Eric Schwabel is a commercial photographer who was born and raised in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. He currently lives and works in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, where he opened his studio in 2005. Schwabel has shot over a dozen covers and ad campaigns for Pepsi, TiVo and MTV, His subjects include actors, musicians, executives, philanthropists, athletes and random freaks.

Schwabel has exhibited his work in solo and group exhibitions in New York, Minneapolis and Los Angeles, and his work is held in private collections throughout North America, Asia, Africa and Europe. He has been published in a handful of books – Night Visions (Gmünder / 2008) Male Nude Next (Rizzoli / 2008), Undressed to Thrill (Blue, 2006), and is currently in production on two solo books of new work to be published in 2009. The first encompasses Schwabel’s fashion, editorial and personal work and will be published by Gmünder Deutschland. The second is a collection of portraits and interviews in collaboration with the Los Angeles Stage Alliance.

Schwabel’s career began at the age of 16 as a studio hand at Macy’s Advertising studio, learning how to operate a large format view camera and focus on technical skills and lighting. At age 18, Schwabel moved to New York to study photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Schwabel also studied at SPEOS Photographic Institute of Paris, eventually receiving his BFA in Applied Photographic Illustration from RIT in 2003.

Schwabel’s first publication came during college in the Australian art magazine Blue, also featuring an in-depth interview with the photographer. Following graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. In 2005, he opened Schwabel Studio in Venice Beach to return his focus to studio work. In 2007 the studio was expanded. Schwabel, now 28, still resides in Venice Beach. He will be teaching a five week workshop through SOCAPA (School of Cinematography and Performing Arts) in summer of 2008.

Online at schwabelstudio.com