Drinks and spirits
Packshots, serves and bar atmosphere for spirits brands, from a single bottle to a campaign. Clients include Hennessy, Nikka, Jack Daniel’s, St-Germain, Cointreau and Monkey Shoulder.
Food, drinks and event photographer for London brands
I’m Ahoueke Hilaire, a French advertising photographer specialising in food, spirits and brand events. I have shot in London for Monkey Shoulder, been commissioned from London for the brand’s global gathering, and cover Paris for brands whose teams sit in London.
By Ahoueke Hilaire, an advertising photographer based in Marseille, producing since 2016 for Hennessy, Jack Daniel’s, Monkey Shoulder and St-Germain.
What I have actually shot for London
This page does not pretend I live in London. I am based in Marseille and work mostly in Paris. What it shows is the work London teams have already commissioned, published in full on this site.
On 10 June 2025, Monkey Shoulder took over Next Door Records, a record shop in Shepherd’s Bush, for its World Music Day. The commission came from Ryan Goodman, Global Content Creator at the brand. I shot the day on my own, from the bar being built to the doors opening, and five visuals were selected and ran on the brand’s social channels.
Three months later, the same London team commissioned me for Camp Monkey, the brand’s annual gathering of advocacy bartenders and ambassadors from around the world, held in Marseille on 3 and 4 September 2025: portraits of every attendee, bottle shots, the competition drinks, and the bar visits.
Brand events
Launches, brand nights, bartender competitions and pop-ups, photographed as they happen. In Paris: the [Hennessy Very Special Tour](/en/projects/hennessy-food-pairing-night-paris/), the [Nikka Perfect Serve international final](/en/projects/nikka-perfect-serve-2024-global-finals/) and [Jack Daniel’s Last Round](/en/projects/jack-daniels-last-round-bartender-competition/).
Food and hospitality
Restaurants, hotels and food brands, shot around the service rather than against it, with every image delivered in 16:9, 4:5, 1:1 and 9:16.
Shooting in London for a day
A one-day shoot in London means deciding everything before leaving. The kit is whatever travels, and a light left in France cannot be fetched once the doors open. So the recce happens remotely, from photographs of the venue, and the shot list is written and agreed before the day.
At Next Door Records, that meant planning for a room that was nothing like a studio: wood, record browsers, a shop window at the front and a red booth lamp at the back. The light was decided from the photos of the room, not discovered on the morning.
Paris for London teams
Many London brand and agency teams run activations in Paris. Paris is where I shoot most, two hours and a quarter from St Pancras by Eurostar, and travel within France is not charged. A London team can brief from London and have the Paris event covered by someone who already knows the bars, the venues and the way a Paris night runs.
The four Paris events published on the event photographer in Paris page are exactly that kind of commission: a brand, an agency, a venue and one night that cannot be shot twice.
Licensing, formats and quotes
A photograph is not sold, it is licensed for a defined use, duration and territory. For a UK or global campaign, territory and duration are set in the quote from the first exchange, so the images keep working when the campaign does.
Travel to London is quoted separately, transport and accommodation included, and stated as one line rather than spread across the day rate. Briefs are answered within 24 working hours, in English or French.
Events, photographed while they happened
London, Paris and Marseille, all in real conditions, with nothing restaged.
The London shoot, in full
Monkey Shoulder’s World Music Day at Next Door Records, Shepherd’s Bush, 10 June 2025: a record shop turned listening bar for a day, shot alone from set-up to opening, five visuals selected by the brand.
What clients say
Reviews published on Ahoueke Hilaire’s Google listing, reproduced here word for word.
J’ai eu l’occasion de collaborer avec Hilaire sur plusieurs projets différents et j’ai particulièrement apprécié son approche du métier. Au-delà de la qualité technique des photos, il sait réellement comprendre un plat, mettre en valeur les détails et retranscrire l’intention, l’humain. Les échanges sont simples, professionnels et agréables, avec une vraie capacité à s’adapter aux contraintes d’une cuisine professionnelle. Un travail précis, créatif et toujours réalisé avec beaucoup de sérieux. Je le recommande vivement pour tout projet de photographie culinaire.
Nous cherchions un photographe capable de shooter à la fois nos chambres, notre spa et la carte du restaurant sur trois jours, sans mobiliser une équipe entière. Hilaire est arrivé seul, a travaillé en lumière naturelle le matin et au flash pour les ambiances du soir, et nous a livré 180 images retouchées en dix jours. Nous les utilisons depuis sur notre site, nos réseaux et nos supports de vente
« Nous avions besoin de packshots et de visuels d'ambiance cocktail pour un lancement national. Hilaire a construit les recettes visuelles avec notre ambassadeur, géré les fonds, les glaçons, la condensation, tout ce qui fait qu'un cocktail tient à l'image. Les visuels sont partis en PLV et en digital sans retouche supplémentaire. »
Je recommande fortement Hilaire. Nous avions un enjeu de cohérence : cinq adresses, cinq styles photo différents. Hilaire a proposé une direction visuelle unique et l'a tenue d'un établissement à l'autre. Il comprend vite les contraintes d'un groupe, il est autonome sur place et il ne perturbe pas l'exploitation.
Nous souhaitions des Reels de préparation, pas seulement des photos. Hilaire filme et photographie sur la même session, ce qui nous évite de bloquer le bar deux fois. Les vidéos de verse au ralenti tournent encore un an après et on grandement contribué à la visibilité de l’établissement! Un prestataire fiable auquel nous ferons de nouveau appel sans la moindre reserve!
Nous sommes une petite affaire, on ne pouvait pas se permettre une production. Hilaire a proposé une demi-journée avec une sélection resserrée, au prix annoncé, sans extras surprises. C'était exactement le bon format pour nous.
J'ai été client d'Hilaire pour de la photographie culinaire, son talent et sa passion ont rendu grâce à nos plats ! Un véritable professionnel avec qui j'ai hâte de travailler à nouveau
Je recommande vivement! Hilaire est professionnel, disponible et à l’écoute. Il a su s’adapter à notre projet, budget et a fourni un travail irréprochable! 5*
Frequently asked, London
Are you based in London?
- No. I am based in Marseille and work mostly in Paris. I travel to London for shoots, and London teams also commission me for events in France, as Monkey Shoulder did for Camp Monkey.
Is travel to London charged?
- Yes, as a separate line on the quote, transport and accommodation included. Within France, including Paris, travel is not charged.
Do you work in English?
- Yes. Briefs, calls, shot lists and delivery can all run in English.
Can you cover a Paris event for a London agency?
- Yes, and it is the simplest case: the brief comes from London, the shoot happens in Paris with no travel fee, and images are delivered to the agency in every format agreed beforehand.
Can the images run in the UK and globally?
- Yes, when the licence covers it. Territory, duration and media are written into the quote, so a UK social campaign and a global out-of-home run are priced for what they are.
A shoot or an event for a London brand?
The brief form takes three minutes, in English: date, venue, what the images are for, where they will run and for how long. That is what allows a real quote rather than a range.