really being able to move much around. At that point it’s about keeping it simple and getting through it. Experience helps. I’ve always liked big images built around a strong idea, and this one had it. Simple, slightly absurd, and instantly readable. Exactly the kind of image I enjoy. [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-AAMI-01.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-AAMI-01 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-AAMI-01.jpg) ## > A strong idea that works in a single frame and carries an entire story. I’ve always loved working on briefs like that. **Categories:** Photography --- ### [Photographed for Coca-Cola and the iconic Kings Cross billboard](https://smetana.net/one-frame-does-all-the-talking-always-great-to-be-brought-in-on-a-strong-idea/) **Published:** April 28, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Feel it all in 90 minutes **Content:** [![Group of Friends in Matching Yellow Brazil Jerseys Celebrate on a Couch, with One Person Raising a Coca‑cola Bottle Amid Motion Blur.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/UpRes_FIFA_KV_Interpolate_CMYK.jpg "UpRes_FIFA_KV_Interpolate_CMYK | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/UpRes_FIFA_KV_Interpolate_CMYK.jpg) ###### Feel it all in 90 minutes We set out to capture every possible emotion of a football fan in a single image. Using long exposures and in-camera motion blur, the entire photograph was created practically, keeping the process simple, organic and photographic. [![Large Outdoor Coca-cola Billboard Showing Cheering Soccer Fans in Yellow Shirts; Text Reads'Feel it all' and 'in 90 minutes.'](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/B_15452.jpg "B_15452 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/B_15452.jpg) ## > In a world of small screens, it’s always satisfying to see a good idea given the space it deserves. **Categories:** Photography --- ### [Photography can communicate incredibly fast](https://smetana.net/conceptual-photography-with-scale/) **Published:** May 15, 2026 **Author:** Andreas Smetana **Excerpt:** Conceptional Photography **Content:** [![Orange Rescue Lifeboat Amid Towering Dark Ocean Waves and White Spray Under a Cloudy Sky, Stormy Sea Scene.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/bouyehero.jpg "bouyehero | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/bouyehero.jpg) I think strong visual ideas cut through incredibly fast. One image, one idea, immediate understanding. I do believe strong visual ideas hold attention. A great concept, carefully executed with enough scale, craft and presence to genuinely connect with people. I don’t think the goal is perfection. The goal is conceptual clarity. Creating imagery that feels memorable, believable and emotionally real. Today we are surrounded by endless content and increasingly generated imagery. AI is becoming an important part of modern image-making and workflows, and it is an incredibly powerful tool. But I also think audiences are becoming far more visually aware. People recognise when imagery feels generic, over-generated or emotionally empty. They also recognise craft. That’s why I think distinctive imagery matters more now, not less. It comes from strong concepts, production experience and understanding how to execute ambitious visual ideas in a way that still feels human and believable. Some ideas simply carry more weight when they are physically built. Real locations, real talent, practical effects, constructed environments and carefully shaped light all contribute to imagery with texture, credibility and presence. People remember distinctive imagery. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ This was a campaign for a medical product connected to heart health and recovery, built loosely around the idea of rebirth and second chances. The original brief was actually to use the famous artworks directly and retouch a real person into them. Early on we discussed that this would probably feel a little too respectful, and potentially backfire creatively. So instead we decided to build completely new versions inspired by the original paintings, but centred around real people and a slightly stranger sense of humour. Everything was photographed practically. Massive painted canvas backdrops, around 12 by 8 metres, were hand-painted for us by an artist who had previously worked on *Titanic* with James Cameron. The entire project was essentially one large constructed set. I still love the ambition and absurdity of these images. They feel handcrafted, theatrical and very physical, which was exactly the point. [![Rider in a Tricorne Hat and Red Cape on a White Horse, Set Against a Dramatic Painted Mountain Landscape Backdrop.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional7.jpg "Conceptional7 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional7.jpg) [![Older Man Relaxing in a Deck Chair Reaches Toward a Mural Depicting God-like Figure and Cherubs Emerging from a Red Shell, with Helpers Below the Platform.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional9.jpg "Conceptional9 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional9.jpg) [![the Staged Scene Shows a Man Standing in a Giant Shell with a Sea Backdrop, Flanked by a Winged Figure and a Woman in a Red Cape and Pale Dress.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional8.jpg "Conceptional8 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional8.jpg) This image was created for CommBank around the simple idea hidden inside their own logo, CAN. The campaign featured children imagining themselves in inspiring future roles, astronauts, pilots, doctors, firefighters and more. I always loved the optimism and scale of this image. A big conceptual idea, built physically and photographed for real. [![Young Astronaut in a Beige Spacesuit and Helmet Floats Inside a Gray Spacecraft Corridor with Panels and Cables Visible in the Background](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-12.jpg "Conceptional 12 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-12.jpg) Created for TAC Victoria around the idea that every decision on the road carries consequences. One moment, one choice, and everything changes. The entire scene was built practically and photographed in camera during a large-scale overnight shoot involving emergency services, police, fire crews and a substantial production team. [![Nighttime Multi-vehicle Crash on a Curved Road with Police Cars, Ambulances, and Firefighters at the Scene; a Car is Overturned and Smoke Rises in the Background.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional34.jpg "Conceptional34 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional34.jpg) Shot for SBS around *Deadline Gallipoli*, inspired by the photography of war correspondent Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett. One of the key images recreated his famous photograph of soldiers charging across the battlefield. We photographed the campaign in remote South Australia using large-scale practical effects, massive smoke machines and large film lights to create something that felt cinematic, timeless and physically real. I loved the scale of the production and the atmosphere we were able to build in camera. The series featured actors including Sam Worthington, alongside the wider cast and extras from the production, photographed both in constructed battlefield scenes and more stripped-back portraits. [![Group of Soldiers Sprinting Across a Smoky, Barren Battlefield While Carrying Rifles and Bayonets.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-117.jpg "Conceptional 117 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-117.jpg) [![Soldiers in Khaki Uniforms Crouch and Stand with Rifles in a Smoky Desert Battlefield Under a Cloudy Sky.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-1.jpg "Conceptional 1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-1.jpg) [![Movie Poster for Deadline Gallipoli: Three Men in Suits Against a Cloudy Sky, with Soldiers Marching Below.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gallipolli-POST.jpg "Gallipolli-POST | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gallipolli-POST.jpg) This epic image really says everything about the scale and intensity of natural disasters in Australia. Photographed for Westpac Rescue, it captures a real moment with a kind of scale that almost feels cinematic. I always loved how timeless the image feels. The tiny human figures against this vast flooded landscape gives it real weight and presence. There’s something about scale that stays with people and makes the image memorable. [![Aerial View of a Flood Rescue: a Helicopter Hoists a Person Across a Red Muddy River While Others Stand on Rooftops in Submerged Houses.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional6.jpg "Conceptional6 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional6.jpg) Photographed for the Australian Navy, this image is remarkably calm and yet tells a very big story. One person, one extraordinary environment. I love that it never feels overplayed. The scale of the sea, the ships and the sky does all the work. It tells a big story, but it does it without shouting loudly. [![Navy Sailor in Camouflage Uniform Stands on a Ship Deck with Arms Crossed, Looking Toward the Horizon As Helicopters Fly Overhead and Battleships Anchor in a Cloudy Sea.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-01-Conceptional.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Navy-01 Conceptional | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-01-Conceptional.jpg) Photographed in New York for Dupixent, this campaign was built around the overwhelming physical and emotional world of severe eczema and particularly how children experience it. I always loved the sheer scale and immersion of the image. The soft toy landscape almost feels endless and cinematic, creating a world that completely surrounds the child. It’s playful and warm at first glance, but there’s also something slightly overwhelming about it, which was exactly the point. [![Adult and Child Reading a Book Together While Sitting Among Colorful Plush Stuffed Animals in a Playful, Cozy Setting.