Brooklyn-based photographer Jeremy Liebman is the kind of photographer who flits easily between meaty editorial projects for magazines such as Appartamento, New York magazine, Vanity Fair and the New Yorker, and can also tackle big commercial briefs for the likes of Apple, Nike, Prada, BMW and Wedgwood. His style is punchy and full of contrasts, and he has the ability to convey and capture the real personality of any subject. 

When the pandemic hit, advertisers paused upcoming shoots and editorial budgets hung in the balance, meaning Liebman suddenly had no commissions coming in. Rather than dwell on what can’t be controlled, Liebman embraced the opportunity to work on some personal projects as well as a lockdown-led video collaboration started by KesselsKramer. 

With this extra time, the photographer also found time to reflect on his place in the industry and how, even as someone who works freelance, he could take on more responsibility for others. For Liebman this starts with the stories he’s telling, and ensuring the publishers and brands he’s working with are also acknowledging their responsibility. 

Here, he discusses what shoots are looking like right now in a time of social distancing, the role the creative industry has in dismantling inequality and why he feels like true collaboration might be the way we can move forward.