The Annual SallyReps Personal Work Contest: This Year, Lights, Camera, Action

March 13, 2026 3pm Sally Bjornsen

Every January, I challenge the artists on my roster to step away from client work and create something purely for themselves. No briefs, no deadlines, no approvals — just the freedom to make something they believe in. This year I added one single rule: the work had to include video.

I had a feeling that would shake things up. I had no idea how much.

What came back to me left me genuinely moved. These artists didn't just check a box — they built concepts, found collaborators, scouted locations, and produced work that stands on its own as a creative statement. Watching people you believe in rise to a challenge is one of the great privileges of what I do.

Choosing a winner this year feels beside the point. Each of these projects is so distinct, so fully realized, and so reflective of each artist's individual voice that comparing them seems almost unfair. They each deserve their own moment.

I am so proud of every single one of them.

Enjoy the work — I know you will.

Sounders 20% Off Tickets

Stanton Stephens teamed up with SallyReps stylist Mark Humphreys to produce a stunning spec commercial for the Seattle Sounders. It has the energy, the craft, and the visual storytelling of a broadcast campaign. It feels real because the passion behind it absolutely is.

Let's All Futbol

Troy Nebeker and Mark Humphreys took their inspiration from the upcoming FIFA World Cup coming to Seattle this June to create a series of videos called Let's all Futbol. They headed to the waterfront with members of the local soccer community, capturing pickup games along Seattle's beautiful new waterfront park, with the journey ending — perfectly — at Lumen Field. It's joyful, cinematic, and deeply Seattle.

Life In Focus-Warby Parker

George Barberis did something that only George could do. He took his signature still life aesthetic — precise, atmospheric, quietly extraordinary — and translated it into a spec video for Warby Parker. I'll be honest: it made me want to cry. It is that good.

Modern Jewels

Alison Blomgren partnered with seasoned jewelry stylist Lauren Day to create Modern Jewels — a beautifully curated library of product photography and video featuring both on-figure and still life work. It is elegant, considered, and exactly the kind of timeless content that belongs in any serious jeweler's campaign.