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional5.jpg "Conceptional5 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional5.jpg) This series for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service focused on the reality behind the headlines and the devastating sense of loss that bushfires leave behind. Everything was built practically and photographed in camera, using controlled fire, smoke and partially constructed sets to create these burnt interiors and landscapes. I always loved the contrast between the chaos of the environment and the stillness of the people inside it. The images feel cinematic, epic and emotionally heavy, but the performances were deliberately restrained and real. That balance is what gave the campaign its weight and memorability. [![Couple Stands Arm-in-arm in Front of a Burning House with a Smoldering Car Nearby.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-116.jpg "Conceptional 116 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-116.jpg) [![Two Adults Standing in a Charred, Fire-destroyed Living Room Beside a Table with a Laptop, Surrounded by Flames and Smoke.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-115.jpg "Conceptional 115 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-115.jpg) [![Family of Three Sits on a Sofa in a Burned, Smoke-filled Living Room with Flames Nearby.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-114.jpg "Conceptional 114 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-114.jpg) This Suncorp campaign was built around a brilliant real-world idea. Inspired by full-scale disaster testing facilities in the US, the concept explored what a truly resilient Australian home could look like against floods, cyclones and fire. The original plan was to photograph the real testing facility, but instead we built detailed miniature sets and photographed them practically, combining them with large-scale environments and effects work to create the illusion of full-sized houses under extreme conditions. I always loved the simplicity of the idea. One house, pushed to its limits, photographed almost like a scientific experiment. [![Stormy Scene Inside a Concrete Parking Area: Debris and Water Spray Sweep Past a Small Glass-fronted Booth Surrounded by Barriers.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional21-1.jpg "Conceptional21 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional21-1.jpg) [![Indoor Industrial Space with a Fenced Demonstration Platform and Sparks Flying Around It in a Warehouse Setting.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Suncorp_2conceptional.jpg "Suncorp_2conceptional | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Suncorp_2conceptional.jpg) [![Industrial Indoor Testing Space with Ceiling-mounted Water Spray Creating a Fine Mist over a Platform and Barrier Rails in the Foreground.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Suncorp_1Conceptional.jpg "Suncorp_1Conceptional | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Suncorp_1Conceptional.jpg) ###### Conceptional Photography **Categories:** AI, Film, Photography --- ### [A pen, a ball, and an idea that goes a long way](https://smetana.net/give-me-two-pens-and-a-second-cricket-ball-and-we-might-get-to-the-moon/) **Published:** April 30, 2026 **Author:** Andreas Smetana **Excerpt:** CommBank Teacher Awards **Content:** ###### CommBank Teacher Awards One day, minimal crew, I ran the camera myself. We shot stills on the side. Talent, a cricket ball, a golden pen, a location. That was pretty much it. But the idea was strong. A teacher can shift perspective, can push a kid to think bigger, to reach further. We turned that into something visual. The pen becomes a rocket, the ball a planet, and suddenly it opens up into something much larger. What I like about it is the scale of the idea versus how we made it. It feels big, but it’s built out of almost nothing. A bit of fire, some movement, careful grading, strong editing, and it starts to carry real weight. It’s a good reminder. You don’t always need a big production to make something work. Sometimes the constraint is the thing that sharpens it. **Categories:** AI --- ### [A real moment, built in camera](https://smetana.net/a-real-moment-built-in-camera-not-constructed-for-ses/) **Published:** April 28, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Finding the right tone for SES **Content:** [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SES-AS-websversion.jpg "SES-AS-websversion | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SES-AS-websversion.jpg) ###### Finding the right tone for SES This is one of those jobs where the obvious approach just didn’t feel right. The safe option would have been to shoot it in a studio, build it in layers, light it perfectly, and retouch it clean. But it would have taken something away. These are real people. Volunteers. People who step in when things go wrong. The image needed to reflect that. So we went the other way. One setup, as much as possible in a single frame. Shot outside, in daylight, with very little added lighting. It’s not without risk. The shoot took time, and with daylight, things can shift. With this many people and this much movement, it can fall apart quickly. But that’s also where it starts to feel real. It’s a small shift in approach, but it changes everything. You get texture, imperfection, something that feels unforced. It doesn’t feel overproduced, it feels like a moment that actually happened in front of the camera. That decision to stay in daylight is what holds it together. If this had been built in a studio and heavily retouched, it would have lost that completely. [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-SES-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-1.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-2-uai-1401x934.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-SES-2 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-2.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-3.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-SES-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-3.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-4.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-SES-4 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-4.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-FINAL-Hero-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-SES-FINAL-Hero-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-FINAL-Hero-1.jpg) ## > Connection comes from doing it for real. You feel the energy because it’s happening, not constructed **Categories:** AI --- ### [Working across multiple film and stills campaigns sharpens that understanding and pushes the work further](https://smetana.net/working-across-multiple-film-and-stills-campaigns-sharpens-that-understanding-and-pushes-the-work-further/) **Published:** April 22, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Getting to know a client makes the work better **Content:** ###### Getting to know a client makes the work better Over a period of time, I had the chance to work across a range of campaigns for Woolworths, including Christmas and Easter TVCs, alongside a broad set of stills. That continuity gave the work real depth. You start to understand not just the visual language, but how the brand speaks, how the creative thinks, and where the nuances sit. The projects moved fluidly between different territories. Observational, human moments. Food that needed to feel immediate and real. And the build-out of stills libraries designed to carry consistency across a wide range of touchpoints. The aim was always the same. Keep it warm, keep it open, and keep it human. Avoid anything that feels overworked or overly constructed. It’s a space where performance really matters. The difference between something that feels staged and something that feels lived-in is everything. At the same time, the images need to hold structure and clarity, especially when they scale across large campaigns. We also built out a large stills library in the same tone, designed to hold consistency across everything. I’ve always liked working across both film and stills on a project. It keeps the thinking aligned and the output tighter. [![Woolworths](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-1.jpg) [![Woolworths](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-5.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-5 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-5.jpg) [![Woolworths](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-6.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-6 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-6.jpg) [![Woolworths](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-8.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-8 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-8.jpg) [![Woolworths](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-3.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-3.jpg) [![Woolworths](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-4.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-4 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-4.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/601_Woolworths-Spring_Shot-5_0695.jpg "601_Woolworths-Spring_Shot-5_0695 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/601_Woolworths-Spring_Shot-5_0695.