art medium. The process involves photographing a sequence of still images of live models, layering them and printing them beneath a ribbed plastic lens that reveals the full animation within, causing figures to move with the viewer and creating effects of uncanny depth and presence. His work investigates themes of beauty, desire, and identity.
His photographs are held in collections including the National Portrait Gallery, and his book of portraits, Persona, was published in 2004. His lenticular series have been shown in solo and group exhibitions internationally, including two acclaimed solo shows in London. His subjects have included Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Helena Bonham Carter, Dame Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Zadie Smith, and Lily Allen, among many others. On the commercial side, his clients have included Apple, Nike, and Reebok, and his work has appeared in publications including Vogue, i-D, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and Tatler.
Santini hails from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, where he first picked up a camera at the age of thirteen using his mother's old Agfa camera. He trained at Harrogate College before completing a BA (Hons) in Photography and Communication at the London College of Communication, where he developed as a reportage photographer with a voyeuristic sensibility and a fascination with what he calls "moments in-between." His early career was built in the music industry, where his portraiture style generated significant demand, before expanding into fashion and advertising. He is now based in London.