Rob Culpepper — Photography

The Quilters of Gee’s Bend. This is a quilt by Cathey Mooney and is currently on display at the American Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale. The project was directed by @stephenburksmanmade with fabric from @dedarmilano. I with y’all could hear Cathey humming the gospel while she worked. I’m grateful to have been able to capture such a rich collaboration.

The Quilters of Gee’s Bend. This is Lua Ida McCloud on her front porch in Boykin, AL. The American Pavilion at the Venice Bienniale is all about The Porch as a place of gathering, welcoming, and, in the case of these women, quilting. #venicebiennale #uspavilion2025 #geesbend

The Quilters of Gee’s Bend. This is Mary Margaret Pettway working the edge of her quilt in the dogtrot at the old Gee’s Bend ferry port. The image above in the third photo is credited to Edith Morgan, circa 1900 (thanks to @carynorton and @jaredragland for the detective work). Mary Margaret’s quilt is currently on display at the American Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale of Architecture. #venicebiennale #uspavilion2025 #geesbend

The Quilters of Gee’s Bend. This is Dorris Pettway’s quilt, also made with Dedar fabric and in collaboration with Stephen Burks Man Made. The second frame is Dorris, working on her quilt at the Gee’s Bend museum which is located in the old ferry port. This quilt is currently on display at the American Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale of Architecture. #venicebiennale #uspavilion2025 #geesbend

The Quilters of Gee’s Bend. This is Tinnie Pettway, the matriarch of the Gee’s Bend Quilters. I photographed her at home in Boykin, AL as she finished this quilt, which is currently on display at the American Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale of Architecture.

The Quilters of Gee’s Bend. This is Stella Pettway and Pleasent Scott of Boykin, AL, and this quilt was a collaboration between the quilters, Stephen Burks Man Made, and Italian fabric maker Dedar. The quilt is part of the American Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale of Architecture, on display through November. #venicebiennale #uspavilion #geesbend

This year I photographed a beautiful renovation for @interradesignarchitecture. Page turned this 1966 Ranch home into what you see here: a fabulously detailed haven for a modern family.

Architecture: @interradesignarchitecture
GC: @forgebham
Millwork: @darkhorsewoodworks
Styling: @studiofoxxdesigns
Photography: @robculpepper_

This year I photographed a beautiful renovation for @interradesignarchitecture. Page turned this 1966 Ranch home into what you see here: a fabulously detailed haven for a modern family.

Architecture: @interradesignarchitecture
GC: @forgebham
Millwork: @darkhorsewoodworks
Styling: @studiofoxxdesigns
Photography: @robculpepper_

One more favorite from my @gardenandgun photo shoot with Whitley Esteban of @studiotreprojects . What you don’t see in this photo is how much WORK went into getting this garden ready for this ONE picture (hat tip to Whitley’s mom). And then the sun dropped right into place, I pressed the shutter, and we were off to the next one. (Okay, I pressed the shutter a bunch of times, but you know what I mean.)

This shoot was such a tight collaboration between me, Whitley, and @lindsfleege —who was the ultimate utility player all day. Lindsay’s eye and her sense of what the magazine wanted were essential. And of course, Whitley opened up her home, helped me move all her furniture around, and carried her surfboard back and forth across the garden until 💫 . Thank you! 🙏🏼

Whitley in her home office, an outtake for @gardenandgun. I don’t know what to say except that I love when architects design by hand, as she does. “It always starts with pencil and paper.”

I’m delighted to have photographed architect Whitley Esteban (of @studiotreprojects) and her charming home in Pensacola for the April/May issue of @gardenandgun magazine. The story is on their website under Home & Garden and on newsstands everywhere!

Small Towns Campaign for T-Mobile.

Max and Alex are two brothers from Nashville who play music together and, for this day, were in our photo shoot. One of the reasons I love working with folks who have their thing and just happen to be in an ad campaign is that once they finish setting up their instruments, they can play an impromptu show! I have heard of photographers hiring a DJ to set the tone on set for pro athletes and celebrities. But a live rock band? Come on!

Revolution Pictures—also from Nashville—did a bang-up job producing this campaign. We had crew from Nashville, Atlanta, New York, Birmingham, and places in between. REVO pulled all these folks together into a unit, which was no small feat. They are the best: Randy, Tameron, Kristen, Colton, and Jay. @revorandy, @bnabrowneyedgirl, @kristenouellette, @mcoltoncomeaux, @jayputnam_ THANK YOU.

Client: T-Mobile
Agency: Razorfish
Creative Director: @amandamearsh
Sr. Art Director: Ryan Harvey
Sr. Agency Producer: @jlynnjohnston
Production: @callusrevo
Executive Producer: @revorandy
Line Producer: @markforlenza
Producer: @anotherdougsmith
Production Manager: Tim Murphy
Production Coordinator: Ruth Greer
Digitech: @rayhardyphoto
Gaffer: @jonchampion / @championlighting
Key Grip: @mikefalco_
Art: Jeremy Stafford
Props: Gray Stafford
HMU: Linda Thacker
Wardrobe: @kimperrettstylist
Locations: @emnapier
Talent: Max and Alex Hoffman

Small Towns Campaign for T-Mobile.

Last year I had the pleasure to photograph a campaign for T-Mobile as part of their focus on small towns and rural America. It was a 2-day project with a large crew, multiple locations, and many moving parts. It was right in my wheelhouse, but the scale was a level up from anything I had shot before. This was such a team effort, and so many people worked really hard to make the shoot a success. Thank y’all.

Client: @tmobile
Agency: @razorfish
Creative Director: @amandamearsh
Sr. Art Director: Ryan Harvey
Sr. Agency Producer: @jlynnjohnston
Production: @callusrevo
Executive Producer: @revorandy
Line Producer: @markforlenza / @anotherdougsmith
Production Manager: Tim Murphy
Production Coordinator: Ruth Greer
Digitech: @rayhardyphoto
Gaffer: @jonchampion / @championlighting
Key Grip: @mikefalco_
Art: Jeremy Stafford
Props: Gray Stafford
HMU: Linda Thacker
Wardrobe: @kimperrettstylist
Locations: @emnapier
Talent: Kimberly, Johnna, Melanie, Allen, Caleb, and Josiah
Extras: You know who you are

Product Photography for Google Fiber

Original art by Odette. Everything else by @theglimmertrain and @magiccityshannon.

Client: Google Fiber
Agency: Big Communications
CD: Shannon Harris
Account Executive: Julia Meyer
Producer: Kristin Dober
Props/Styling/Magic: Ande Fanning Brown
Photographer: Rob Culpepper

Product Photography for Google Fiber

My sweet spot these days is light that feels unlit but has a little +1 where it counts. This project was a great fit for that because you can light a product as a perfect piece of sculpture, but in the end it’s got a cord and a cable, and it’s going to sit on your shelf and deliver fast, wireless internet. It looks good up there, so let it!

Client: Google Fiber
Agency: Big Communications
CD: Shannon Harris
Account Executive: Julia Meyer
Producer: Kristin Dober
Props/Styling/Magic: Ande Fanning Brown
Photographer: Rob Culpepper