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The Masons

Director, Photographer

The Masons – Maruska & Donna-Marie Mason – are a London based photography and film duo.

Maruska and Donna-Marie are partners in life and also partners in creativity. Their work captures complexity of characters and real emotion in a dramatic and bold style. Inspired by people who break boundaries and are not afraid to lead the change, they explore diversity and equality in a timeless style with an edge, always pushing and allowing for their subject’s personality and story to shine through.

The Masons are particularly well known for excellent photography and treatment of skin and challenging outdated notions with honest, empowering, and positive representations of different cultures. The Masons’ skill sets are honed from photography, advertising and Film & TV backgrounds. 

Their clients and published work include Also Journal, BBC, Bloomsbury, Different Eyewear, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, High Spirit, Jo Malone, Marie Claire, Manito, Nataal, Rolling Stone, Simon & Schuster, Space NK, The Macallan, The New York Times, Uptown Yardie, Vogue, WWD.

www.meetthemasons.co.uk

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  • Latest News

    Boys By Girls

    For the Boys By Girls story The Soul of the Savanna.
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  • Latest News

    AfroStyle Magazine - Sunday Best

    Sunday best, the April cover story for AfroStyle Magazine.
    View story
  • Latest News

    Elle - Nontobeko

    Nontobeko for Elle Magazine's February Issue.
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  • Latest News

    Sandro

    For the luxury fashion house Sandro and featured on Vogue Italia. 
    View story
  • Latest News

    M&C Saatchi x Max's Foundation - Stolen Hearts

    The duo produced this series of images inspired by the stolen hearts theme. 
    View story
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The Masons

