About Illumination

Illumination is a multi-disciplinary commercial photography studio in Minneapolis focused primarily on commercial and advertising photography services to clients worldwide. We also direct and produce video and are known for our creative environmental portraiture.

We’re not only photographers and producers, we’re fundamentally focused on photography’s role in positioning and presentation for effective marketing. In short, we know how to shoot for the modern marketplace.

Having extensive experience in design and marketing foundations, we regularly work with creative agencies, art directors, and in-house Marcom professionals to ensure the visual media we craft is aligned with the vision. We understand the marketing and brand photography game well because we were created by (are an independent part of) the Illumination Agency, a Brand Marketing & Communications firm also created by our founder, Allen Luke.

The Studio

Produces high-quality visual media, on brand, with the essence delivered beautifully and strategically

Golden symbol logo for Illumination

The Agency

Conceives effective brand marketing strategy, focused on clarifying and aligning the intent and art direction
Serving Clients Large & Small... Near & Far...

Meet Our Founder

Allen Luke, is a creative polymath and often described as a bit of an enigma. Everyone who meets him can sense his passion for creative exploration, which threads through his ventures and adventures. Allen’s journey through photography hasn’t been in any one area. Life has dealt him a wide variety of unique opportunities to challenge and expand his competency, and has been what he calls his “passport to the world.”

Allen advises on and practices alchemy in multiple areas of creative commerce. Aside from the brand marketing arm of the Illumination business, he may secretly admit that it was often his desire to pursue other avenues, but as much as he tried, photography always kept whispering, showing up, and pulling him back to this path.

Upon re-alignment and surrender, the dots started connecting as he found a deeper discovery into the parallels of photography and life. Photographic principles such as shifting the focus, positioning, presentation, angles of approach, and maintaining a clear lens of perception all correlate with the keys of great living. After taking a 3-year reflective “pause” on a deeper dive into the metaphysical understanding of light, esoteric symbology, and the ancient art of alchemy, he now travels and teaches photography as philosophy.

Clients trust Allen as their producer and director for his balance of knowledge and fluid ability. Perhaps his true talent is somewhere between creative vision, an ability to see the big picture, and the ability to convey the essence and intent symbolically… swiftly, and effectively.

In this current phase, Allen’s new body of work focuses on environmental portrait photography through his travels. This artistic exploration centers around human behavior and intention, mostly in the aspect of identity and all its symbolic presentations (consciously and unconsciously). Photographic prints and his personal art are available on LukeStudios.com.

Allen Luke

Producer ∴ Photographer ∴ Principal

“Photography is one way to exercise my creative play. It's full of beautiful teachings and incredibly deep discoveries and has opened unseen doors throughout this world and beyond. I'm an alchemist. I create brands, businesses and generative chemistry. I bring alignment to people, concepts, and situations. Photography offers the conceptual play that brings the vision to see beyond the unseen, and provides a pathway to bring it into our reality.”

Erika Parra

Producer ∴ Latin America & Europe

Erika is as powerful in front of the camera as she is running the show. Leveraging her background as a TV host for Bolivia’s largest television network and producer for multiple shows in South America and Spain, she takes the lead on all Spanish-speaking projects. 

Erika is a brilliant communications strategist and knows how to make the show move. She understands the many needs and uses of modern media and makes sure all needs are covered in our productions. 

Erika thoroughly enjoys teaching and creating authentic connection in her interviews. She has a knack for making everyone around her comfortable and extracting the purity of the message in a natural manner. 

Other Team Members + Associates

We have an in-house team of project managers, photo editors and video editors dedicated to our projects and missions.

In addition, we’re well-connected. We host a collection of enthusiastic allies, and often enlist other photographers for their specialty, as assistants and/or second shooters. We love creative collaborations and leveraging our connections.

Photography is a delicate balance of both a creative and technical art, so we strive to find the right fit on each project. Some of our partners have stronger skills in areas such as specialty lighting, architecture, large venues, planning and facilitation, etc. Our goal is to assemble the correct team of talent for your project, and our collaborative nature encourages multiple perspectives to provide you an enhanced selection of photography to work with.

Alignment + Intention = Great Results

Your project may need specific photos, yet we always strive to discover unseen angles and deliver greater advantage… to be delighted with the little surprises along the way.
Why Choose ILLUMINATION?

Our thorough, principled approach is what sets us apart. It unleashes our collective creativity. But there’s so much more if you want to dive deeper… Read our Company Values and learn about our Key Advantages.

Reviews + Awards + Testimonials
We’ve built our reputation on swift, intuitive creative vision and are determined to exceed your expectations. Hear what clients and associates have said about working with us on our Reviews page. We’ll also link you to our profiles around the web with public ratings and reviews.
Logos of Luke Studios and Illumination for rebranding announcement

Formerly Luke Studios: About our Re-Branding

We’ve re-branded our studio to align with our brand marketing agency’s offering. Illumination was formerly Luke Studios for over 15 years.

This re-brand is reflective of a realignment will bring a greater focus on a few key areas of our service offering:

1) Our Advertising Photography Services are expanding as we focus more on the conceptual and artistic aspects of the process.

2) Many of our current shoots are “Hybrid” Photography AND Videography shoots. The modern media marketplace demands it and we’re meeting the need.

3) We’re seasoned travelers, and an increasing number of on-location requests have required us to be more nimble, become more fluid, and travel lighter doing more with less. Our International Travel Photography Services offering has been evolved and refined to include additional package options for video and talent. This enables us to deliver our great photography and videography services worldwide.

We operate under yet autonomously from our brand marketing agency’s offering. But our true talent falls somewhere between our creative vision, an ability to see the big picture, and the ability to convey the essence and intent symbolically… swiftly and effectively.

Complex Demands Require Skillful Solutions

For our commercial clients, we specialize in creating photographs of products that effectively engage the audience, and ultimately sell. 

We have a large, comfortable studio with a garage for easy access of loading props, set pieces, etc. This versatile space is easily converted into almost any type of environment, and we work with some of the most talented artists in the Midwest. 

Our art is a systematic approach to achieving established objectives.

Published All Over The Planet

Since our inception in 2004, we have served hundreds of companies and individuals throughout the North America and Asia, across a wide spectrum of industries and personal interests. 

Over the past decade, our photos have been featured in numerous publications and marketing materials throughout the world.

We’re equipped, experienced and available to work in almost any location.

Creativity + Connection + Comfort

We create unique images that illustrate beauty while changing your point of view and are guaranteed to exceed your expectations. 

We can make such a promise because of our attention to detail and intrinsic creativity, evidenced by the history of results we have produced. 

We aspire to shoot in exceptional locations and compose from unique perspectives to offer you an unparalleled experience.

Vision + Versatility + Variety

We’re that rare photography studio that practices in both the Commercial and Travel Lifestyle markets. We like it that way as we’re able to find synergies in all we do. 

While the industry standard advice is to specialize, we find value in collaboration and elect to specialize in the creative process.  

We balance left-brain systematic approaches to photography with the unbridled freedom the right brain thrives in.