When did you first feel like, “This is it. This is the work I want to be known for”?

Years ago, I was part of an online portrait coaching group that held monthly competitions. I started experimenting more creatively with both shooting and post-production, and one month the organizer simply replied to my entry: “That’s it. Stop the contest. We have a winner.”That reaction from photographers I respected was a big moment for me. Around the same time, I revisited the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and realized many of the visual ideas I was moving toward already existed in Renaissance portraiture. It made me understand how deeply those influences had shaped my work.

Which part of the process is your favorite, and why?

I honestly don’t have a favorite part because portrait photography suits my personality so perfectly.I love the collaborative chaos of being in the studio with another person, where neither of us fully knows where the session will end up. But I equally love the solitude of post-production: headphones on, completely immersed in reviewing, refining, and color grading images.The shooting side is very outward-facing and social because you have to be fully present with another person. The editing side taps into a different part of my brain entirely: deep focus, experimentation, and total immersion. I need both sides equally.

What’s been quietly (or loudly) fueling your creative spark of late?

Lately, I’ve been thinking more about photography’s role in society, especially in reaction to AI-generated sameness and the growing value of authenticity.I’ve also become more intentional about photographing people from underrepresented groups and people connected to causes I genuinely believe in. That’s reminded me that photography isn’t just decorative. It can support people, ideas, and communities.More than anything, I’m interested in photography as something that shapes culture rather than simply documenting it.

Name the unsung hero in your Affinity workflow.

Blend ranges are the unsung hero of my workflow. I love the fact that they’re essentially another curve interface because they let me control precisely how an effect behaves across different tonal ranges.I also rely a lot on batch processing and macros. Before I start editing, I run files through a batch setup that automatically builds the layer structure I use most often. It saves time and creates consistency.The live previews on filters are brilliant because they allow me to experiment without committing too early. In post-production, I often want to sketch ideas quickly first and refine decisions later.

Is there an Affinity trick you always end up sharing?

It probably comes as no surprise that I always end up recommending blend ranges.When an adjustment feels too strong, most people instinctively reduce the opacity. But blend ranges give you much more sophisticated control because you can target specific tonal ranges within the image. For example, you might want an effect to remain strong in the highlights while fading naturally out of the shadows.I also save my color grades as LUTs, both for reuse and inspiration. But I never treat LUTs as finished looks. They’re starting points. I’ll apply them at full strength, then reshape them using blend ranges, opacity, and blend modes until something more personal emerges.

Ivan Weiss

Photographer

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United Kingdom

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Pro Panel

Ivan Weiss is a portrait photographer based in central London, specializing in portraiture for clients across the arts, entertainment, business, design, architecture, and politics. Working independently from his studio, he intentionally keeps his practice small and personal, overseeing every stage of the process himself, from photography and post-processing to client communication and marketing. Drawn to portraiture for its balance of human connection and the more solitary process of post-production, Ivan brings thoughtful collaboration and a meticulous approach to image-making together to create portraits with technical precision, personality, and depth.

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Creative work

An exploration of how light can shape perception in portraiture→

Photography

Portrait photography

Balancing movement and composition through carefully controlled light→

Photography

Portrait photography

A portrait built around subtle expression and a restrained color palette→

Photography

Portrait photography

Monochrome portraiture guided by geometry, light, and tone→

Photography

Portrait photography

Authentic expression revealed through conversation and observation→

Photography

Portrait photography

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"Affinity feels aligned with my own ethos as a creative professional. The software, and the people behind it, seem genuinely focused on helping artists make better work rather than trapping them inside an ecosystem. That mindset comes through in both the design of the software and the experience of using it."

Q&A

Years ago, I was part of an online portrait coaching group that held monthly competitions. I started experimenting more creatively with both shooting and post-production, and one month the organizer simply replied to my entry: “That’s it. Stop the contest. We have a winner.”
That reaction from photographers I respected was a big moment for me. Around the same time, I revisited the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and realized many of the visual ideas I was moving toward already existed in Renaissance portraiture. It made me understand how deeply those influences had shaped my work.
I honestly don’t have a favorite part because portrait photography suits my personality so perfectly.
I love the collaborative chaos of being in the studio with another person, where neither of us fully knows where the session will end up. But I equally love the solitude of post-production: headphones on, completely immersed in reviewing, refining, and color grading images.
The shooting side is very outward-facing and social because you have to be fully present with another person. The editing side taps into a different part of my brain entirely: deep focus, experimentation, and total immersion. I need both sides equally.
Lately, I’ve been thinking more about photography’s role in society, especially in reaction to AI-generated sameness and the growing value of authenticity.
I’ve also become more intentional about photographing people from underrepresented groups and people connected to causes I genuinely believe in. That’s reminded me that photography isn’t just decorative. It can support people, ideas, and communities.
More than anything, I’m interested in photography as something that shapes culture rather than simply documenting it.
Blend ranges⁠(opens in a new tab or window) are the unsung hero of my workflow. I love the fact that they’re essentially another curve interface because they let me control precisely how an effect behaves across different tonal ranges.
I also rely a lot on batch processing and macros. Before I start editing, I run files through a batch setup that automatically builds the layer structure I use most often. It saves time and creates consistency.
The live previews on filters⁠(opens in a new tab or window) are brilliant because they allow me to experiment without committing too early. In post-production, I often want to sketch ideas quickly first and refine decisions later.
It probably comes as no surprise that I always end up recommending blend ranges.
When an adjustment feels too strong, most people instinctively reduce the opacity. But blend ranges give you much more sophisticated control because you can target specific tonal ranges within the image. For example, you might want an effect to remain strong in the highlights while fading naturally out of the shadows.
I also save my color grades as LUTs, both for reuse and inspiration. But I never treat LUTs as finished looks. They’re starting points. I’ll apply them at full strength, then reshape them using blend ranges, opacity, and blend modes until something more personal emerges.