If you’ve come this far on my site, welcome!

My name is Calvin Kertzman. I’m an editorial photographer and visual storyteller working across Los Angeles and New York.

I spent much of my youth in the Philippines, a childhood filled with awe, imagination, and a steady diet of films, television, and pop culture. Those early influences shaped the way I see the world and ultimately led me to pursue visual storytelling professionally through both still photography and motion.

I’m drawn to stories that feel human, whether they unfold in a single portrait or across an entire narrative project.

My work is driven by curiosity and a desire to find meaning in moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. Rather than chasing perfection, I look for authenticity, the expressions, details, and emotions that reveal something genuine beneath the surface.

Cinema remains one of my greatest influences.

I’m fascinated by atmosphere, character, and the ability of an image to suggest a story larger than itself. Through photography, I aim to create work that feels cinematic, emotionally resonant, and rich with narrative possibility, images that invite viewers to wonder what happened before the frame and what might happen after it.

Whether I'm photographing artists, brands, or everyday people, my goal is always the same: to create images that connect.

The best photographs don't just capture a moment: they leave room for imagination, memory, and discovery. That's the kind of work I strive to make.