"All my life I've loved art," says Mor Tzidon, a bold, imaginative and artistic studio photographer based in Tel Aviv, Israel. "I loved to paint, I loved to sculpt and at the age of 13 my uncle bought me a red Canon EOS 1100D. I photographed everything I could. I loved capturing moments; I loved looking for interesting angles; I loved finding creative compositions. From then on, I always carried my camera with me."
Fusing her twin passions of art and photography, Mor breathes life into her shoots with a flamboyant, vivacious and unapologetically audacious style that has captivated the likes of Israel's top magazines La'Isha and Pnai Plus. "Along the way some customers tried to 'normalise' me," she reveals. "There were things I did that were less common, and some clients wanted me to shoot in a more 'traditional' style – against smoother backgrounds or with softer colours, for example. But I always listened to my inner voice, and it paid off in the end."
ART
Mor Tzidon
Just like her unique brand of photography with its signature cohesive elements, colour theory concepts and emotive lighting, Mor's journey to success has been anything but typical. "Over the course of five years of shooting as a hobby, I put together a photography portfolio, and with it secured a rare photography role in the military," she says. Mor's responsibilities included capturing images for social media and the military's official newspaper. She also gained a qualification at the country's leading photography school. "Upon my release from the military, I took various courses in studio practices and lighting, but my best teacher was experimentation. I spent countless hours and days just experimenting and learning from my mistakes, which led to constant improvement."
Specialist areas: Artistic studio photography
Favourite kit: Canon EOS R5
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L USM (now succeeded by the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM)
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Before long, Mor started her own photography business, opening a studio in her mother's living room. "The biggest challenge was finding an audience for what I do," she recalls. "In the beginning, I didn't know who the audience would be for the concepts I had in mind, especially the more artistic aspects. I went for a very specific niche that doesn't suit everyone. But I believed the audience would eventually come."
Even with minimal equipment and a DIY setup, clients did indeed come, and less than a year later, Mor was able to move to a proper studio, which she shared with two others. "That's where I flourished, grew, and learned even more, and after two hard years of work, I opened my own studio, which has been like a dream come true."
Mor's style has proven popular with an array of clients and audiences, including advertising agencies, magazines, TV networks, singers, celebrities, and businesses who are willing to think outside the box. "What I realised along the way is that, more than anything, people want to invest in outstanding photos," she says. "In the era of social media, one eye-catching image can be worth a lot of money. I believe that what makes a photographer unique is their personality. After all, there is only one of you. When you try to be someone else, it never turns out the same. That's why I put my soul into every image I shoot."
What sets your style apart?
"I really love the small details, the twists. I love it when people can look at my photo for a long time and still discover all sorts of things that they didn't notice at first glance. Many people tell me they can identify a photo I took just by the attention to detail and colour, and that excites me a lot."
What's been your most memorable shoot?
"My grandmother told me that her biggest wish was to have her picture taken by me. She's hated being photographed her entire life and disliked how she looked in photos. Her dream was to have just one good picture that she loved. So, I decided to fulfil that dream. I brought in my best make-up artist and hairstylist, and I photographed her. I made sure to compliment her all the time so she would relax and feel confident. The photos turned out amazing. We both cried tears of joy, and she told me she had been waiting her whole life for this moment, to finally love herself in photos."
What do you know now that you wished you'd known at the start of your career?
"I know that you need to challenge yourself all the time. The most significant things that happened in my career happened because I took a leap of faith, despite being afraid. Whether it was opening my new studio, offering workshops or just being bold in my photography style, I've learned to always seek the next challenge."
What has been the highlight of your career achievements to date?
"A photo I took appeared in Eurovision, which is one of the biggest stages in the world. My photos have featured on TV, in magazines, on billboards, but Eurovision, for me, was a dream come true because I watch it every year, so it was a huge deal."
One thing I know
Mor Tzidon
"You can't be driven by fear or do what everyone else does. After all, if I had been a 'regular' photographer, there would have been a million other photographers just like me. My style may not suit everyone – only bold clients choose me – but those who do are fans and willing to pay a higher price because they want me and my style, no one else. So be yourself and there will be people who love what you do."
Instagram: @mortzidon
TikTok: @mortzi
Mor Tzidon's kitbag
The key kit that the pros use to take their photographs
Cameras
Canon EOS R5
Capable of powering out 45MP photos at up to 20fps means Mor never misses the shot. "I like this body so much," says Mor. "It's lightweight but produces images at a very high-quality resolution. Also, the autofocus is amazing and helps me to shoot quickly when my model moves around the studio."
Lenses
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L USM
Allowing photographers including Mor to switch effortlessly between wide-angle, standard and longer focal lengths, the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L USM is the perfect choice for fashion shoots. "I use this lens most of the time; it's very good for portraits but also for full body shots," she says. "I like working with it in the studio because of the zoom range."
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Handheld shooting isn't a problem for Mor when using this lens as it features built-in 4-stop image stabilisation resulting in a remarkable image clarity. "I love working with this lens on beauty portraits – the details it produces are incredible," says Mor. "Also, the macro gives me the ability to shoot and focus very close to the model and get very sharp and amazing images."
Accessories
Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R
This adapter allows EF and EF-S lenses to be used with the EOS R System cameras.
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