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/601_Woolworths-Spring_Shot-1_0064.jpg "601_Woolworths-Spring_Shot-1_0064 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/601_Woolworths-Spring_Shot-1_0064.jpg) ## Working across multiple projects builds real understanding, and that benefits both sides. It’s not about loyalty for its own sake. Better work comes from that familiarity. **Categories:** AI, Film, Photography --- ### [BRANDED CONTENT](https://smetana.net/branded-content/) **Published:** May 6, 2026 **Author:** Andreas Smetana **Excerpt:** Real moments, built with clarity, speed and craft. **Content:** ###### Real moments, built with clarity, speed and craft. High-end commercial work is still very much the core of what I do. Alongside that, I also shoot branded content, social campaigns, interviews and product-driven work that often needs to move faster and work harder across multiple platforms. The productions are usually leaner. Smaller crews, tighter timelines, more direct execution. I often shoot stills and motion together, keeping the process efficient and visually aligned. But the approach itself doesn’t really change. The work still needs to feel human, well observed and properly crafted. Whether it’s a large campaign or a smaller content piece, quality is still the constant. Clients include Westpac, Specsavers, Parramatta Light Rail, WorkCover, McDonald’s, IHG Hotels, Westpac Rescue, ReachOut and Domain, among others. **Categories:** AI --- ### [A study in combining photography, landscape, and AI](https://smetana.net/this-campaign-is-a-study-in-combining-photography-landscape-and-ai/) **Published:** April 20, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Concept Store **Content:** [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Beach-background-Shoes-scaled.jpg "Beach-background-+-Shoes | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Beach-background-Shoes-scaled.jpg) ###### Concept Store The idea was simple. Create a series of images of pop-up stores in the Australian landscape in a way that feels unexpected, but still entirely believable. I’m not a fan of fully AI-generated imagery. It often lacks weight, presence, believability. So the environments are built from my own landscape references, shaping something familiar and then reworking it. The structures are developed through AI, step by step, with a very controlled hand guiding form, scale, and detail. I don’t really believe in fully AI-generated imagery. That sense of weight and presence just isn’t there. So the product is always photographed for real. Proper light, real materials, something tangible that anchors the image. AI sits within that process as a tool. A way to explore and construct, not to replace what needs to feel true. There are real efficiencies in using AI, no question. But the idea that it’s free or takes five minutes is simply wrong. A lot of work goes into it. For me, it sits alongside retouching and CGI, just another post-production tool, used with intent. Clear, considered, and built to hold. [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Beach-background-Shoes-scaled.jpg "Beach-background-+-Shoes | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Beach-background-Shoes-scaled.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Outback-Background-Shoes-scaled.jpg "Outback-Background-+-Shoes | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Outback-Background-Shoes-scaled.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Saltlake-ebackground-shoes-2-scaled.jpg "Saltlake-ebackground-+-shoes-2 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Saltlake-ebackground-shoes-2-scaled.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Snow-Background-Shoes-scaled.jpg "Snow-Background-+-Shoes | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Snow-Background-Shoes-scaled.jpg) **Categories:** AI, Film, Photography --- ### [Where AI meets the real world](https://smetana.net/where-ai-meets-the-real-world-in-high-res/) **Published:** April 22, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** DEEPAL, THE HYBRID APPROACH **Content:** [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3.jpg "Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3.jpg) ###### DEEPAL, THE HYBRID APPROACH This project started with a simple question, how do we create something that’s not feasible to shoot for real within budget? The answer was a hybrid approach. The landscapes were photographed first. I used my own landscape plates to build AI layouts, exploring perspective and scale, while the lighting direction was always driven by the photography. Once that held, the real landscape was brought back in during post. It simply looked better, more grounded, more believable, and it holds up in high resolution. The car and talent were always photographed for real. Properly lit, properly placed, with full control and proper usage rights. That physical anchor is important, it gives the image weight and something real to hold onto. The advantage is clarity. You can resolve the image before you shoot it. Lock in decisions early, reduce guesswork, and walk onto set knowing exactly what needs to be done. It takes pressure off the shoot and puts the thinking where it belongs, upfront. There’s also efficiency in it. Not because it’s free, it isn’t, but because it cuts out unnecessary complexity and keeps the production focused on what actually matters. AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not the final image. It sits within the process. Pushed where it helps, held back where reality matters. For me, it’s another post-production tool, used with intent and control. In the end, it’s still about building something that feels real. Advertising for grown-ups. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3-uai-2400x1600.jpg "Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smetana_Flint_Deepal_Inseparable-1-uai-2400x1600.jpg "Smetana_Flint_Deepal_Inseparable-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smetana_Flint_Deepal_Inseparable-1.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Tumbnail-Smetana_Flint_Deepal_Inseparable-2-uai-1600x1066.jpg "Tumbnail-Smetana_Flint_Deepal_Inseparable-2 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Tumbnail-Smetana_Flint_Deepal_Inseparable-2.jpg) ## > A hybrid approach, in service of something that still feels real. **Categories:** AI, Film, Photography --- ### [An integrated piece built between real and AI](https://smetana.net/an-integrated-piece-built-between-real-and-ai/) **Published:** April 20, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Audemars Piguet **Content:** ###### Audemars Piguet An integrated piece built between real and AI. The concept was developed in AI, shaped and directed in-house, then brought into the real world. Once it held, the watch came in and was photographed. Real light, real presence, treated with the precision it deserves. The approach is simple. Something classic, something striking, without overcomplicating it. AI was developed as part of the process, used where it adds value, then pulled back. Everything aligned into one language so it sits naturally with the photography. One image. Clear, considered, with a sense of stillness and motion at the same time. ## > AI where it helps, photography where it matters. **Categories:** Film, Photography --- ### [This photographic series explores the waterways of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, a landscape that’s deceptively difficult to photograph](https://smetana.net/titled-navigable-body-of-water-this-photographic-series-explores-the-waterways-of-ku-ring-gai-chase-national-park-a-landscape-thats-deceptively-difficult-to-photograph-well/) **Published:** April 22, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Navigable Body of Water **Content:** [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no3-scaled.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no3-scaled.jpg) ###### Navigable Body of Water This is a place I keep going back to. I absolutely love it. The waterways of Ku-ring-gai, where the Hawkesbury meets the sea. It’s only about 25 kilometres from Sydney, but it doesn’t feel like it at all. It’s wild, but still accessible. That’s what makes it special. I’ve been shooting here for the last five or six years, and it’s actually a really hard place to photograph. In daylight it feels harsh. Shadows drop into black, the water blows out. Most of the time, it doesn’t give the camera much. But when it all aligns, light, water, mist, the smallest ripples, you get something really special. You can almost capture the quiet that’s been sitting there for thousands of years. It takes patience, which I don’t mind. A lot of the time I’m just sitting on the boat, waiting. Mostly first light or last light. And I love that you can’t force it. If it’s not right, I go home with nothing. I shoot a lot, then come back and delete most of it. I don’t retouch these images. If a boat goes through, that’s it, you don’t shoot. Coming from the commercial world, where everything is built, controlled and fast, this is the opposite. It’s slower, quieter. There’s something incredibly special about being out there. It still feels untouched. Ku-ring-gai is the second oldest national park in Australia, and was established in 1876 and you can feel that history when you’re sitting there. Yes, boat traffic can get pretty busy. But head out on a Tuesday morning in winter and you’ve got a very good chance of having one of those beautiful bays in Ku-ring-gai completely to yourself. There are places where you’re far enough away that you don’t hear anything at all. Down at Bobbin Head you might catch the highway if you really listen. But there are spots where it’s just quiet. Properly quiet. And it’s pretty special. