Guide for photographers & videographers who just moved to Israel
Also useful for makeup artists, stylists, and anyone in a creative field. Everything below took more than four years to collect — from where to find work to which studios are worth your shekels.
About the author
Photographer, videographer and marketer in Israel.
Names
- NVIDIA
- Dior
- AstraZeneca
- H&M
- Ministry of Sport and Culture
- ANU Museum
- Jewish Agency
- MASA
- Victoria Ogai
- Inbar Kfir
- BIG Fashion
- Galia Lahav
- Dror Kontento
- Sheva Studio
- Maye Musk
- Maria Sharapova
- Carla Bruni
- Kendy Bushvel (Sex and the City)
- Natalia Vodianova
- Tatiana Kim (Wildberries)
- Renata Litvinova
- Anna Radchenko
- Michael Herbert (LA)
Where to find work as a photographer in Israel
90% of these sites are in Hebrew — but you're probably already studying it in ulpan, so treat this as practice. Install the "IRIS" app and let's go.
Facebook groups
There are several Facebook groups where people look for and offer work. One issue: prices are often very low compared to what you might be used to charging back home. Build a personal brand, and never mention that you found work through these groups.
Instagram Target & Google Ads
Effectiveness depends heavily on your offer and targeting. Almost no one searches for photographers on Google anymore — in my experience it's not the most effective channel. Instagram works much better since clients see your portfolio right away and don't need to give up personal data to contact you.
Second shooter (freelance)
Weddings in Israel can have 500 guests — not unusual — and those shoots need documentary-style second photographers. Day rate runs 1000–1500 ILS for unedited work, with no right to publish it anywhere. Good for building connections here, but you'll need a car (rentals work fine).
Advertising with bloggers
Working with bloggers — even small ones with charisma — can lead to useful connections, as long as you present your work as a bonus/gift rather than a free product. My own experience here has mostly been negative, but yours might be a success story.
Israeli freelance exchanges
Most Israeli freelance platforms exist mainly because Israelis want people who understand Hebrew. Prices should, in theory, be higher than an equivalent English-language platform like Fiverr, where sellers often come from lower cost-of-living countries.
Photo studios in Israel
Until fairly recently it was hard to find a studio for just 2–3 hours — most photographers rented theirs out for half or full days, at 1500–2000 ILS. Lately, more studios rent by the hour. Studios here are small, mostly built around GODOX flashes, and listed prices usually exclude 17% VAT (called Ma'am locally). Roughly 90% of studios are owned by photographers themselves, who treat having one as an edge over other studios rather than a profit center in itself — so budget 500–2500 ILS extra on top of your shoot day if you're renting from a colleague.
How can a photographer promote their services in Israel?
Your main goal is word-of-mouth that keeps promoting you on its own.
Where to buy & sell photo gear in Israel
It's usually cheaper to buy gear in your home country or in Dubai — but if you do have to buy locally, here are the links. Get a backup camera in case yours breaks: repairs (like most services in Israel) aren't cheap, and I still wouldn't risk fixing something here myself.
Israel's classifieds marketplace — Yad2.co.il
If you don't know Hebrew, this is your excuse to open a dictionary and learn 20 words — you'll already know a lot of the professional vocabulary. Where I started learning Hebrew: מצלמה · מחשב · חדש · מצב · עדשה.
New gear — Zap.co.il
A price-comparison site — useful for anything related to buying new equipment. Gear is also sold in Eilat (duty-free), but on your passport and ordered ahead for a set date and pickup city.
Camera shops in Tel Aviv
j-sale.co.il · erlich.co.il (with a photographer community and an annual sale day) · camera.co.il
Facebook gear-trading groups
Pishpeshuk (general flea market) · Sony Alpha Israel · Fujifilm X Israel · Canon Israel · Nikon Israel
Where to find TFP collaborations (שיתוף פעולה)
The best way to get noticed is to start collaborating with local peers as soon as you arrive. Below are Facebook groups where you can find people for TFP projects — unpaid, non-commercial shoots traded for portfolio images (locally called "shituf peula," שיתוף פעולה). In my experience it's far more effective to reach out directly than to post — these groups tend to attract a fairly specific crowd with dated taste. Better to look for people on Instagram. Search hashtags like #צלם #אופנה #צילום #דוגמניות #צלםתלאביב #איפור.
Israeli magazines
There aren't many magazines in Israel — here's every one I've found. Happy to grow this list.
Online fashion magazines in Hebrew
Added a few more after a fresh search — the three marked "NEW" below.
Job portals for photographers in Israel
You can often find photographer and videographer listings here, alongside everything else — including Israel's answer to a general job board.