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@themasonsofficial
Super excited to be represented by @makingpicturessoho! Overjoyed to be amongst a collective of super talented creatives and to be managed by a fierce and nurturing team. Thank-you to everyone who has helped us on our journey so far - here’s to the future! #makingpicturessoho #themasons @themasonsofficial
Boyhood @boysbygirls.. We shot this story early this year in Cape Town - we felt it was important then and we feel it’s important now & always to challenge outdated notions with honest, empowering, and positive representation of different cultures. . This story is about shining the light on the hope & spirit of the youth of today, about standing together, innocence, companionship regardless of race, social backgrounds and norms. . Photography & Film // The Masons @themasonsofficial Styling and Creative Direction// Mikhailia Petersen @mikhailiapetersen Models // Francois Potgieter @123francois123 @ My Friend Ned @myfriendned Sandile Kaunda @thami.sk Grooming // Inga Hewett @ingahewett Styling Assistant// Kyle Strydom @kylestrydom_ Special thanks @rchardortega @gmarco.fer87 . . . . #melaninking #blacklivesmatter #equality #revolution #timeforchange #boyhoood #boysbygirls #southafrica #capetown #themasonsphotography #shotbythemasons @themasonsofficial
Boyhood @boysbygirls.. We shot this story early this year in Cape Town - we felt it was important then and we feel it’s important now & always to challenge outdated notions with honest, empowering, and positive representation of different cultures. . This story is about shining the light on the hope & spirit of the youth of today, about standing together, innocence, companionship regardless of race, social backgrounds and norms. . Photography & Film // The Masons @themasonsofficial Styling and Creative Direction// Mikhailia Petersen @mikhailiapetersen Models // Francois Potgieter @123francois123 @ My Friend Ned @myfriendned Sandile Kaunda @thami.sk Grooming // Inga Hewett @ingahewett Styling Assistant// Kyle Strydom @kylestrydom_ Special thanks @rchardortega @gmarco.fer87 . . . . #melaninking #blacklivesmatter #equality #revolution #timeforchange #boyhoood #boysbygirls #southafrica #capetown #themasonsphotography #shotbythemasons @themasonsofficial
Our work has always been about celebrating diversity and using our voice as photographers and directors to challenge outdated notions with honest, empowering, and positive representations of different cultures. . We’ve always seen is it as our responsibility to push for representation of black people across everything we do. To do justice to the beauty of black skin when doing the lighting, to challenge and educate our clients and help navigate them towards diverse casting and messaging, importantly to hire diverse crew and very importantly to work with the crew that understand black culture, black skin and black hair, and is able to do justice to black beauty whilst being creative with it. . From challenging publications not to push back black story because a white celebrity story just got in, to calling out campaigns for spreading the community unity message but using all white casting and crew.. the list really goes on. We now see many of these very same industry people, brands and publications posting black squares and black lives matter messages - which is absolutely great!..But please, make these actions beyond social posts - it’s about bloody time! . Learn & educate yourself, research, donate, stand together, make conscious decisions to be that change, use your platforms and your powers to speak up, question your actions before you make them & move with honesty! - ask yourself again and again, am I really playing my part wherever and whenever I can? . Black Lives Matter and this one is on all of us! #blacklivesmatter @themasonsofficial
We as individuals must call out racism EVERY single time we see or feel it. We MUST be that CHANGE we want to see. We MUST do something EVERYDAY towards changing the system, be it big or small. We MUST TALK OPENLY and honestly to one another without judgement. It’s going to be uncomfortable conversations, but hey, black & brown people have been feeling UNCOMFORTABLE EVERY SINGLE DAY OF OUR LIVES! From me Donna-Marie Mason: To MY people🖤 WE have been CONDITIONED for centuries, we have been SYSTEMICALLY BROKEN, LIED to and USED. It’s time for us to start dealing with the trauma from our ancestors AND the continued trauma from what we CONTINUE to see on a daily basis that we/I am HATED for the colour of my skin. We are walking around TRAUMATISED. WE NEED TO START TALKING...WE HAVE to RISE UP, START LOVING & HEALING ourselves in TOGETHERNESS. This world called Earth is OURS TOO!..& there is so much BEAUTY on earth that we deserve to experience, WE deserve to be HAPPY, it’s our BIRTHRIGHT! We are BRAVE, we are BEAUTIFUL, we are MAGIC. We just need to come together as a tribe and start talking. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be long & won’t be easy. However it’s the only way FORWARD. We are learning to be better and do better. From me Maruska Mason: to us White people - it’s time for us to really step out of our white privilege & use our white privilege. Its time for us to PULL UP & join in in this UPRISING..TOGETHER! Let’s continue to make HISTORY and have this time in history be the start of REAL CHANGE - let’s change the narrative, and make this be the NEW NORMAL. We believe if everyone was to use their platform, be it in the Media, News, Music, Fashion, the Arts, Social Media, Schools, Travel, Hospitals, Social Media, TV & Film etc to speak their truth and support each other we can slowly but surely make that change. We are ONE human race and we have to come together 🖤🤍 xx #blacklivesmatter @themasonsofficial
Sunday best.. . . Fond memories of April cover story for @afrostylemagz that we shot in SA early this year.. . . Photography & Film The Masons @themasonsofficial Creative Directon Milkhailia V M Petersen @milkhailiapetersen x The Masons @themasonsofficial Styling Milkhailia V M Petersen@milkhailiapetersen Artists Geenah Philander @__geenah__ @fanjam_model_management Chad-lee Van Wyk @chadlee.vanwyk @20modelmanagement Hair Michelle Moolman @mich.mua Make-Up Elvira Brandt @byelvira . . . . . #campaign #advertisingphotography #commercialphotography #womenswear #womensfashion #melaninqueen #womenswear #afrohair #advertisingphotography #melanin #afropunk #melaninmagic #advertisingphotographer #blackgirlmagic #melaninpoppin #creativelive #fashionphotography #editorial #fashionphotographer #beautyphotographer #editorialphotography #blackmodel #beautyphotography #backtotheroots #photographer #southafrica #capetown #themasonsphotography #shotbythemasons @themasonsofficial