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Andreas-Smetana-Navigable-Body-of-Water-01-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Navigable-Body-of-Water-01 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Andreas-Smetana-Navigable-Body-of-Water-01-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no18-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable-Body-of-Water_no18 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no18-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no1-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no1-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no2-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no2-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no4-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no4-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no5-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no5-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no10-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no10-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no11-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no11-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no12-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no12-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no13-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no13-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no14-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no14-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no15-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no15-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no16-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no16-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no18-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no18-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no20-scaled-uai-2560x1706.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no20-scaled.jpg) ## > There’s a calm and a quiet to it, right on the edge of Sydney, and it’s been sitting like that for thousands of years. **Categories:** AI --- ### [If it feels set up, it’s already lost](https://smetana.net/if-it-feels-set-up-its-already-lost/) **Published:** April 30, 2026 **Author:** Andreas Smetana **Excerpt:** Real moments for McCain, not served up **Content:** [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-3.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-3.jpg) ###### Real moments for McCain, not served up Shot over two days for McCain, balancing clarity and honesty. The outdoor heroes are clean and readable, strong expressions that land instantly on a billboard. The wider library leans the other way, quieter, more intimate, the kind of moments you catch just before or after something happens. Natural light, minimal styling, and a loose approach with the talent. Kids sharing, grabbing, reacting. Nothing pushed, nothing overworked. Just enough control to hold the frame, but still let it feel like it’s unfolding in front of you. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-1-uai-2400x1600.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-1.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-6-uai-2400x1600.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-6 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-6.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-10-uai-2400x1600.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-10 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-10.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-12-uai-2400x1600.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-12 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-12.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-7-uai-2400x1600.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-7 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-7.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-9-uai-2400x1600.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-9 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-9.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-14-uai-2400x1600.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-14 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-14.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-16-uai-1200x800.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-16 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-16.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-4-uai-2400x1600.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-4 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-4.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-133-uai-2400x1600.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-133 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-133.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/McCain-Day3_Shot-3_1462_RGB_ChipFang_Final-uai-1599x1066.jpg "McCain-Day3_Shot-3_1462_RGB_ChipFang_Final | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/McCain-Day3_Shot-3_1462_RGB_ChipFang_Final.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-2-uai-2400x1600.jpg "McCain-Shot-2400p-2 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/McCain-Shot-2400p-2.jpg) ## Clear when it needs to be, real where it matters **Categories:** AI --- ### [Building a massive crash scene in the middle of the night](https://smetana.net/building-a-massive-crash-scene-in-the-middle-of-the-night/) **Published:** April 20, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** TAC Speeding. Wrong choice. **Content:** [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TAC_Speeding_HEROv3.5-crop.jpg "TAC_Speeding_HEROv3.5-crop | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TAC_Speeding_HEROv3.5-crop.jpg) ###### TAC Speeding. Wrong choice. This kind of work sits with a client where credibility is everything. The message only lands if the image holds up, and with road safety, there’s no room for artifice. It has to feel true at a glance. The idea was simple, show consequence in a way that feels immediate and undeniable. Not stylised, not exaggerated, just a moment that could have happened, captured as it unfolds. That meant doing it properly. We shut down the road, worked through the night and built the entire scene in camera. Emergency services, vehicles, lighting, atmosphere, talent, all happening live. No shortcuts, no pretending. It’s a big production, but that’s where it starts to feel right. You get the scale, the tension, the small imperfections that make it believable. The unpredictability is part of it, and that’s what gives the image weight. You can push a lot in post, but not everything. For something like this, the foundation has to be real. If it doesn’t feel real, it doesn’t work. This is where photography leads. Building the image from the ground up, shaping it in camera, letting the moment carry the message. That’s the part that still matters most. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TAC_DrinkDriving_HEROv5.5-crop.jpg "TAC_DrinkDriving_HEROv5.5-crop | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TAC_DrinkDriving_HEROv5.5-crop.jpg) This was a massive production with a large crew, everyone pulling in the same direction to create two standalone outdoor images, packed with detail and built to hold. Detail was critical on this one. We were shooting across multiple outdoor formats, so everything had to hold up, no shortcuts, every layer needed to carry. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TAC_Speeding_HEROv3.5-cropcrop.jpg "TAC_Speeding_HEROv3.5-cropcrop | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TAC_Speeding_HEROv3.5-cropcrop.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TAC_DrinkDriving_HEROv5.5-cropcrop.jpg "TAC_DrinkDriving_HEROv5.5-cropcrop | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TAC_DrinkDriving_HEROv5.5-cropcrop.jpg) ## > For some clients and some campaigns, doing it for real isn’t a choice, it’s the point. **Categories:** Photography --- ### [Chasing the sun](https://smetana.net/chasing-the-sun/) **Published:** April 22, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Oberösterreichische Versicherung **Content:** ###### Oberösterreichische Versicherung Das Narrative, a production company from Austria, came to Australia in search of light. We shot key scenes which made it into the 30-second spot, as well as a standalone 15-second cut. An Austrian director and photographer, living in Australia, shooting back for Austria. What a small world. The agency had this beautiful image in mind, a 10 metre diving tower in an outdoor public pool, the bravery of jumping. The shoot took us to Canberra. Colder conditions, long hours, and a demanding setup. Working with young talent, in and underwater, it was a full day. It’s something I remember from growing up in Austria. Turns out, while we do have them in Australia, most are no longer in use. Concrete cancer, safety restrictions, closures. They’re simply not accessible anymore. So we had to go further out. Canberra ended up being the place where we found one still intact and usable. I ran the film camera and captured the stills, working with a very lean crew. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Andreas-Smetana-Girls-on-Tower-2.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Girls-on-Tower-2 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Andreas-Smetana-Girls-on-Tower-2.