shaun fenn and the art of improvisation

As much as we love to tell ourselves that life is a series of controlled decisions (ones that always work in our favor), we know that it’s actually closer to a series of improvisations, that we hope will work in our favor. There is beauty in our unpredictable moments though-- they are what make life special, unique, real. Photographer Shaun Fenn’s latest work for Farmers Insurance achieves a kind of polished relatability that feels both sleek and spontaneous, crisp and unscripted.

In addition to his precise attention to details, creative and technical, Fenn also recognized the importance of incorporating a kind of improvisation into each shoot. “We start with an aggressive shot list based on general ideas. Once we have done our due diligence in pre production, we have created our starting point. From here we can explore and expand scenarios to create special moments with emotions, proping and light. Its magic time!

Rather than limit their time to a hard-and-fast shot list, Shaun’s approach allowed for a more natural unfolding of honest moments, ultimately creating an ideal body of images for a brand that interacts directly with the unplanned parts of our lives. His use of compositional perfection, precise lighting and meticulous fine-tunings elevate the images into an ownable series that feel honest, inspiring and accessible.

Client: Farmers Insurance

Agency: RPA

Art Director: Carlo Barreto

Senior Integrated Producer: Linda Hardwick