Hi, I'm Yigit Gunel. I'm a Creative Director/Producer and photographer with 15+ years of experience crafting visual narratives across commercial and editorial projects. I lead studios, production, and campaigns for brands, publishers, and startups, delivering the right balance of creative vision and practical execution. I excel at lighting, composition, and storytelling, delivering high-quality visuals on tight timelines and budgets. I collaborate with agencies and clients to build strong teams, nurture creative communities, and push for innovative solutions across photography, motion, and design. _Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup_

Yigit Gunel

Hi, I'm Yigit Gunel. I'm a Creative Director/Producer and photographer with 15+ years of experience crafting visual narratives across commercial and editorial projects. I lead studios, production, and campaigns for brands, publishers, and startups, delivering the right balance of creative vision and practical execution. I excel at lighting, composition, and storytelling, delivering high-quality visuals on tight timelines and budgets. I collaborate with agencies and clients to build strong teams, nurture creative communities, and push for innovative solutions across photography, motion, and design. _Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup_

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Yigit Gunel. I’m a Creative Director/Producer and photographer with 15+ years of experience crafting visual narratives across commercial and editorial projects. I lead studios, production, and campaigns for brands, publishers, and startups, delivering the right balance of creative vision and practical execution.

I excel at lighting, composition, and storytelling, delivering high-quality visuals on tight timelines and budgets. I collaborate with agencies and clients to build strong teams, nurture creative communities, and push for innovative solutions across photography, motion, and design.

Website not available. Sign in: https://www.twine.net/signup

See more

Language

Turkish
Fluent
English
Fluent
Spanish; Castilian
Beginner

Work Experience

Founder, Creative Director/Producer at Cult Studio
June 1, 2023 - Present
Managing a full-service rental photo studio for photographers, filmmakers and content creators; providing creative direction and production services for client projects as well as own shoots; studio management including budgeting, equipment management and booking/billing systems with 75% efficiency; organizing monthly creative meet-ups supporting creatives' mental health with talks and events (avg. 20 attendees per session); shooting and editing weekly videos, BTS videos, motion graphics and design elements for social media studio marketing; increased monthly marketing revenue by 78% through events; achieved 75% studio utilization and secured 20+ new clients in the first year.
Company Director at YG Studio Ltd
June 1, 2017 - June 1, 2023
Generated £180K in revenue through creative services for 200+ clients across photography, graphic design, and motion graphics; creative direction for brands and promoters with arena concert organizations and magazines; designed and animated logos for multiple clients; produced and edited 200+ music promo videos for MyTicket and Kilimanjaro Live, boosting client social engagement; maintained a 90% client retention rate and drove efficient project delivery (avg 4 days).
Creative Director & Photographer, Videographer at Buzzbar
August 1, 2019 - January 1, 2023
Managed annual photography and video production budget, delivering 96 projects on time and under budget; art directed product shots, headshots, lookbooks, and campaigns; prepared studio lighting setups and high-end retouching for startup photography needs; maintained image libraries and archives; produced shoots for Greenwich University's OOH branding, executing campaigns that increased student engagement.
Company Director & Photographer at YG Studio | Mushroom Design
April 1, 2008 - June 1, 2017
Grew the studio from a startup to serving 60+ clients with 70% year-over-year revenue growth; specialized in editorial and commercial photography for major agencies; shot Vodafone campaigns and brand book images for EU/global usage; produced celebrity and portrait sessions for GQ and Skylife; published in 20+ publications; delivered Vodafone campaigns increasing brand awareness; designed logos, books, and album covers; collaborated on EU Culture Capital event posters and a design exhibition.
Designer / Creative Retoucher / Art Director at Nihat Odabası Studio
September 1, 2006 - August 1, 2007
Provided creative direction and assets for photography shoots for Elle, Marie Claire, and Harper’s Bazaar editorials; designed layouts for monthly magazines; created brand identity for Nihat Odabasi; managed and organized archive with over 500,000 images and prepared two portfolios for client pitches.
Graphic Designer at Republica Adv
September 1, 2005 - August 1, 2006
Graphic design for print and online regional and national advertisement campaigns; brand logos and print design for hotels, brands, musicians, and telecom companies; print posters and flyers for mass production (1,000,000+ materials).

Education

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at Istanbul Bilgi University
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026
Bachelor's Degree in Journalism at Anatolian University
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026

Qualifications

Sales Negotiation
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026
Head and Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026
Artist Development Programme with London Creative Network & FourCorners
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026
Explore Filmmaking: From Script to Screen, NFTS
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026
Werner Herzog Masterclass
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026
David Mamet Scriptwriting Masterclass
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026
Andrea Belluso Studio Lighting Workshop
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026
Alex Webb Documentary Photography Workshop
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026
Ken Light Documentary Photography Workshop
January 11, 2030 - April 14, 2026

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Professional Services, Education