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Andreas-Smetana-Girls-on-Tower-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Girls-on-Tower-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Andreas-Smetana-Girls-on-Tower-1.jpg) ## > A cohesive production where I direct and shoot the stills alongside the film. Running parallel setups means we can move fast and efficient, but nothing feels rushed. It keeps the whole thing tight, consistent, and on the same wavelength. **Categories:** AI --- ### [A playful integrated campaign for Narellan Pools film, and stills](https://smetana.net/you-with-a-pool/) **Published:** April 20, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** YOU. YOU WITH A POOL **Content:** ###### YOU. YOU WITH A POOL The idea was simple. A match cut between people who want a pool and people already enjoying one. Same moment, same behaviour, just a small shift in life, but actually quite a big one. The campaign ran across a 30-second film, cutdowns, and a stills campaign. The tone stayed grounded. Light humour, very human, nothing overplayed. Not trying to be cool, just reflecting real people and real moments. We built it as one system, shooting motion and stills together, keeping everything consistent from the start. I directed, operated parts of the camera, and captured the stills, staying close to the work the whole way through. The production was substantial. Multiple locations, night shoots, drone work, all feeding into the same idea and keeping it cohesive. At its core, it’s about people, not the product. The product is really the enjoyment you get out of having a pool. I’m still dreaming of getting my own one, so clearly it works. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-2.jpg "Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-2 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-2.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-3.jpg "Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-3.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-4.jpg "Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-4 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-4.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-1.jpg "Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Flint-Sydney-Andreas-Smetana-Narellan-Pools-1.jpg) ## > By running two assistant crews, we can move fast and stay efficient. More importantly, it keeps everything aligned, film and stills are developed together, which makes the tone more cohesive and consistent. **Categories:** AI --- ### [Light Weight
 Without consequence](https://smetana.net/light-weight-without-consequence/) **Published:** April 20, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** FLYING BOULDERS **Content:** [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-1.jpg) ###### FLYING BOULDERS These images started with a simple impulse. Why does everything always have to behave? We’re used to things making sense. We want them to make sense. Gravity, cause and effect, politics, people in power. There’s no drama here, no spectacle. Just a quiet shift that makes you look twice, and stay with it a little longer. The boulders carry weight, and yet there’s a strange lightness to it. A calmness. It would be easy to make them move, turn it into motion. But they don’t need to. The idea holds in a single frame. Maybe that’s the point. To just stand in front of something and look. Not on a small screen, but properly. At scale. [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-1.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-2.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-2 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-2.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-3.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-3.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-4.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-4 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-4.jpg) ## > I find it’s often less about movement and more about presence. **Categories:** AI --- ### [There was a push towards heavy VFX, but we chose to build it for real](https://smetana.net/there-was-a-push-towards-heavy-vfx-but-we-chose-to-build-it-for-real/) **Published:** April 22, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Palmers **Content:** ###### Palmers This 30-second film for Palmer’s came out of a really strong, simple insight. Most women don’t just have one product they trust. They have cabinets filled with half-used brands, different promises, different claims. Palmer’s offers the opposite. Something straightforward that works. One simple solution. The client and agency initially looked at a CGI route, but I felt it would land much stronger if we kept it grounded in reality. So we built a small tunnel in the studio. A real space, real atmosphere, real camera decisions. Everything was kept simple, but very considered. That gave the whole piece a sense of weight and a tactile quality that’s hard to fake. It was shot in a single day. Tight, focused. The kind of setup where clarity and decisions matter. We also captured product stills alongside the film, keeping everything consistent. ## > Real space, real atmosphere, real camera decisions. Everything kept simple, but thought through.” **Categories:** AI --- ### [Presence over polish](https://smetana.net/presence-over-polish/) **Published:** April 28, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Automotive Photography **Content:** [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MONK8966_Audi_Q8_02.jpg "Audi | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MONK8966_Audi_Q8_02.jpg) ###### Automotive Photography I’ve been fortunate to work across a wide range of automotive brands, from Lexus and Toyota to Audi, Deepal, GWM, VW and BMW, to name a few. Car photography moves quickly. It’s less about chasing a particular look and more about finding the right approach for each brand and each campaign, the idea, the layout, the intent behind the image. What matters most is presence. The car has to feel real, it needs a sense of weight to it. With so much CGI, Photoshop and AI in the mix, it’s easy for things to become a bit overworked or overly polished. That’s when cars can start to lose that sense of weight and feel almost like small scale models. That’s something I’m always mindful of. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/L1-scaled.jpg "Lexus | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/L1-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Lexus-sunset-scaled.jpg "Lexus | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Lexus-sunset-scaled.jpg) The car has to feel like a car. It either feels real, or it doesn’t. Presence is everything, especially now, when we’re flooded with images. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MONK8966_Audi_Q8_027-uai-2107x1405.jpg "Audi | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MONK8966_Audi_Q8_027.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MONK8966_Audi_Q8_0244-uai-2107x1405.jpg "Audi | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MONK8966_Audi_Q8_0244.jpg) Cars come alive when they’re actually moving. I love shooting car to car, it’s something you don’t see that often anymore. For me, it shows a car doing what it’s built for, being driven. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AUDI_Blue-uai-2500x1666.jpg "AUDI | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AUDI_Blue.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AUDI_red-uai-2500x1666.jpg "AUDI_red | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AUDI_red.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/LEXUS_SanFran_Car-in-Motion-195-scaled.jpg "Lexus | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/LEXUS_SanFran_Car-in-Motion-195-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Lexus-green-1-scaled.jpg "Lexus | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Lexus-green-1-scaled.jpg) The car has to feel like a car. It either feels real, or it doesn’t. Presence is everything, especially now, when we’re flooded with images. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3.jpg "Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Andreas-Smetana-Toyota-2022-010.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Toyota-2022-010 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Andreas-Smetana-Toyota-2022-010.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Andreas-Smetana-Toyota-2022-09.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Toyota-2022-09 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Andreas-Smetana-Toyota-2022-09.jpg) ## It all depends on the campaign. Sometimes it’s highly constructed, with a precisely lit car. Other times it’s about capturing a more natural moment. The approach is always driven by the idea and the creative behind the campaign. **Categories:** AI --- ### [Seppelt Wines, a stills and film campaign inside the original underground cellars](https://smetana.net/seppelt-wines-a-stills-and-film-campaign-inside-the-original-underground-cellars/) **Published:** April 28, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Seriously Splendid **Content:** [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-1.jpg) ###### Seriously Splendid Most of the work I do sits across stills and film, and I like when both come together. It allows for a much more cohesive result. On paper, this was a simple campaign, but it quickly turned into something much bigger. The creative and client wanted to shoot inside the original underground cellars at Seppelt Great Western in Victoria. These tunnels, known as The Drives, aren’t really used in the same way anymore, so just getting access was a job in itself. Limited power, tough conditions, and a lot of gear to move through a pretty unforgiving space. We initially approached it as a stills campaign, but once we got down there it became obvious how rich the environment was. The texture, the scale, the atmosphere, even the styling, it all had depth. It felt too good to only capture in stills. So we expanded into motion. What started as print moved into a small film, which felt like the right response to the space and the story. The winery carries a great history. Mark Twain visited Great Western in the 1890s. Dame Nellie Melba has her champagne bath legend, with the rumour that more bottles came out than went in. And Hans Irvine’s sparkling wine won gold at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. It’s that mix of serious wine history, folklore, and a bit of marketing spin that gives the place its character. We tried to capture all of it. [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-3-uai-1057x1585.