Featured R+R photoactive

For a photographer and a filmmaker like Dale Roth, staying creatively comfortable is not an option. His practice is driven by a constant desire to experiment, evolve and find new ways of seeing. From still photography to motion, his latest exploration—through r+r photoactive asks what happens when the visual language of cinematography is brought back into a single frame.

Formerly Roth and Ramberg, r+r photoactive marks the next chapter of Roth’s creative practice: a space built around collaboration, experimentation and work across disciplines. Roth and r+r photoactive are represented by AhHa Represents.

“We are creating a space where creative individuals can come together and produce truly exceptional work. Whether the medium is stills, video, graphics, sound or conceptual design, our ultimate goal is to make cool shit.”

Applied Arts spoke with Roth about his “controlled journalism” approach to photography, the influence of colour grading and cinematic composition, his ongoing curiosity about imperfection, and why pushing beyond what he already knows remains at the heart of his creative process.

People often ask Roth why he doesn’t display his own photographs on his walls. His answer says a lot about the way he approaches creativity.

“The simple truth is that I never want to settle or feel content, I am constantly pushing myself to improve, striving to evolve and elevate my work, and that’s what defines my creative thought process.”

That drive has increasingly taken him between still photography and filmmaking—and, more recently, back again.

Having transitioned from the instant look of photography into the moving world of video, I naturally leaned on my background in stills to inform my filmmaking, Roth explains. Things like composition, crafted lighting and searching for that moment—all things I rely on in my photography—I transitioned to moving subjects.

But the crossover raised another question: Could the process work in reverse? I began to wonder if the video world of LUTs and cinematic feelings could be used to create a single photograph.

Bringing Cinematography Back to the Still Image

To explore this concept, I spent an evening at the Calgary Stampede capturing the crowds and bright lights in a documentary style.

Rather than approaching the work with a conventional still-photography setup, he shot using an anamorphic cinema lens and brought professional colour-grading techniques into post-production. The result was a series of still images with a distinctly cinematic atmosphere.

The experiment is more than a personal exercise. Roth sees the approach as something that can eventually become part of his commercial and advertising work.

“The goal is to perfect this method and be prepared to use it in upcoming commercial and advertising campaigns.”

Right now, I am drawing inspiration from cinematography and colour grading. I am studying how elements like establishing shots, composition, colour, and lighting can transfer seamlessly between still photography and video. I like director David Finch’s take—Directing isn’t so much what you want to see—it’s all about limiting all the stuff you don’t want to see.

Controlled Journalism

I have always considered my artistic style to be "controlled journalism"—in other words, I craft the photo with lighting and composition but intentionally leave in small natural imperfections and randomness. By avoiding an overly polished look, I aim to capture more candid expressions and authentic moments.

The most challenging part in commercial photography these days is the demand to create more content with a variety of cropping formats, rather than taking a little time to create one beautiful image. “Leave room for copy”.

And then, of course, there is AI.

"The world is imperfect and that to me is beautiful and we should embrace it."

For Roth, those imperfections—the unpredictable gesture, expression or moment that escapes complete control—aren’t problems to be removed. They are often what makes an image worth looking at.

Who is your creative hero?

I think Vivian Maier is my latest photography hero. A nanny who enjoyed taking photos, and quite frankly, incredible photos. Never a professional, she only did it for fun, taking great documentary-style photos of the world around her. There’s a great documentary out there worth watching!

How has Applied Arts helped your career?

The Photography Annuals have been a great way to get our work in front of the creative community. Getting noticed is never easy, so having that kind of exposure really matters. We’ve even had new assignments come directly from people seeing our work in the Annuals.

What’s Next for r+r photoactive?

For Roth, the pursuit of a better image is less about arriving at a signature style than continuing to question it. Moving between stills and motion has opened up new ways of thinking about composition, light, colour and authenticity, while his embrace of imperfection offers a counterpoint to an increasingly polished, AI-driven visual landscape.

With R+R photoactive, that spirit of experimentation is expanding into a broader creative practice—one designed to bring different disciplines and perspectives together while leaving room for curiosity, experimentation and the unexpected.

The ambition, in Roth’s words, remains refreshingly straightforward:

Make cool shit.

R+R photoactive
W: r+rphotoactive.com  |  IG: @randrphotoactive  |  IN: @randrphotoactive  |  FB: @randrphotoactive

About AhHa Reps
AhHa Reps is a woman-owned commercial artists' agency representing an international roster of photographers and directors. Working with advertising agencies, design firms, and brands, AhHa connects clients with the right creative talent for projects in Canada and around the world,  and can provide production support to help bring every campaign to life.  W: ahharepresents.com  |  IG: @ahhareps