Julian Hanford is an artist & photographer based in London, UK. He works increasingly internationally.

He specialises in portraiture with a conceptual twist – people and ideas, more often than not combined.

He spent the greater part of his career in advertising as a Creative Director and Commercials Film Director, later deciding to apply his thinking and craft skills to art and photography.

He shoots regularly for UK magazines and advertising clients and is working on an ambitious personal project, 'Assorted Nuts', capturing creative images of some of the most outstanding creative people in UK advertising from the part 50 years.

20 of these images were recently showcased in a special exhibition at D&AD's 50th anniversary awards in September 2012.

The main exhibition and book launch are scheduled for late 2013.

Here's what top creative people are saying about him...

"Julian is rapidly becoming the Annie Leibovitz of advertising" - Flo Heiss, Executive Creative Director, Dare.

"I briefed Julian and he came back with a picture the was ten times better than the brief. Name another photographer you get that from?" - Dave Trott, Executive Creative Director, CST Advertising

"Julian listens closely to you, and then you listen closely to him. Because Jules doesn't just work with good ideas, he has them." - Al Young, Executive Creative Director, St. Lukes

"I've been lucky to work with some of the best photographers in the world. So far as I can see, Julian is up there with them." - Tony Brignull, Former Creative Director BMP/CDP and D&AD's most awarded copywriter of all time.

"Julian is a lifeforce of his own" - Rosie Arnold, 2012 President of D&AD and Executive Creative Director, BBH

"Wow, Amazeballs!" - Simon Waterfall, Creative Director and Founder, Fray