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-3.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Seppelt-05-uai-1066x1600.jpg "Seppelt-05 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Seppelt-05.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Seppelt-Bottle-3-uai-1066x1600.jpg "Seppelt-Bottle-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Seppelt-Bottle-3.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-4-uai-1063x1594.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-4 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-4.jpg) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-2.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-2 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-2.jpg) It felt like too good an opportunity to stop at stills. Moving into film, the camera just ate up the slow motion, all that texture and richness in the space we’d created. There was something quite magic about being down there. We had a band playing live. Everything happened for real. It was hot, tight, and not exactly friendly. Spider webs everywhere, cables running through the tunnels, a proper grind. But visually it was incredible. The production and styling were so well considered that every frame felt designed. Texture, depth, layers. Constant candy for the eye. Easily one of my favourite projects. And honestly, what’s wrong with a bit of job satisfaction. **Categories:** AI --- ### [Photographed in Hong Kong, adapted for different markets](https://smetana.net/photographed-in-hong-kong-adapted-for-different-markets/) **Published:** April 20, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Standard Chartered **Content:** [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Standard1-scaled.jpg "Standard1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Standard1-scaled.jpg) ###### Standard Chartered This was a campaign we shot for Standard Chartered in Hong Kong, but also across multiple regions. Every setup had to work in different markets, so we shot each image multiple times with different talent. Same frame, same idea, just carefully adjusted so it felt right for each region. Standard Chartered is an international bank. They focus on private banking, wealth management, and corporate banking, mainly across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. A big part of what they do is helping individuals and businesses manage, grow, and move money globally. It’s quite a relationship-driven business, less about transactions, more about long-term financial strategy. What I like about this one is the simplicity. It looks clean and straightforward, but there’s quite a lot behind it. We built a small set, used CGI for the background, and shot everything with a very controlled lighting setup. Everything designed to feel precise, but still natural. That balance is always the tricky part. We wanted it refined, but not overworked. Polished and elegant but still real. It’s very easy to push it too far. I think we managed to hold it in the right place here. In the end, these are big images, but built quite carefully. Nothing shouting, just everything sitting where it should. Clean, considered, and holding its space. [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/StandardC_2-scaled.jpg "StandardC_2 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/StandardC_2-scaled.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/StandardC_4-scaled.jpg "StandardC_4 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/StandardC_4-scaled.jpg) **One of the best moments was seeing it take over Forbes Asia.** The campaign wrapped the entire issue, a proper cover wrap, hard to ignore, exactly where it should be. That felt like a real sign it had landed. [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Thumbnail-Standart-Chartered-scaled.jpg "Thumbnail-Standart-Chartered | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Thumbnail-Standart-Chartered-scaled.jpg) **Categories:** AI, Film --- ### [A stills campaign shot around Australia](https://smetana.net/a-stills-campaign-shot-around-australia/) **Published:** April 20, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Excerpt:** Australian Defence Force **Content:** [![Australian Navy](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-01.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Navy-01 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-01.jpg) ###### Australian Defence Force This was a fantastic project where one frame carries a really big story. There’s a real strength in something that doesn’t move, doesn’t flash, just sits there and holds your attention. I’ve been fortunate to work with the Australian Navy and Army a few times over the years, but this one really stood out. The job ran alongside a TVC that was more lifestyle driven. Within that, we carved out a stills campaign for outdoor that needed to be far more controlled and precise. We moved across the country to make it happen. Perth, Townsville, Sydney Naval Base. Capturing elements piece by piece, ships, aircraft, helicopter-to-helicopter, different locations, different times, all brought together with a lot of precision. The aim was to create images that feel composed but still have impact. Something that reads clearly and holds presence. On every job, I want the work to perform, that’s a given. But there’s also a personal side to it. Call it job satisfaction. And this one had a lot of that. Hovering in a helicopter, about 12 metres above the sea, watching a submarine disappear beneath you, that stays with you. So yes, job satisfaction matters. You could say it doesn’t affect the outcome, but I don’t think that’s true. Pride in the work shows, and that only really happens when you’re there, actually shooting it for real. [![Australian Navy](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-02-uai-2400x1600.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Navy-02 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-02.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-Jul-2022-02.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Navy-Jul-2022-02 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-Jul-2022-02.jpg) [![Australian Navy](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-03-uai-2308x1539.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Navy-03 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-03.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Navy-JellyFish-Hero-uai-1216x810.jpg "Navy-JellyFish-Hero | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Navy-JellyFish-Hero.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_08.jpg "Navy_08 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_08.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_02.jpg "Navy_02 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_02.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_11.jpg "Navy_11 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_11.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_13.jpg "Navy_13 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_13.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_10.jpg "Navy_10 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_10.jpg) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_03.jpg "Navy_03 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navy_03.jpg) ## > For this project, we split it into two worlds. One side was highly constructed, high-end outdoor imagery. The other lived fully in the lifestyle space, real moments, more observational. Two approaches, but designed to sit together. **Categories:** Photography --- ## Pages ### [Home 2026](https://smetana.net/) **Published:** April 20, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Content:** ![Andreas Smetana Logo](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Andreas-Smetana-Rev-300.png "Andreas-Smetana-Rev-300 | Andreas Smetana") ![Andreas Smetana Logo](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Andreas-Smetana-Rev-300.png "Andreas-Smetana-Rev-300 | Andreas Smetana") # Working across photography, Film and Constructed Realities # Working across photography, Film and Constructed Realities [Photography](https://www.smetana.net/photography/) [Film](https://www.smetana.net/film/) [About](https://www.smetana.net/about/) [Contact](https://www.smetana.net/contact/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Speeding-Press.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Speeding-Press | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/building-a-massive-crash-scene-in-the-middle-of-the-night/) TAC Speeding. Wrong choice. ### [Building a massive crash scene in the middle of the night](https://smetana.net/building-a-massive-crash-scene-in-the-middle-of-the-night/) [![Bright Billboard Featuring Excited Football Fans in Yellow Jerseys, Raising Fists; the Ad Reads'Feel it all in 90 minutes' with Coca‑Cola branding nearby.