Tobias Meier (professionally known as 2b+photo) specializes in storytelling photography for fashion, beauty, and advertising. His works, easily piquing the viewer’s interest, often reference and play with a surrealist and pop-art feel. Noted for its vibrant saturated colour, precise composition and elaborately styled set design, Tobias sets out to create beautiful eye candy with a goal of flooding the viewer’s eyes with a sea of interesting details.
His dedication to the technical art of photography is equally matched by his appreciation for creative direction and overseeing the full process from start to finish. Tobias first sketches his thoughts and further expands on his creative process before transferring a one-to-one image in front of his camera.
Ultimately, Tobias’ work as a photographer expands far beyond just taking a photograph – and that’s just how he likes it. The challenges of preparing for shoots are all part of what drives him as a photographer, and certainly as a creative director. “I also design and build the sets.” He shares with a smile. His hands-on approach includes building and creating props from scratch and sourcing materials for specific sets, amidst various other challenges. “Although I don’t have a formal background in carpentry, the large and complex set pieces I have built for shoots have turned out very well and often much sturdier than required or anticipated. I’m quite good at doing research and guessing what materials are required to best achieve the aesthetic elements desired, however sometimes this comes down to simply testing or trial and error.”
The unforeseen challenges of being a photographer.
With designing and planning, then sourcing props, models and locations, there is a lot to do before Tobias even gets in front of the camera. Realising such highly aspirational creative direction often calls for a certain amount of tenacity, as much as it calls for imagination.
One particular story comes to Tobias’ mind:
“I had the idea of a cargo airplane making a ‘Fashion Delivery.’ I jumped on the phone and started calling around to find an ideal, fully functional and accessible cargo plane I could use. I assumed to find a functional one would be the hardest part, but it turned out that access for our crew would be the most challenging. I called every possible place in North America from the East to West Coast that had one.
I repeatedly was told ‘no one can come closer than two meters.’ I didn’t give up and finally found not only the exact type I was looking for, but we also got full access to go inside and everything.
It was fully functional as well allowing for the cargo doors to fully open and more. The owner even arranged to close down the whole airfield for the shoot.”
A lot of things cannot be predicted until the actual shoot day as well. For example, the day of the shoot for ‘Nomad’ was the day I learned that artificial snow on top of vinyl surfaces will be surprisingly slippery!
Tobias Meier, 2b+photo
2b+photo: A multi-medium mogul.
Tobias Meier’s creative pathway started in the mid-1990s when he began drawing on the computer. Soon enough, he became fascinated by computer graphic images. Self-taught, he started working with 3D to create his own narrative worlds. Even with the urge to tell a moving story, Tobias had the most interest in the composition and lighting of the narrative itself. This talent led him to work on digital lighting of Hollywood feature films.
While working in feature films he also focused on digital (matte) paintings of environments and concepts, working closely with the director’s vision while being part of the creative process. Throughout all of this, his interest in a single frame or a series of frames became stronger, eventually evolving his focus to lie solely on being a photographer and creative director.
Understanding the relationship between art and its audience.
Tobias has a Master of Arts from the University of Portsmouth, UK, where he focussed on the analysis and acquisition of the creative and technical process of film, as well as the electronic and computer-based audiovisual media of moving images, based on a comprehensive examination of the history and theory of time-based media. This understanding of film’s history and its relationship within the wider creative industry is supplemented by a principle which still heavily influences the images he creates. The theory? “The ongoing investigation of transmitter and receiver principle and the communication in both directions.” Tobias explains.
“In other words, the relationship between the artist, the artwork, and the viewer is a complex one, and it is constantly evolving. The reception theory is a framework that examines how the audience perceives and interprets art. The theory suggests that the meaning of a work of art is not fixed, but rather it is created through the interaction between the artwork and the viewer.”
The audience can affect art in many ways, from influencing the artist’s creative choices to determining the value of the artwork. The viewer’s interpretation of the artwork is influenced by their own experiences, values, and cultural background.
It leaves the question: how and in which way are the artist’s intentions still important, or even relevant?
Tobias Meier, 2b+photo
The importance of balance
Overall, maintaining the balance between the technical side and soulful creative direction is an ongoing and complex process. It is a mix of what set pieces to lay before his camera, consideration for their lighting and composition, before adding in a model who, along with her attire, requires further consideration. The ultimate goal of capturing all of this perfectly continues to drive Tobias Meier further with each shoot.
Achieving the right colours and rich saturation in front of the camera is an important factor for me. I want to make photos the viewer can get lost in, with details that draw them in and make them stare.
Tobias Meier, 2b+photo
Unsurprisingly, Tobias’ photographic work has gained over 150 awards, been showcased in international exhibitions, and is a part of permanent museum collections. He shows no signs of slowing down.
Interested in seeing more? His work is available for purchase on Artsy.net or check out the links below.
