Morgan Ellis

I grew up on the coast of Maine, where the light changes completely between 6 a.m. and noon. I have been trying to understand that phenomenon ever since — first through painting, then through film photography, then through the strange discipline of waiting, which is what photography really is.

I studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, then spent three years as a photo assistant in New York and Paris before going independent in 2010. My work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Le Monde, National Geographic, Time, and Wallpaper*. I work on personal projects continuously and take a small number of editorial and commercial commissions each year.

My approach to both commission and personal work is the same: unhurried attention. I prefer situations with available light. I believe in making fewer photographs, more carefully. I am not interested in the definitive image — I am interested in the image that opens the question.

I am based in Brooklyn, New York. I speak English and workable French. I travel for editorial assignments and personal projects throughout the year.