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/long-version.jpg "long version | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/one-frame-does-all-the-talking-always-great-to-be-brought-in-on-a-strong-idea/) Feel it all in 90 minutes ### [Photographed for Coca-Cola and the iconic Kings Cross billboard](https://smetana.net/one-frame-does-all-the-talking-always-great-to-be-brought-in-on-a-strong-idea/) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3.jpg "Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/where-ai-meets-the-real-world-in-high-res/) DEEPAL, THE HYBRID APPROACH ### [Where AI meets the real world](https://smetana.net/where-ai-meets-the-real-world-in-high-res/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Beach-background-Shoes-scaled.jpg "Beach-background-+-Shoes | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/this-campaign-is-a-study-in-combining-photography-landscape-and-ai/) Concept Store ### [A study in combining photography, landscape, and AI](https://smetana.net/this-campaign-is-a-study-in-combining-photography-landscape-and-ai/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Narrellan-Pool-Thubnail-scaled.jpg "Screenshot | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/you-with-a-pool/) YOU. YOU WITH A POOL ### [A playful integrated campaign for Narellan Pools film, and stills](https://smetana.net/you-with-a-pool/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/palmers-thumbnail-scaled.jpg "Screenshot | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/there-was-a-push-towards-heavy-vfx-but-we-chose-to-build-it-for-real/) Palmers ### [There was a push towards heavy VFX, but we chose to build it for real](https://smetana.net/there-was-a-push-towards-heavy-vfx-but-we-chose-to-build-it-for-real/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AAMI_thubnail.jpg "AAMI_thubnail | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/one-frame-does-all-the-talking-always-great-to-be-brought-in-on-a-strong-idea-duplicate/) Photography ### [One frame does all the talking. Always great to be brought in on a strong idea](https://smetana.net/one-frame-does-all-the-talking-always-great-to-be-brought-in-on-a-strong-idea-duplicate/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/StandardChartered-thumbnail.jpg "StandardChartered thumbnail | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/photographed-in-hong-kong-adapted-for-different-markets/) Standard Chartered ### [Photographed in Hong Kong, adapted for different markets](https://smetana.net/photographed-in-hong-kong-adapted-for-different-markets/) [![Video Thumbnail of a Person in a White Futuristic Armor Suit Against a Purple Background with the Word'LAYERS' repeated; centered play button overlays the image.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Content-TN-scaled.jpg "Content-TN | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/branded-content/) Real moments, built with clarity, speed and craft. ### [BRANDED CONTENT](https://smetana.net/branded-content/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-FINAL-Hero-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-SES-FINAL-Hero-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/a-real-moment-built-in-camera-not-constructed-for-ses/) Finding the right tone for SES ### [A real moment, built in camera](https://smetana.net/a-real-moment-built-in-camera-not-constructed-for-ses/) [![Lifeguard Lookout Tower Tilting in Rough Seas with Cresting Dark Waves and a Gray Cloudy Sky; the Orange-and-white Structure Leans Against the Surf.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-TN.jpg "Conceptional-TN | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/conceptual-photography-with-scale/) Conceptional Photography ### [Photography can communicate incredibly fast](https://smetana.net/conceptual-photography-with-scale/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ober-Oserterreichische-thumbnail-scaled.jpg "Screenshot | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/chasing-the-sun/) Oberösterreichische Versicherung ### [Chasing the sun](https://smetana.net/chasing-the-sun/) [![Close-up of a Human Eye with a Play Button Overlay, Indicating a Video to Play](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CommBank-Teacher-TN.jpg "CommBank-Teacher-TN | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/give-me-two-pens-and-a-second-cricket-ball-and-we-might-get-to-the-moon/) CommBank Teacher Awards ### [A pen, a ball, and an idea that goes a long way](https://smetana.net/give-me-two-pens-and-a-second-cricket-ball-and-we-might-get-to-the-moon/) [![Australian Navy](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-01.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Navy-01 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/a-stills-campaign-shot-around-australia/) Australian Defence Force ### [A stills campaign shot around Australia](https://smetana.net/a-stills-campaign-shot-around-australia/) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MONK8966_Audi_Q8_02.jpg "Audi | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/presence-over-polish/) Automotive Photography ### [Presence over polish](https://smetana.net/presence-over-polish/) [![a Smiling Child Under a Wooden Table Sharing Fries from a Yellow Bowl with a Golden Retriever Beside Him Outdoors.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/McCain-TN.jpg "McCain-TN | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/if-it-feels-set-up-its-already-lost/) Real moments for McCain, not served up ### [If it feels set up, it’s already lost](https://smetana.net/if-it-feels-set-up-its-already-lost/) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no15-scaled.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/titled-navigable-body-of-water-this-photographic-series-explores-the-waterways-of-ku-ring-gai-chase-national-park-a-landscape-thats-deceptively-difficult-to-photograph-well/) Navigable Body of Water ### [This photographic series explores the waterways of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, a landscape that’s deceptively difficult to photograph](https://smetana.net/titled-navigable-body-of-water-this-photographic-series-explores-the-waterways-of-ku-ring-gai-chase-national-park-a-landscape-thats-deceptively-difficult-to-photograph-well/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-1-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/working-across-multiple-film-and-stills-campaigns-sharpens-that-understanding-and-pushes-the-work-further/) Getting to know a client makes the work better ### [Working across multiple film and stills campaigns sharpens that understanding and pushes the work further](https://smetana.net/working-across-multiple-film-and-stills-campaigns-sharpens-that-understanding-and-pushes-the-work-further/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/seppelt-wines-a-stills-and-film-campaign-inside-the-original-underground-cellars/) Seriously Splendid ### [Seppelt Wines, a stills and film campaign inside the original underground cellars](https://smetana.net/seppelt-wines-a-stills-and-film-campaign-inside-the-original-underground-cellars/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/light-weight-without-consequence/) FLYING BOULDERS ### [Light Weight Without consequence](https://smetana.net/light-weight-without-consequence/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-AUDEMARS-PIGUET-hero.jpg "Screenshot | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/an-integrated-piece-built-between-real-and-ai/) Audemars Piguet ### [An integrated piece built between real and AI](https://smetana.net/an-integrated-piece-built-between-real-and-ai/) [![Person in a White Blazer Holds a Purple Fluffy Stuffed Dog Close and Pouts Playfully at the Camera.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WomanDog.jpg "WomanDog | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/performance-presence-character/) PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY ### [Performance, presence, character](https://smetana.net/performance-presence-character/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Speeding-Press.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Speeding-Press | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/building-a-massive-crash-scene-in-the-middle-of-the-night/) TAC Speeding. Wrong choice. ### [Building a massive crash scene in the middle of the night](https://smetana.net/building-a-massive-crash-scene-in-the-middle-of-the-night/) [![Bright Billboard Featuring Excited Football Fans in Yellow Jerseys, Raising Fists; the Ad Reads'Feel it all in 90 minutes' with Coca‑Cola branding nearby.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/long-version.jpg "long version | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/one-frame-does-all-the-talking-always-great-to-be-brought-in-on-a-strong-idea/) Feel it all in 90 minutes ### [Photographed for Coca-Cola and the iconic Kings Cross billboard](https://smetana.net/one-frame-does-all-the-talking-always-great-to-be-brought-in-on-a-strong-idea/) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3.jpg "Smetana_Flint_Deepal-3 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/where-ai-meets-the-real-world-in-high-res/) DEEPAL, THE HYBRID APPROACH ### [Where AI meets the real world](https://smetana.net/where-ai-meets-the-real-world-in-high-res/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Beach-background-Shoes-scaled.jpg "Beach-background-+-Shoes | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/this-campaign-is-a-study-in-combining-photography-landscape-and-ai/) Concept Store ### [A study in combining photography, landscape, and AI](https://smetana.net/this-campaign-is-a-study-in-combining-photography-landscape-and-ai/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Narrellan-Pool-Thubnail-scaled.jpg "Screenshot | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/you-with-a-pool/) YOU. YOU WITH A POOL ### [A playful integrated campaign for Narellan Pools film, and stills](https://smetana.net/you-with-a-pool/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/palmers-thumbnail-scaled.jpg "Screenshot | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/there-was-a-push-towards-heavy-vfx-but-we-chose-to-build-it-for-real/) Palmers ### [There was a push towards heavy VFX, but we chose to build it for real](https://smetana.net/there-was-a-push-towards-heavy-vfx-but-we-chose-to-build-it-for-real/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AAMI_thubnail.jpg "AAMI_thubnail | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/one-frame-does-all-the-talking-always-great-to-be-brought-in-on-a-strong-idea-duplicate/) Photography ### [One frame does all the talking. Always great to be brought in on a strong idea](https://smetana.net/one-frame-does-all-the-talking-always-great-to-be-brought-in-on-a-strong-idea-duplicate/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/StandardChartered-thumbnail.jpg "StandardChartered thumbnail | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/photographed-in-hong-kong-adapted-for-different-markets/) Standard Chartered ### [Photographed in Hong Kong, adapted for different markets](https://smetana.net/photographed-in-hong-kong-adapted-for-different-markets/) [![Video Thumbnail of a Person in a White Futuristic Armor Suit Against a Purple Background with the Word'LAYERS' repeated; centered play button overlays the image.