The Kid from Beverly Hills who emerges as a star among the celebrity photographers – Jake Cloobeck says 'my goal in my life is to have the most iconic photo of that person possible, truly immortalizing them in one photograph'.
He sees his work as an artistic documentation of the greats of his time. In his own words, Jake Cloobeck hones in on celebrities and fashion, because it's "capturing a time period of these actors and actresses, it's almost more like documenting. That's really what it is. It's documenting history - film, fashion - in my day and age." He is and embraces being that guy who shoots his actress and actor friends before they turn into superstars. "It's one of those things where you're rooting for them," he shared in a recent interview with CELEB. "I want to serve them because I want to be iconic for them. It's all for them, it's not for me."
If you are not familiar with his work, although you are likely to have seen it, the word that might describe the Los Angeles photographer's work best is 'timeless'. Cloobeck's photography skills are the result of a life-long study of the art. He was born in Las Vegas and raised by his surf-photographer mother, exposed to the simple and natural beauty of the Californian coastlines around Laguna beach. It still translates in his images, that appear so organic in their artistry. Although his open mind to experiment might be more aligned to his place of birth. Cloobeck claims that he fully concentrates on capturing the emotions and expressions of his models, something he can do since the craft has become second nature to him.
Flowers To His Inspirations
The young talent doesn't shy away from crediting others for the impact they have had on him: “I got where I am now through meeting a man named Tyler Shields who mentored me how to shoot film photography”. Cloobeck has his very own style, but surely receiving insights from an industry great like Shields can be a game changer on many levels.
Shooting exclusively in film, his quality stands out, especially among photographers of his age and generation. It takes honoring the art of photography and the skill of taking 'the perfect shot'. It is not surprising that Jake Cloobeck's approach is much more that of an artist than that of the service providing image taker, that has become the main theme during the times of digital content creation. Although always a huge hit on social media platforms such as Instagram, his work is not created for those. Much rather, it would find its right place on a coffee table along Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts, with timeless black and white captures of Hollywood's previous generations.
And that's why we aren't surprised to hear the young artist is actually working on a photography book. Don't be surprised if you find yourself in a European gallery one day, adoring one of the 'Beverly Hills kid's' full format prints.
The Secret Ingredient To A Successful Celebrity Photographer?
And still, despite the talent and skill set, his most underrated ingredient might actually be his personal relationships to the young stars of Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Being surrounded by talented artists, he is in the position to portray his friends before their rise to fame. Faces that have been in front of Cloobeck's lens include the cast of the next-gen HBO hit Euphoria and Marvel Studios, Ms Marvel.
It is surely a success for the art of film photography to see that generation Z also needs their own Helmut Newton, their Herb Ritts and their Mark Seliger. A role that Jake Cloobeck seems to be taking on, naturally, as if every step from his earliest encounter with photography prepared him for it.
The celebrity portrait photographer has achieved some incredible features at his young age, but it's quite clear we are seeing an artist that is only getting started when it comes to his full potential. There's no doubt he will be mentioned in the same breath with his mentors in a few years.
This article was written in cooperation with Jake Cloobeck