Daniel Shea's portfolio expertly balances fine art and first-rate commercial work

Photographer Daniel Shea’s fine art approach has managed to win him that highly sought-after balance of creative respect and commercial success. Based in New York, not only are his photographs regularly exhibited, but his clean approach to editorial commissions continues to bring him a never-ending steam of accomplished work for publications as varied as Fantastic Man, Rolling Stone and Time.

Whether it’s portraits of Patti Smith, Douglas Coupland, Jamie xx, or even Barack Obama, or landscapes, hackneyed cityscapes and fly-on-the-wall looks at urbanites, there is a softness to Daniel’s image-making that often feels instantaneous and yet faraway at the same time. A man who shows you can do it all – and do it all well – he even collaborated with Pentagram on the rebrand of Blue Wolf Capital, and his recent book project published last year looks at the fictitious Rust Belt city of Blisner in Illinois, documenting the lives of working people.