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Content-TN-scaled.jpg "Content-TN | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/branded-content/) Real moments, built with clarity, speed and craft. ### [BRANDED CONTENT](https://smetana.net/branded-content/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-SES-FINAL-Hero-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-SES-FINAL-Hero-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/a-real-moment-built-in-camera-not-constructed-for-ses/) Finding the right tone for SES ### [A real moment, built in camera](https://smetana.net/a-real-moment-built-in-camera-not-constructed-for-ses/) [![Lifeguard Lookout Tower Tilting in Rough Seas with Cresting Dark Waves and a Gray Cloudy Sky; the Orange-and-white Structure Leans Against the Surf.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Conceptional-TN.jpg "Conceptional-TN | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/conceptual-photography-with-scale/) Conceptional Photography ### [Photography can communicate incredibly fast](https://smetana.net/conceptual-photography-with-scale/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ober-Oserterreichische-thumbnail-scaled.jpg "Screenshot | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/chasing-the-sun/) Oberösterreichische Versicherung ### [Chasing the sun](https://smetana.net/chasing-the-sun/) [![Close-up of a Human Eye with a Play Button Overlay, Indicating a Video to Play](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CommBank-Teacher-TN.jpg "CommBank-Teacher-TN | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/give-me-two-pens-and-a-second-cricket-ball-and-we-might-get-to-the-moon/) CommBank Teacher Awards ### [A pen, a ball, and an idea that goes a long way](https://smetana.net/give-me-two-pens-and-a-second-cricket-ball-and-we-might-get-to-the-moon/) [![Australian Navy](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Andreas-Smetana-Navy-01.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Navy-01 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/a-stills-campaign-shot-around-australia/) Australian Defence Force ### [A stills campaign shot around Australia](https://smetana.net/a-stills-campaign-shot-around-australia/) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MONK8966_Audi_Q8_02.jpg "Audi | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/presence-over-polish/) Automotive Photography ### [Presence over polish](https://smetana.net/presence-over-polish/) [![a Smiling Child Under a Wooden Table Sharing Fries from a Yellow Bowl with a Golden Retriever Beside Him Outdoors.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/McCain-TN.jpg "McCain-TN | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/if-it-feels-set-up-its-already-lost/) Real moments for McCain, not served up ### [If it feels set up, it’s already lost](https://smetana.net/if-it-feels-set-up-its-already-lost/) [![](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Navigable-Body-of-Water_no15-scaled.jpg "Navigable Body of Water | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/titled-navigable-body-of-water-this-photographic-series-explores-the-waterways-of-ku-ring-gai-chase-national-park-a-landscape-thats-deceptively-difficult-to-photograph-well/) Navigable Body of Water ### [This photographic series explores the waterways of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, a landscape that’s deceptively difficult to photograph](https://smetana.net/titled-navigable-body-of-water-this-photographic-series-explores-the-waterways-of-ku-ring-gai-chase-national-park-a-landscape-thats-deceptively-difficult-to-photograph-well/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-1-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Woolworths-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/working-across-multiple-film-and-stills-campaigns-sharpens-that-understanding-and-pushes-the-work-further/) Getting to know a client makes the work better ### [Working across multiple film and stills campaigns sharpens that understanding and pushes the work further](https://smetana.net/working-across-multiple-film-and-stills-campaigns-sharpens-that-understanding-and-pushes-the-work-further/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Seppelt-Wines-2026-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/seppelt-wines-a-stills-and-film-campaign-inside-the-original-underground-cellars/) Seriously Splendid ### [Seppelt Wines, a stills and film campaign inside the original underground cellars](https://smetana.net/seppelt-wines-a-stills-and-film-campaign-inside-the-original-underground-cellars/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-1.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Flying-Boulders-1 | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/light-weight-without-consequence/) FLYING BOULDERS ### [Light Weight Without consequence](https://smetana.net/light-weight-without-consequence/) [![Andreas Smetana | Commercial Photographer & Director Sydney](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andreas-Smetana-AUDEMARS-PIGUET-hero.jpg "Screenshot | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/an-integrated-piece-built-between-real-and-ai/) Audemars Piguet ### [An integrated piece built between real and AI](https://smetana.net/an-integrated-piece-built-between-real-and-ai/) [![Person in a White Blazer Holds a Purple Fluffy Stuffed Dog Close and Pouts Playfully at the Camera.](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WomanDog.jpg "WomanDog | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/performance-presence-character/) PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY ### [Performance, presence, character](https://smetana.net/performance-presence-character/) --- ### [Contact](https://smetana.net/contact/) **Published:** April 20, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Content:** [![Andreas Smetana](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Andreas-Smetana-Black-White-scaled-uai-2560x1920.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Black-&-White | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Andreas-Smetana-Black-White-scaled.jpg) **CONTACT** Andreas Smetana [+61 412 031 749]() Rachel Henderson [+61 417 215 886]() **Production – Flint** Petra Valent [+61 416 315 718]() Belle Oliva [+61 414 082 336]() **Representation USA** Patrick Casey [+1 917 5353757]() [wearecasey.com](http://www.wearecasey.com/) --- ### [Film](https://smetana.net/film/) **Published:** April 20, 2026 **Author:** Sunny **Content:** ### Narellan Pools ### Oberösterreichische Versicherung ### Palmers [Loading…](https://smetana.net/wp-cron.php/?doing_wp_cron=1786443190.8361101150512695312500&upage=2) --- ### [About](https://smetana.net/about/) **Published:** October 4, 2020 **Author:** Sunny **Content:** [![Andreas Smetana](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Andreas-Smetana-Black-White-scaled-uai-2560x1920.jpg "Andreas-Smetana-Black-&-White | Andreas Smetana")](https://smetana.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Andreas-Smetana-Black-White-scaled.jpg) **ABOUT** I’m a photographer, director and DOP, working across commercial campaigns for the last 25 years. What keeps me interested is the whole process. The idea, the conversation, the people, the pressure, the craft, and the work that hopefully sticks. I like getting under the skin of a brief. Talking it through, pulling it apart, pushing it visually, and finding an edge or a tone that makes it feel specific. I try hard not to have a fixed style. For me, it’s about finding the right tone and flavour for each job. I move between stills and film, large technical productions, performance-driven work, casting, studio and location, as well as smaller projects. Frankly, I just love working. I started out in Austria with a small studio in Innsbruck, shooting mostly tourism and some advertising work. I moved to Australia in my mid-twenties and, to be honest, I’ve never really done anything else, aside from being a husband, a father, and a sailor. Arriving with limited English taught me to listen. Some might disagree. That stayed with me. It shaped a way of working that is focused, considered, and grounded in understanding what a project is trying to say before I put a camera on it. I’ve always been drawn to new technologies and embraced them along the way. But more than ever, in a world flooded with images, I believe work only holds if it feels real. It needs a sense of weight, honesty, and authenticity. At the end of the day, I believe clients are buying taste. I was also a founder of Flint, a production company that shaped a big part of my working life. --- ## Categories ### [Photography](https://smetana.net/category/photography/) --- ### [Film](https://smetana.net/category/film/) --- ### [AI](https://smetana.net/category/ai/) ---