Waiting tables
Always the backup plan when work is slow for photographers — and it can pay surprisingly well at first :)
Useful events in Tel Aviv for photographers
Tel Aviv Fashion Week
Runs March 16–19.
Bridal Fashion Week
Takes place in February.
PHOTO IS:REAL
A community with an annual exhibition — photoisrael.org/en
Beinisrael events
Russian-speaking community led by photographer Leah Geldman — beinisrael.com
Tel Aviv Market
A market where you can meet designers worth creating content for.
Israeli Photography Convention
Annual photographer meetup, tickets from 150 ILS — photox.co.il
Batsheva Dance Company
One of the world's leading contemporary dance companies, based at the Suzanne Dellal Centre — batsheva.co.il
Vertigo Dance Company
Contemporary dance company with a studio in Jerusalem and an eco-art village at Kibbutz Netiv HaLamed-Heh — vertigo.org.il
Rabinovich Foundation — Israel Cinema Project
Israel's largest film fund, based in Tel Aviv and backed in part by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality — rabinovichfoundation.org.il
Tel Aviv Cinematheque
Israel's first art-house cinema, since 1973 — festivals, premieres and the local Doc Aviv festival · 2 Sprinzak St · cinema.co.il
Tel Aviv bars worth networking at
Half of Tel Aviv's creative industry meetings happen over a drink with a view, not in an office. These are the rooftops where you'll actually run into other photographers, stylists and producers.
Galleries worth visiting
Small, growing list — add more galleries here as you find them, following the same card pattern.
Zur Gallery
Model agencies in Israel
Israeli model agencies — links to the top agencies. The first one won't even answer email; Instagram might work better for you :)
Best Israeli fashion brands to follow
From bridal couture houses that dress Paris runways to the everyday chains you'll see in every mall — a mix of labels worth following if you're shooting fashion in Israel, cross-checked against each brand's current website and Instagram account.
Good luck, colleagues
Follow along — let's collaborate!
Renting photo & video gear in Israel
Mostly big houses offering film/video production gear — but they usually carry photo equipment too.
iCinema Spot
Good, inexpensive rental in Holon · Timna 3, Holon · tel: 0536071616
Glickson
We rent from here most often · Yosef Boxenbaum St 3, Tel Aviv · tel: 03-687-2015
Utopia
Used by Israeli brands and large productions · Nirim St 10, Tel Aviv · tel: 03-6888989
Rushes
Student discounts for Tel Aviv University — we get one via Shutter Studio · Sderot HaHaskala 5, Tel Aviv · tel: 03-6244341
lens4rent.biz
Huge selection; the owner answers on WhatsApp and you can haggle a bit · Malki Tsedek St 17, Ramat Gan · tel: 054-6218121
Yugend
Solomon 24, Tel Aviv
fitussi.co.il
8 David Hachmi St, Tel Aviv · tel: 03-5616105 · info@fitussi.co.il
jonibarzvi.com
WhatsApp: +972-546730716 · HaBanim 9, Ramat Gan
Stylist & makeup courses in Israel
The best move is getting involved in person with the local stylist and makeup community. I honestly don't know many places, but here are a couple — one for Hebrew speakers, one for Russian speakers.
Valeria Ov
A professional foundational course, taught in Russian and English, for hair stylists who want to start working in Israel and internationally: commercial hairstyling, fashion.
Photography courses in Tel Aviv
Again, the best place to be is inside the photographer community, in person — here are two starting points, one Hebrew, one Russian.
Ron Kedmi
Fashion photo & video courses in Tel Aviv, taught by photographer Ron Kedmi.
MSTUDIO
Russian-speaking photo school attached to the studio, for beginners — masterclasses also happen here from time to time.
Well-known models of Israel
A handful of faces from this list are on every billboard — the local washing-machine ad, the local Zara, watches, glasses, swimwear. That's local marketing for you: bold, colorful, and everywhere.
Fashion photographers & videographers of Israel
Fashion stylists in Israel
Stylists worth reaching out to for a collaboration.
Hila Gerby
A top-tier stylist who only works with top-tier photographers, MUAs and models. Not easy to get to directly, but worth meeting through the people she already works with. Fair warning: most people mention she has a difficult reputation.
Simon Elmalem
Fashion consultant and creative director of his own brand.
Eva Stark
Max Holden
Julia Bush
Nick Scheerbart
Bloggers & content creators worth knowing
Content creators and designers worth reaching out to for collaborations.
Guide by Anton Mislawsky
Photographer & videographer in Dubai, Tel Aviv, Tenerife, Lisbon and Porto.
