About
Thomas Adriaan Morel (born 1988) is a Dutch professional photographer, who lives in Norway. Born and raised in the beautiful city of Den Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch), he moved to a small town called Feios in the Norwegian fjord landscape in 2004. Thomas has studied sports until he was 18, and soon started to combine his interest for sports and the human ability to defy gravity with his visual passion and aesthetic feeling for photography. Without education or factual knowledge about photography, he quickly started working on ad-campaigns for different clothing brands like Puma, Helly Hansen, Umbro, Skogstad and Nike.
Winning many competitions and awards, he first became a semifinalist at the age of 19 in the Hasselblad Masters Awards in 2010. In 2016, Thomas was selected as a finalist in the same prestigious Hasselblad Masters Awards. Thomas started traveling around the world, seeking for the moments that would inspire him to realize his vision. Working like this to create his signature style, he collaborated with companies and brands like Maui Theatre, NYC ballet, Norsk Opera and International Olympic Committee.
Soon he developed from being a commercial photographer to becoming trusted partner for many public and private decoration projects, both delivering existing work and work shot especially by the clients request towards a specific theme.
Now, Thomas works with both small local projects and more complicated international projects. As an art photographer, he also works a lot around the world on projects he chooses himself to supplement his portfolio. He is also very active holding lectures and demos about his style of work around the world.
”We engaged Thomas Morel to work with two hotel projects for Rica Hotels. Thomas delivers tailor-made art photography, and has delivered astonishing work for both projects. Thomas pushes the boundaries for what is possible, and delivers a unique result.” - Jan Erik Rivelsrud, CEO Rica hotels.
Thomas Adriaan Morel
A short impression of Thomas' passion.
As a former gymnast, speed and movement and, particularly, the moment that was too rapid for the human eye to register, fascinated him. He determined that this would be the focus of his work, and he concentrated on teaching himself the skills he needed to master high-speed work.
“While I was still at school I created a business plan to persuade the bank manager that photography was my future,” he says. “At the time I had no training, no equipment and no references, just a burning passion. When I reached 18 I got a loan and went and invested in my first Hasselblad, an H3DII-31, and a full complement of broncolor studio lighting.”
Not only was the H3D the perfect camera for stopping action, but it also delivered files packed with awesome quality, allowing the full impact of Thomas’ amazing images to shine through. “I didn’t want to risk shooting a really great image only to be frustrated by poor technical quality,” he says.
Remarkably Thomas captures his shots through the speed of his reactions rather than by relying on a trigger to fire his shutter. He locks up the mirror on his camera and then can expect an almost instantaneous response when he presses the shutter. The ability to see through the lens is lost, but with the Hasselblad on a tripod and focused on the point of interest, it’s just a case of waiting for the moment and being quick enough to react.
"The extraordinary portfolio of images Thomas has created is testament to his skill at mastering the difficult art of timing and it’s allowed him to forge a reputation for himself as one of the most original and eye-catching photographers working today." - Terry Hope, editor at Hasselblad International
One of the art-pieces at Lustrabadet. Printed on UV-protected aluminium to cope with the demanding air environment of a public pool.
“We engaged Thomas Morel in the complete decoration of Lustrabadet. The venue is designed with a lot of grey concrete walls, and our goal was to decorate these with a selection of action-filled imagery with lots of movement. We used water and the local nature as main elements, and the results are astonishing. We have received so much positive feedback on our artwork!
Thomas was a pleasure to work with. He boils over with ideas and engagement, and doesn’t quit until the result is perfect. We strongly recommend him to all who are looking for something extraordinary and a genuine «eyecatcher».” - Nina Gudevang, CEO Lustrabadet.